Contents WAR STORIES IN THE MAIL ..................... 2 uring the mid-summer months, Israelis not Donly had the sweltering heat on their minds NUPTIALS ..........................5 — June marked the fortieth anniversary of the PEOPLE .............................6 Six Day War; July, the first anniversary of the 7 Second Lebanese War. With our soldiers in STUDENT AFFAIRS ...........15 captivity, the Nation felt it was a time to reflect COVER STORY ..................21 rather than to celebrate. FOCUS ON TELFED ..........28 But are we not a little hard on ourselves? NOTICE BOARD ................32 Do we aspire to such high ideals that we fail to recognize success? Both conflicts are recalled NEW ArrivALS .................34 in this Telfed as we record the recollections and 15 SPORT .............................38 insights of former Southern Africans caught up in war as volunteers, civilians or in uniform. KEREN TELFED ................40 “I was in Cape Town during the Six Day BUSINESS ........................44 War,” said Muriel Chesler today a resident at IN MEMORIAM..................46 Beth Protea. “We thought the end of the world had come.” She was hardly alone with those CLAssifiEds ....................47 38 apocalyptic thoughts. And yet today, forty years on, the nation is strong. Israel is a vibrant Production democracy in a neighbourhood of autocracies. Editor and Chief Correspondent: David Kaplan Its economy is booming and our universities Design and Layout: Becky Rowe are churning out graduates that will spearhead Editorial Committee Chairman: Dave Bloom our small country into a big future. Media Committee: Dave Bloom (Chair), Sharon And if immigration is down, it should not Bernstein, Gershon Gan, Pearl Feldman, David get us down. Those that come, do so because Kaplan, Becky Rowe, Neil Schwartz, Maurice Ostroff, Leonie Barel, Toni Milliner they want to, not because they have to. Proofreading: Sharon Bernstein, Marvyn Hatchuel, Israel is not a War Story; it’s a Success Story. Jack and Rae Galloon, Ralph Lanesman, Harriet Levin, Leon Moss, Sidney Shapiro, Marcelle Weiss David Kaplan, Editor Advertising: David Kaplan (09)7672404 [email protected] Telfed Magazine thanks the following institutions and individuals for co-sponsoring the distribution of this issue in South Africa. Extra or back copies of Telfed Magazine are available at NIS 15 per magazine. Contact Sharon at (09)744-6110. • the Jewish Agency’s Baruch Kostsewa, Director of Views and comments expressed in this publication the Publications and Information Section of the are not necessarily those of the South African Immigration and Absorption Department and Barbara Zionist Federation (Israel) or of the Editorial Board. Meltz-Kahn, Director of Western Languages for the SAZF (Israel) is not responsible for articles and Publications and Information Section of the Immigration and advertisements which appear herein. Absorption Department. South African Zionist Federation (Israel) • the IDC, Herzliya, Raphael Recanati International 19 Schwartz Street, Ra’anana 43212 School, Y.H. Dimri - Construction & Development tel.: (09)744-6110, fax: (09)744-6112 [email protected]; www.telfed.org.il • Telfed 1 N HE AIL To all South Africans wanting to subscribe to N HE AIL I T M Telfed Magazine by credit card; A year’s subscrip- I T M tion: $25 (includes postage) Telfed’s toll-free SAM REMEMBERED Sam’s diplomatic solution was to gold medals in their close with everyone singing, “Auld number from SA is 0800 – 997 – 495. People who respective age groups Dear Editor, Lang Syne”. wish to pay by credit card from SA should speak to: - Telfed staff member, Thank you and a heartfelt Debbie Chitiz and Before becoming the first Director Helayne - ext. 220 or Sharon - ext. 201. yishar koach for your sensitive Rona Joffe, both for of Telfed in 1949, he served ably on the and appreciative obituary of Sam IDF routines at the site. As the soldiers got the 400 m crawl. Debbie and staff of the SA Zionist Federation. Levin, of blessed memory, in out of the car the gunman hidden among Rona are from Raanana. Shaul Bar-Levav (Levinson), Haifa the nearby shrubbery opened fire, killing which you pay tribute to his many Leon Glasser, Efrat faceted talents and multifarious Sgt. Steven Kenigsberg. Four other soldiers, activities. Sam Levin z’’l SETTING THE RECORD who were in the vehicle, sustained injuries. Editors Note: Rona & Debbie participated subse- STRAIGHT The terrorist managed to escape, and left a quently in the European Masters in Slovenia, where I mention here a few, less well-known bomb at the site. The bomb was later safely Rona took a Silver and 2 Bronzes for backstroke. details about Sam: In the last (May) issue of the Telfed magazine, our book review - “ARC 100 detonated by sappers” He had already earned his BA, when CALL BACK THE PAST Years of Memories” - recalls a number of Quoting from the book, the review con- he was capped as an LL.B at the age of 20 stories about former “Arcs” who spent time fused the incident at Ofra, where on the same Dear Editor, “The youngest ever!” and was too young to at Arcadia in Johannesburg. day, ten other soldiers were killed. While rummaging through old belong- be enrolled as an advocate. Regrettably the information about Steven Dave Bloom, ings, it was sheer coincidence that I came While studying at UCT, Sam was the Kenigsberg (Z’l) - although quoted from Chairman, Telfed Media Committee across on the 40th anniversary of the Six Math Master of the JC and Matric classes the book - was factually incorrect, both Day War, a letter my nine-year-old son had at Hillel College, the first Jewish Day and Editor’s note: Telfed Magazine sincerely apolo- regarding the length of his stay at Arcadia written immediately following the War to Boarding School in South Africa. It was gises for any unintended misrepresentation of the and the tragic manner of his death while Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. then located in Muizenberg, where Sam facts which were sourced without prejudice from the serving in the IDF. “Dear Escol, lived. He was the most popular teacher in book and expresses our regrets for any distress the school – the boys revered him and the The facts are that Steven spent a short caused to the family. I am sorry that I am not in Israel because girls adored him. Many of his pupils now period - less than a year - at Arcadia, and I am only nine. I hope there are not many live in Israel. in 1999 made Aliyah when he was 16 years ALL GOLD people badly wounded and I congratulate old. After completing his schooling at the army for fighting so well. I hope you For many years, Sam was the Head of The Masters Swimming Competition for Mossenson High School, he was inducted the Young Israel Camp held annually at the long distances was held for the first time at into the army where he served as a fighter th Strand. One year, when the end-of-camp the Wingate Olympic Pool on the 6 August in the Givati brigade until he was killed in function was open to the public and attended 2007. Besides myself in the 400 and 1500 Plumber a clash with Palestinian terrorists near Gaza by many non-Jews, a problem arose: To metres crawl, two other South Africans 24-hour express service on Sunday, March 3, 2002. sing “Hatikvah”, “God save the King” or walked away, “Die Stem”. The official details of the incident are as or should I •Expert in locating and Telephones follows: “The attack occurred yesterday at say ‘swam repairing leaks (direct) • 7:15 A.M., about a mile south of the Kissufim away’ with •Bathroom renovations Please Note: The date on the right corner of 050-5308104 roadblock. Soldiers from a Givati infantry •Installation of hot water • your mailing label indicates the date of your last Leon Glasser boiler systems and unit were attacked by a Palestinian gunman (09)7749016 payment for Telfed Magazine. If no date appears, with his proud geysers • just as they were switching guard shifts, we have not yet received payment from you. grandchldren •Agreements with all (09)7715556 apparently relying on prior knowledge of insurance companies 2 3 NUPTIALS RABCO Dear Editor, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & CONSULTANTS LTD. I wish to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the S.A.Hostel Project The marriage of Meyrav, Jack Rabin Committee and its Chairman Joe Hallis daughter of Helene Eyal • Property Consultants as well as Telfed Director Sidney Shapiro and grand- daughter of Norma & Geoff Fisher of for the wonderful gesture in honouring the • Property Portfolio Management Moshav Moledet to Zvi South African MACHAL volunteers who Harpaz son of Yigal & Mira Toyota Towers, Yigal Alon St. Tel Aviv came to fight in Israel’s Wars by the unveil- POB 20395, Tel Aviv 61203 Harpaz of Herzliya. Tel: 03-624-1718, 054-4241417 Fax: 03-624-1798 ing of a memorable plaque in the foyer of the refurbished S.A. Hostel Building in continued from page 3 Tel Aviv. Ari , son of I have the greatest admiration for the don’t have to fight another war and that Eddie & Helene you can now live in peace. I will be work- outstanding efforts of Telfed in helping to Talberg of Kfar ing at a fete on the 18th June to help raise improve and enhance the facilities for former Tavor (originally money for Israel. Southern Africans living in Israel. Johannesburg) married Orit, Richard Shakenovsky, Johannesburg” Kol Hakavod. Smoky Simon, Herzlia Pituach daughter of Jeffrey Ruth Shakenovsky, Ramat Hasharon & Eti Phillips of Editors note: See page 37 Alona daughter Herzliya Editor’s note: Letters like this contribute to the of Yvette and Joe Pein of memorabilia of the period.