ANT KATZ

The South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) reappointed Ariela Carno as national chair for 2014 last November, as well as their other national office-bearers. This week they announced their Campus chairs and, says Carno, are signing up members like crazy.

The majority of the national executive visited Israel as a group over the holidays SAUJS national leadership held their Development Program and attended the World Union of Jewish Students congress in Israel in December.

SA chair Ariela Carno is at the centre of this group, above, in front of the Knesset

The national executive consists of: Ariela Carno, Ariela Carno, chair; Cayla Urdang, vice-chair; Natan Pollack, treasurer; Justin Gilman, religious officer; Gabrielle Blumberg, community officer; Jonathan Fischers, social officer; Jonty Sinai, liaison officer; Ilanit Chernick, media officer; Carla Frumer, Zionist officer; and Dani Hovsha, African affairs officer.                     

Three of the newly-appointed campus chairs for 2014 also sit on the national executive. They are: Wits, Zac Feldman; UJ, Jayden Cramer; and UCT’s Luigi Bonfig.

Training in full swing

“Many members of our national and Cape Town committees attended the SAUJS leadership Development Program and the World Union of Jewish Students congress in Israel in December,” Ariela, a fourth-year med student at Wits told the SAJR this week.

Their numbers are looking good, she said, and SAUJS had run O-week (orientation week) at UCT, Wits and UJ. “We are still taking applications and the sign-ups are ongoing,” she said, “both on campus and on our website.”

SAUJS are up and running, fast. They are determined to have their structures in place and their wheels turning smoothly ahead of Israel Apartheid Week which starts on 10 March.

They are running a national leadership seminar this weekend, have set up a “meet and greet” event next Tuesday (25 February) at Michelo’s at 7pm, says Ariela, “and we will be hosting Mamphela Ramphela for a Friday night dinner at Sydenham Shul on the 7 March.”

SAUJS have reactivated their campus branch at Rhodes and are considering a request for the first time to open a branch at UFS in Bloem. They are expecting an easier IAW this year, except at Rhodes and Stellenbosch. WE will be deploying members from other campuses to assist there,” said Ariela.