Creating Jewish communities on new frontiers

JORDAN MOSHE

This is due to the pioneering spirit of Chabad, which is making Jewish life in new suburbs a reality.

Jews are known to be a wandering people, a fact which probably accounts for the movement of Jews beyond the usual areas. Jewish movement to the north of Johannesburg has caused the number of Jews in areas like Greenstone and Fourways to increase in recent years. The same is true in the Western Cape, with more and more Jews moving to the West Coast.

It’s for this reason that Chabad has established a presence in these areas, catering to the religious needs of its Jewish residents, and striving to promote Jewish life. “There is now the option for Jews to live Jewish lives in new areas,” says Rabbi Dovi Rabin of Chabad of Fourways. “There are now alternatives to the typical house in Glenhazel, and people can move into new developments while being practicing Jews.”

Under Rabin’s guidance, Chabad of Fourways was established in 2008 when the movement got wind of the strength of the Jewish presence there. In spite of its proximity to Sandton, the Fourways community operates across a catchment area which includes Lonehill, Craigavon, Magaliessig, and Glenferness. “Collectively, the number of Jews in these areas could actually equal or exceed those in the shtetl (village) of Glenhazel to Great Park,” says Rabin. “We are essentially pioneering Jewish life in a new area for all who live out there.”

Shul services were held by Rabin in a garage in a complex for three years before a property was acquired, and a community centre established. A Jewish pre-school was also founded, and Jews in the area began availing themselves of new communal installations.

Says Rabin, “While Jews here are mostly secular, the fact is that they are out in these areas, and still have a connection. We have about 100 families affiliated with the shul today, hold weekly Shabbat services, run community programmes and shiurim, and continue to draw the Jews living around here. We had about 100 adults here on Rosh Hashanah. That was extraordinary.”

He says living in these alternative areas is appealing to many people, and he has experienced the marked difference between life in Fourways and life in Glenhazel. “Fourways offers estate living, which is secure,” he says. “The whole area is developing all the time, with office parks and head offices being established often. There’s Fourways Mall, which is extremely convenient, and many shops stock kosher products. It’s actually a privilege for me to live here.

“If you live in Glenhazel, your nearest mall is Balfour Park, which offers very little. Property in Glenhazel is more expensive, and older. Fourways has crime, but it’s safer, cleaner, and more cost effective. There is potential for young Jewish people here, and it could even become a hub for Jewish life.”

Rabin says there are lots of facilities the area still needs, including a mikveh (ritual bath) and a Jewish school. The community does, however, run a cheder to offer Jewish Studies to students who attend non-Jewish schools, though most of the area’s Jewish youth attend King David Victory Park (the school nearest to the area). There are plans to arrange a bus service to transport them daily.

Although closer to the Jewish heart of Johannesburg, Greenstone is another upcoming hub of Jewish life. Rabbi Pini Pink, the head of Chabad of Greenstone, established the community in 2016, transforming a small minyan (prayer quorum) in his home into a shul that is currently under development.

“There is definitely a desire and a need for Jewish infrastructure here,” says Pink. “Greenstone didn’t exist ten years ago, but today, there are so many Jews out here that we reach out to. I receive new names of Jewish people out here on a daily basis. More people want to be involved all the time.”

The community primarily includes Jews residing in Greenstone, as well as Kempton Park and Dowerglen. Although smaller in size than Fourways, it holds weekly Shabbat services, with 50 to 60 people in attendance on Friday night. Pink says that while the community is mostly secular, it numbers roughly 90 members, and continues to grow.

“In the two months since we bought the new shul property, I’ve had five to six inquiries from frum (observant) couples who are interested in joining the community. They don’t want to live in Glenhazel, and Greenstone offers much more, including developments and complexes which are close to the shul. We’re still close enough to schools and shops in Glenhazel.

“I’m sure we’ll see more people coming this way. The area offers affordability, security, and beauty.”

Rabin believes that the movement of Jews from Yeoville to Glenhazel is happening again, now pushing further north. “At the moment, these newer Jewish areas can’t match the peak of Glenhazel and surrounds,” he says. “However, I think Sandton is becoming the new Glenhazel, and Fourways will become the new Sandton where Jewish life is concerned.”