Shabbos Project in PE puts emphasis on communal unity

DAVID SAKS

Attendances at the services and talks, as well as at the preceding Challah Bake (where over 70 women took part, many of whom were making challah for the first time) was excellent, as was the general level of interest and involvement. Particular emphasis was placed on the theme of unity in the community.

In common with most urban centres outside Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, Port Elizabeth has seen a steady decline of its Jewish population over the past two decades. What the community lacks in numbers, however, is increasingly being made up by a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm.

In part, the revival has been due to the energetic presence of Reb Aryeh Furman, who took over the spiritual leadership of the Port Elizabeth Hebrew Congregation earlier this year. A further source of the revival, however, has been the role played by the growing number of converts to Judaism, who are bringing with them their own special brand of idealism and vision of what it means to be Jewish.

They include Geraldine Mallet and Andre la Grange, both of whom spoke on the day on the meaning of Shabbat in the context of their own spiritual journeys. 

In view of this, Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, spiritual leader to the South African Country Communities, commented on the appropriateness of the parsha of the week for the Shabbos Project being Lech Lecha, the sidrah that is particularly associated with the theme of conversion.

Rabbi Silberhaft, the guest rabbi for the Shabbos Project weekend in Port Elizabeth, spoke during the Shabbat day meal on the topic, “From Southern Africa to the Vatican”, focusing on his meeting, as a member of a World Jewish Congress, with Pope Francis in Rome last year.

The title of Reb Furman’s talk was “The Soul of the Matter” while Rabbi Boruch Raff, who was guest chazzan for the services, spoke on “Soul Singing”. Afterwards, all three speakers engaged with participants in a “Stump the Rabbi” question and answer session
Attendances at the services and talks, as well as at the preceding Challah Bake (where over 70 women took part, many of whom were making challah for the first time) was excellent, as was the general level of interest and involvement. Particular emphasis was placed on the theme of unity in the community.

In common with most urban centres outside Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, Port Elizabeth has seen a steady decline of its Jewish population over the past two decades. What the community lacks in numbers, however, is increasingly being made up by a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm.

In part, the revival has been due to the energetic presence of Reb Aryeh Furman, who took over the spiritual leadership of the Port Elizabeth Hebrew Congregation earlier this year. A further source of the revival, however, has been the role played by the growing number of converts to Judaism, who are bringing with them their own special brand of idealism and vision of what it means to be Jewish.

They include Geraldine Mallet and Andre la Grange, both of whom spoke on the day on the meaning of Shabbat in the context of their own spiritual journeys. 

In view of this, Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, spiritual leader to the South African Country Communities, commented on the appropriateness of the parsha of the week for the Shabbos Project being Lech Lecha, the sidrah that is particularly associated with the theme of conversion.

Rabbi Silberhaft, the guest rabbi for the Shabbos Project weekend in Port Elizabeth, spoke during the Shabbat day meal on the topic, “From Southern Africa to the Vatican”, focusing on his meeting, as a member of a World Jewish Congress, with Pope Francis in Rome last year.

The title of Reb Furman’s talk was “The Soul of the Matter” while Rabbi Boruch Raff, who was guest chazzan for the services, spoke on “Soul Singing”. Afterwards, all three speakers engaged with participants in a “Stump the Rabbi” question and answer session