All’s well with Jewish education in SA

SHANA SASSEN and GABY COHEN

Pictured:  Keynote speaker, Dr Tal Ben-Shahar.

The SABJE oversees all the King David Schools on behalf of the community and represents affiliates on various educational platforms.

The highlight of the morning was the speech by Dr Ben-Shahar, author and lecturer at Harvard University and IDC. 

His topic, “How to make sure our children are equipped to succeed”, stressed the importance of “positive psychology” to the 550 capacity delegates. 

He explained the relationship between happiness and success, saying that happiness is the cause and success the effect, and he congratulated King David Schools on acknowledging the importance of social-emotional wellbeing in their mission statement.

Opening the conference, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein addressed the audience on the importance of Jewish schooling and the significant role the King David Schools play in the Johannesburg Jewish community.  

Israel’s Ambassador to South Africa, Arthur Lenk, elaborated and compared the Jewish day schools in many ways to the “start-up nation” environment, reflecting on the huge impact of the schools on the Jewish world.

Lebogang Montjane, from the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa, complimented King David Schools on their excellent results in the 2014 matric exams and thanked the schools for their contribution to academic excellence in South Africa, remarking on how King David Schools are the biggest single member of ISASA.

Outgoing SABJE Chairman Raoul Gamsu spoke on the financials and current position of the SABJE, on the healthy financial position of the SABJE, stable and growing numbers of children in the King David School system and the vision of “excellent teachers teaching excellently”. 

He thanked the King David Schools’ Foundation (KDSF) for the generous contribution of their donors, which enable facility upgrades and teacher training, allowing the schools to remain centres of excellence. He reiterated the connection that the South African learners have with Israel and highlighted the importance of building a love for Jewish culture and religion.

SABJE Director Rabbi Craig Kacev spoke about the eight key ingredients that a King David education instils in learners, enabling them to succeed and achieve great things later in their lives.

The morning concluded with the election and announcement of the new members of the SABJE.