Presidential initiative to solve our problems

There’s something exciting about being first at anything. When it’s a competition and you have worked hard for it, it’s hugely satisfying. When you’re chosen to go first in giving a presentation or examination, it may be daunting because you don’t have a frame of reference from those who went before you. However, the fact that you’re chosen to go first is generally a compliment. You’ve been selected to set a specific standard, or so I would imagine. Or to be a guinea pig and trusted to test the waters.

I’m talking about the fact that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is a real fan of the South African Jewish community and our country as a whole, chose us to be the first to participate in his ambitious leadership plan called “The Voice of The People – the president’s initiative for worldwide Jewish dialogue”. The idea is for us to give the president perspectives and guidance in how to solve problems within the Jewish world, especially between the Jewish state and the diaspora.

As a fan of this Israeli president, I think, in principle, it’s an outstanding idea. The aim of creating a world Jewish advisory council to prevent problems within our world from escalating to dangerous levels is inspired. There’s no doubt there’s a dire need for getting past our problems with each other. And I love the idea of a global Jewish Beit Midrash.

I was cautiously optimistic when we ran a story about it in our special Israel-focused Yom Ha’atzmaut edition. I was cautious because, as with so many great plans, they take years to get off the ground… if they ever do. So, when shortly after his announcement, I and many others in the community were invited to participate in the first in a “series of strategic laboratories” around the world in June and July, I was impressed. It was going to happen, and the president wasn’t wasting any time in launching it.

Though we were the first, representing Africa, there are to be other such laboratories in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Australia, and obviously Israel. There will also be virtual labs in Hebrew and English.

Without doubt, the sooner this is done the better, so we can sift through problems and come up with positive solutions to create a safe space with each other and identify commonalities.

I know there are some who find my blanket desire to find solutions within our communities too idealistic or removed from reality. So be it! However, the truth is that if we don’t sort out our differences and find ways to work together in peace, accepting each other’s perspectives, we make room for our enemies to do so much more harm. United, we cannot be defeated.

I believe the president’s intention is to help us – as in the entire Jewish world – sort out our nonsense and make diaspora Jewry feel a part of Israel. He has my full support in that.

On Monday, we gathered – Jews from Cape Town, Durban, Joburg and Israel – at Beyachad to find a starting point in this process.

It was fabulous to interact with people, some of whom I only knew by name before this, who were just as committed to our community and Jewish world as I am. It was a gift! As Jews do though, there was a lot of chatter. The truth is, you cannot put Jews together without giving them time to have a good old chinwag. It’s who we are.

I loved the fact that there were religious and secular, Orthodox and progressive, young and not so young, left and right-wing supporters of Israel and South Africa present. All these people took time out of their busy lives to be there because they, too, wanted to make this work.

There was truly a mix of communal leaders, all of whom had very strong opinions they wanted to share. And that’s exactly what Herzog wanted us to do.

Did we achieve anything specific? I’m not sure we did. We shared ideas that might need time to brew and deepen substantially.

However, though there were some who didn’t think the day took us anywhere worthwhile, I’m glad this process has begun. It’s going to have teething problems. Every new venture or brainchild does. It has never been done before, and there isn’t a clear or obvious way to make it work.

However, as long as we in the Jewish world remain committed to making it work, it will.

I’m sure that those behind the initiative will take what they learnt from Monday’s gathering and make the next one in the next country better. So, perhaps we were guinea pigs in this regard. But I believe the reason Herzog gave us the role of going first was because he trusts our commitment to each other, to the Jewish world and obviously, to Israel.

He has said numerous times how unique and close-knit our community here is and how in spite of having many differences, we work so well together to achieve a goal.

There are few Jewish communities around the world quite like ours. We’re a true community!

I agree that we were a good starting block. However, the proof is in the proverbial pudding, and we aren’t going to see that for a while. I trust that Herzog will achieve his goal, and I look forward to seeing who will make up the global Beit Midrash and what it will achieve. Idealist or not, this is essential, and I want to see it work.

Shabbat Shalom!

Peta Krost

Editor