Light through the darkness

As loadshedding continues unabated, we do our best to find ways to live with it. We also make a plan to survive those all-too-frequent times when outages turn into days without electricity because substations break down or are vandalised.

That “do-it-yourself” nature of our community and fellow citizens keeps us going and smiling no matter what challenges come our way. As I have said so many times before, how we deal with these problems is a choice.

But it’s more than that.

As I sat this last week with a power outage that went on for two days because our substation exploded, I recognised that it brought our mini community closer, albeit because of our WhatsApp group. We were all helping each other where we could. It was heartwarming.

One man in the area read about an elderly woman who was on oxygen and was battling to charge the batteries of her machine. So, without further ado, he bought a generator and had it delivered to her house. He didn’t know her. He had never met her. He just saw someone in need, and was able to help, so he did. No questions asked.

Out of the darkness, it seems, comes light. And though nobody wants to be challenged by the problems we face in South Africa, it appears to encourage many of us to be better people. It also pushes us to dig deep to find solutions and ways to make our lives better under the circumstances.

Some people may question why we have a story about Dr Mpho Phalatse being reinstated as mayor of Johannesburg on our front page. It’s simple, she’s a really good friend of our community, and has the same core values as us. She appears to be the sort who constantly challenges herself to rise above the din in service – and there’s no doubt that Joburg is facing a services-delivery crisis.

Phalatse has also never hidden her support of Israel, withstanding much animosity from the Israel haters. She has never backed down, always maintaining her integrity and strong values.

She’s undoubtedly the kind of leader we need in this country. Yet, she’s consistently challenged and will keep being pushed just because she appears determined to put service above politics. And, though her support for Israel seems to be less of an issue for her now, it’s likely to surface when she’s challenged again. It’s the nature of Israel haters and antisemites.

In this edition, we have two stories in which antisemitism rears its ugly head, first in regard to Dis-Chem Chief Executive Ivan Saltzman (page 3) and second, ice cream entrepreneur Paul Ballen (page 4). Though the hatred towards them are both vicious social-media constructs, they come in different guises.

With Saltzman, we’re dealing with traditional antisemitism in which a businessman who, rightly or wrongly, angered some people, but instead of them tackling what he said specifically, they lashed out at him for being a Jew.

Obviously, the fact that Saltzman is Jewish has nothing whatsoever to do with what he said or how he dealt with it, it’s just a fact of life. But for antisemites, it’s a perfect opportunity to spew hatred of Jews. Why not focus on what it is that’s making them angry with him – what he said or wrote in his memorandum? I would have no problem with that, but to turn this into a Jew-baiting situation is abominable, no matter what. (Read David Saks’ opinion piece on this page.)

However, it does seem clear that if you look a little deeper at those who have made these antisemitic comments, they aren’t people with much of a social-media following, nor are they an organised group. Not that it makes it any better or worse.

Switch to Ballen’s experience, in which a private individual, albeit a successful businessman, goes on holiday to Israel, something that’s 100% his right to do. As a photographic enthusiast, he takes and posts beautiful pictures on Instagram. Again, something that’s his right to do. He makes no political statements, nor are his photographs politically motivated or inspired. They are just an enchanting look at life in Israel through the lens. Harmless? Definitely! Upsetting? Why would they be?

However, the anti-Israel and antisemitic reaction was astonishing and disgusting.

It must have hurt. It certainly would have upset me, but I loved Ballen’s reaction. He made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t going to shy away from these haters. He was proud to be Jewish, and wasn’t going to let these people, who simply hate for hate’s sake, drive him to be ashamed of anything he had done.

He even called on other Jewish people to come out as proud Jews, and not let these haters get under our skins. Kol hakavod to you, Paul! I have a new-found desire to buy more ice cream. Anyone joining me?

In the light of both of these stories, one might wonder if antisemitism is on the rise. I don’t believe that’s true in South Africa.

There will always be anti-Israel haters with a loud voice who will find a way to try to undermine those of us who believe the Jewish state has a right to exist and thrive.

And as for old school antisemites, fortunately they don’t exist in huge numbers in this country, nor are they powerful.

In all honesty, we have far more to get stressed about regarding the darkness that pervades, thanks to Eskom. But, even there, we’ll find light in the darkness because that’s who we are.

Shabbat Shalom!

Peta Krost

Editor