This week marks the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, which claimed 85 lives and left more than 300 people injured. This was the first targeted attack against a Jewish installation in the diaspora, and fundamentally changed the way our communities operate. Since then, securing Jewish installations and following sensible safety protocols at community events has become a major focus of global Jewish leadership. Indeed, our own Community Security Organisation was formed on the initiative of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies soon after the AMIA attack, mirroring similar Jewish security organisations around the world.
Regrettably, world Jewry continues to be the focus of extremism, and we have over the years witnessed many similar tragedies. Our community must remain vigilant about its security, and steadfast against indoctrination to hate. I recall a poignant statement made by AMIA survivor Anita Weinstein, who addressed our Gauteng council in 2022 stating, “To defeat these evil ideologies, it’s our abiding duty to build together a culture of tolerance and respect for the sanctity of human life and to inculcate these values into our own and in future generations.”
With this in mind, how fitting it is that in this same week, we honour Nelson Mandela, a leader who stood so staunchly for these very ideals of tolerance, acceptance, and peaceful coexistence. By celebrating Mandela Day with community service, volunteering, and social-upliftment projects, we enshrine the ideals of this great man, and make a positive statement in favour of cohesion and coexistence. In this way, Mandela Day may be the strongest statement against the forces that are responsible for AMIA and so many other atrocities.
South African Jewry has a long and proud history of contributing to the broader South African society. The Board has been privileged to work with many organisations in our community over the years that are making a practical, positive difference in the lives of our country’s people. A testament to the amazing work taking place across South Africa has been recorded in the second edition of our Jubuntu book: Jubuntu 2.0. The book will be launched this year, and I encourage everyone to support this publication.
However, we must understand that the Jewish ideal of tikkun olam (healing the world) isn’t something reserved for Mandela Day, but should be an ongoing and integral part of our community ethos. We must harness the goodwill experienced on Mandela Day into a continued and perpetual culture of social investment and upliftment. I thus wish to motivate the community to take on projects that can have an impact lasting well beyond 18 July.
There are numerous charitable bodies that serve both the community and our associated bodies, Jewish and non-Jewish, that are in constant need of support, both financial and in volunteer hours. I strongly encourage everyone to harness the momentum and spirit of Mandela Day, and of Mandela himself, and take more of a role in the upliftment of our country and community.
- Listen to Charisse Zeifert on Jewish Board Talk, 101.9 ChaiFM, every Friday from 12:00 to 13:00.
