UK chief rabbi praises ‘outstanding’ SA community

The South African Jewish community stands as a beacon of hope in the face of the international rise of violent antisemitism over the past year, says the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom (UK) and Commonwealth, Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

Mirvis told the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD’s) 120th anniversary gala dinner on 11 November that, “This community is envied throughout the Jewish world, saluted for outstanding achievements, and now under exceptionally trying circumstances, has shown resilience and fortitude.”

It continues to maintain the “heart of Jewish values”, Mirvis said, despite what others say about it, and it continues to care for and take responsibility for the broader community. “This is always how we have conducted ourselves, and how we will continue to conduct ourselves – even in light of a rise in hatred worldwide after Hamas attacked the south of Israel on 7 October 2023,” Mirvis told the packed audience at the Wanderers Club.

“The date, 7 October, was a day in which G-d opened the eyes of all of humankind, some of whom responded, others who haven’t yet. It was the day which taught us of the deep evil that exists,” he said.

The conflict isn’t about Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic State (ISIS), or Boko Haram, Mirvis said, rather the terror organisations being the “tentacles of a giant, monstrous, evil being, the head of which is Iran, and Israel, therefore, is on the frontline, fighting the battle for all of civilization”.

“There are people out there who are saying, ‘We’ve been doing so much for the sake of those in need around the globe and right now, they’re throwing it back in our faces. It’s not appreciated anymore. They’re demonising Israel.’ I say to them,” Mirvis said, “that’s not going to make us stop. This isn’t a time for Jews to draw in and say, ‘Let’s just be here for ourselves.’ We should be doing quite the contrary.”

Hatred will always exist, Mirvis said, but “that shouldn’t stop us from being that blessing. The sun shines and often causes shadows to emerge. There’s darkness as a result of the sun. But the sun continues to shine, and so do we”.

He spoke about how Jews around the world have “a responsibility, particularly right now, to reach out with love and affection and show who we are. We look forward to a time when once again, people will appreciate what we are”.

Mirvis said that the most telling days were those in the immediate aftermath of 7 October, when world Jewry discovered who its friends were. It also demonstrated how amazing its friends were.

“We have some amazing friends. We should never overlook this. We should forever appreciate them,” he said. “It was extraordinary how on 13 April and 1 October, when Iran intended its attack on Israel to be as deadly as possible, that the British Royal Air Force together with the United States Air Force were there to support the state of Israel.”

Mirvis said that even in the UK, he had been shown the love of those who were friends of the Jewish community. He said he had held meetings with King Charles III six times in the past year, and on every occasion, the king would reach out and ask how the community was doing with empathy and concern.

Mirvis said he knew that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and that though we have amazing friends, the rise in antisemitism is staggering. He has witnessed a change in the way people relate to Jews, with a global rise in antisemitic attacks and a violent pogrom on the streets of Amsterdam last week on the eve of Kristallnacht.

Engrained in every part of Jewish culture is the love of giving, and there’s no greater example of the Jewish love of giving than the South African Jewish community that he grew up in, Mirvis said.

“We are defined not by what we’ve received or what we have, but rather by what we give. It’s always been part of our natural DNA, our Jewish way of life,” he said.

Mirvis emphasised that empathy is at the core of Judaism. “Throughout our history, wherever we’ve been, we’ve empathised, we’ve seen the pain of others. And we’ve always acted on our feelings, as a result of which we have made and continue to make a contribution to our wider communities.”

He highlighted the massive contribution the South African Jewish community had made in the struggle against apartheid, saying that he had a personal connection to the struggle as he has several family members and close friends who contributed to it – his parents and his uncle, Ben Eidelman.

Mirvis recalled how his father would give sermons criticising apartheid, and how some nights, he would come home and could barely see because of the tear gas sprayed at him at the demonstrations he attended. Similarly, as a nursery school teacher, his mother became principal of the Athlone Teachers Training College, the only teachers’ training college in southern Africa for non-white nurseries. He recalled that it was controversial for his parents to bring their black friends to his Barmitzvah, which they did in an attempt to set an example for the community.

“It feels terrible explaining that this is something special. But that was part of the evil of apartheid.”

His story is by no means unique, he said, as nearly every Jewish family has a story like his. “It’s something we’re immensely proud of. And this is because right at the heart of our Jewish responsibility to be enlightened to the nations, we have particular values.”