SAJBD KZN Council President Jeremy Droyman and Council member Mike Caminsky met with the editor of the Sunday Tribune, Mr Sandile Mdadane, this morning to discuss the misleading street poster and newspaper headline that appeared in that paper earlier this week. The front-page read, “Rabbi lures youth to lair”. Mr Droyman shared that Mr Mdadane was extremely warm and receptive. He apologised for the error and will formally do so in print in the upcoming edition. He also offered to publish the SAJBD KZN Council letter of concern expressing the need for sensitivity when dealing with different religions. Please see letter below. Mr Droyman commented that he looked forward to further positive engagements with the Sunday Tribune.

Last week the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the results of a survey it had conducted on attitudes toward Jews in 18 countries, including South Africa. The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has analysed the report, considering its finding against its own research data, as well as that of other organisations such as the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town.

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies is saddened by the passing earlier today of Sir Donald Gordon. For his phenomenal achievements in both the business and philanthropic fields, Donald Gordon was truly a living legend. As a business leader who founded the global insurance giant Liberty International, he was far-sighted, bold and innovative; as a philanthropist, his unstintingly generosity led to the establishment of a range of outstanding institutions and foundations that have benefited countless people and numerous worthy causes the world over

This Friday, the UCT Senate will once again meet to discuss the UCT Academic Freedom Committee (AFC) motion to impose an academic boycott against Israel. This is an initiative of the Palestine Solidarity Forum at UCT and is linked with the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (BDS) movement.

The SAJBD calls on our government to condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing rocket attacks directed against Israeli citizens over the past twelve hours.

In a thoroughly duplicitous and misleading statement issued on Friday, a small Jewish fringe group sought to create the impression that support for an academic boycott against Israel is a view that enjoys significant support in the South African Jewish community. They were commenting ahead of a UCT Senate meeting where a boycott of Israeli Universities was to be discussed.

In January, the independent TV station ANN7 organised a panel debate on security in Sandringham for a programme it was making on the subject. It was reported that one of the panellists, Zahir Omar (of the Muslim Lawyers Association of SA), made explicitly antisemitic comments during the discussion.

It was both predictable and inevitable that this year’s Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) would result in incidences of antisemitism. The Piazza at the Wits University Campus was divided into two separate areas to allow space to both pro-Israel under the banner of SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) and the BDS movement under the banner of the Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) to present their views.

It was both predictable and inevitable that this year’s Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) would result in incidences of antisemitism. The Piazza at the Wits University Campus was divided into two separate areas to allow space to both pro-Israel under the banner of SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) and the BDS movement under the banner of the Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC) to present their views.