SAUJS, Sydenham Young Adults, host DA’s Maimane

HEATHER SCHNEIDER

PHOTOGRAPH BY HEATHER SCHNEIDER 

Pictured: Rabbi Yehuda Stern, DA leader Mmusi Maimane and Rabbi Yossy Goldman.

Rabbis Yehuda Stern and Yossy Goldman, together with the SAUJS committee, arrived early to welcome and photograph Maimane before Shabbos came in.

Maimane attended Rabbi Goldman’s Shabbat service and then enjoyed dinner with over 300 young Jewish adults.

The evening was organised by Aly Schneider, national social officer of SAUJS, in partnership with Rabbi Stern.

Schneider introduced Maimane as the guest speaker and spoke of his humble beginnings.

Maimane went on to share his dreams and hopes for South Africa and drew many parallels between the Jewish community at large and the post-apartheid fight for equality.

His biggest fear is the growth of the “No Vote” campaign and he implored his audience to all stand up and be counted and to spread the word that “no vote” equalled “no hope”.

He believes that if the DA can change all the no votes into votes for his party, South Africa has a chance of a great, successful future. He also believes that all voters should be feared as it is their democratic right to place and replace politicians.

His immediate goal for his party is to win “The Big 5” – Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town – which it already holds, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tlokwe (Potchefstroom).

A questions and answers session followed Maimane’s speech and it was very reassuring to see that Maimane really seems to get to his audience, leaving them with a lot of positivity and a promise “of a very interesting political time” in the country between 2016 and 2019.