Achieving miracles as a community

This was evident in the vast number of people who tuned in to watch the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards (JAA) on Sunday night. A little bit of basking in the success of people within our community has been a wonderful tonic for us all.

I loved being swept away by the incredible achievements of people who have put the lives of others before their own this year.

What an astonishing way to manoeuvre ourselves along the last few exhausting steps down the year’s path towards the holiday season! What an incredible feat to have successfully created an event like we did when it seemed an impossible task just months ago!

I can safely say this, because my contribution to the awards was mostly about the special Achiever magazine that you will find with this week’s edition. The real work on the event was done by Howard Sackstein, Dina Diamond, Dr Dorianne Weil, Felicity Kantor, Jodi Kramer, Engela Schutte, Britt Landsman, Sandy Furman, and Dani Kedar, the inimitable JAA team.

However, I was there at the weekly meeting when the JAA committee pulled rabbits out of a hat and made things happen. Sometimes, I would sit there in awe, wondering if the spectacular ideas they had could actually come to fruition. And they did.

I watched as the Absa representative, JAA folk, and the SA Jewish Report team bonded. We all worked side by side, and never once did I hear anyone say, “That’s impossible!” or “We can’t do that!”

It’s amazing how positive thinking and hard work creates miracles.

And, it’s the perfect time of the year for such miracles as we are just one week away from the festival of miracles, Channukah, and our last edition of the SA Jewish Reportfor 2020.

Page through our special Absa Jewish Achiever Awards section and magazine to see for yourselves. There is nothing better than reflecting on others’ achievements to inspire us to do better.

In that vein, I would like to pay tribute to Rabbi Yossy Goldman, who will be handing over his baton to Rabbi Yehuda Stern.

I have never been a member of his shul, but have had many an opportunity on this newspaper to deal with him, and he has been a consummately professional rabbi and spiritual leader. He is never afraid to voice his opinion and help out wherever possible. This week is a case in point. The person who was meant to write our Torah Thought(page 2) let us down at the last minute. So, we asked Rabbi Goldman if he could help. Within an hour or two, he delivered a perfect Torah Thought, which is in the newspaper. You have no idea how many times this has happened.

While his future is wide open, I am sure we – and others around the world – are going to continue to be inspired by his Torah and other musings for many years to come. See page 5.

As we move towards the end of the year, I wish I could say that there was a general sense of calm and peace around us in anticipation of a relaxing holiday season. Unfortunately, you just have to page through this newspaper to see that there is still a great deal happening – not all of it good either.

The deputy minister of international affairs and cooperation, Alvin Botes, has dug his boots into Israel in commemoration of the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, with comments that I think are quite outrageous. See page 1. It always amazes me how people in office make pronouncement that aren’t necessarily based in fact without any consequences. I guess he won’t be the first.

Then, the situation in East London is just sad. What upsets me most is that a community is suffering and has all but fallen apart because of an ugly legal wrangle with a rabbi. See page 3.

Legal issues aside, everything in our power needs to be done to ensure that this community is rescued, and that it is given a new lease on life. Send a new rabbi, even if only temporarily, but do something to revive this small coastal community. We have so few thriving communities outside of Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, and we need to make sure that no Jew is forgotten.

Then, looking at the kosher meat situation, I must say I’m surprised that the butcheries and people concerned weren’t more open about the situation. I know our journalist was very clear that this wasn’t a story to trip people up or expose anyone.

All we wanted to do was explain where the costs came from. We fully understand that every company is about making a profit and surviving. We are certainly not against that, and expect that of everyone in business.

Our aim wasn’t to make them feel or look bad, it was simply to try and understand the bottom line of how kosher meat becomes so expensive. See page 9.

We still don’t have all the answers to our questions, and we would be open to people coming forward to help us get them. You see, we are all actually on the same side – the community’s side – and each one of us is a part of this community.

As was so blatantly obvious at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards this Sunday evening, we are a community that punches far above our weight and we are a people who make things happen. We have every reason to stick together and work as a team. We do it so well, especially when we play to our strengths.

From the team of the SA Jewish Report, I would like to congratulate every winner, every person on the esteemed honours roll, and everyone who made the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards happen. Kol Hakavod to you!

Shabbat Shalom!