“Shaun’s Call of Duty” honours community hero and father

When armed intruders entered his home on 28 January 2013, father, husband, businessman, and Community Security Organisation (CSO) stalwart Shaun Lipshitz did what he did best – protect his family. Tragically, he lost his life in the process. Marking his ten-year yarzheit last week, his daughter, Rachael, launched “Shaun’s Call of Duty Initiative”, a CSO fundraising campaign in his memory.

In her Facebook post promoting the fundraiser, Rachael recalls the night her family’s life changed forever. “Our home, a place filled with invaluable memories and immense love, was broken into by three armed men,” she writes. “On seeing the intruders, my father instantly drew his gun and a shootout began. In the frenetic exchange of gunfire, several rounds struck his body, and he was gone within seconds.

“My father left this earth as a protector, a hero. He left this earth fulfilling his true purpose, his true passion – the protection of Jewish life.” With the support of her mother, Tarynne, and two brothers, Dovi and Yoni, Rachael decided that raising funds for the CSO, which was founded on this philosophy, was the perfect way to perpetuate Shaun’s memory.

The R43 500 that the campaign aims to raise will be used to purchase training equipment to teach kids and community members to protect themselves, a fitting memory for Shaun, the family says.

Though Rachael, who was only eight when Shaun died, says a lot of what she knows about him comes from stories others have told her, she’ll never forget how family-oriented he was. “He was incredibly busy, but did whatever he could to be at every one of my ballet concerts and every one of my brothers’ soccer games,” she told the SA Jewish Report. “Even if he was working late in his office in our converted garage, he would always come and kiss me goodnight and read me stories.”

Rachael, in Matric at King David High School Linksfield, her father’s alma mater, says that the yarzheit together with the realisation that she’s the last of Shaun’s children to go through the school system, sparked the need to commemorate his legacy.

The fact that 2023 is Shaun’s 30-year high school reunion also contributed to the initiative. “The kids of the parents who will be attending the 30-year reunion are all coming up on stage with a picture of their parents when they were in matric,” Rachael says. The school’s social worker approached Rachael asking if she would be comfortable in participating. “I said to my mom, ‘It’s hard, but if I don’t represent him, it’s like saying he wasn’t there, but that’s not the truth.’”

Writing an oral about her father, Rachael was inspired to do a little digging, and she went through a box of his old belongings. “His principal, Elliot Wolf had written him a letter of recommendation for university, and it spoke about his community service and participation in sport and in productions as a part of the sound and lighting team. I also found photos of him in his school uniform.”

Though she wishes she could have gone through the mementos with her father, it had an impact on her. “It was crazy for her to read about her dad, knowing she’s now where he was then,” says Tarynne. “All of this stirred up the juices in her, and she knew she needed to do something in his memory.” They brainstormed, and realised that raising funds for the CSO would be the perfect way to commemorate Shaun.

Jevon Greenblatt, operations director at CSO Johannesburg, says the organisation is proud to be part of the initiative. He describes Shaun as “a giant in the community, who always thought of others”.

“He was among the first intake into the CSO,” he says. “Shaun played an integral role in the development of the CSO. His passion was to serve and protect the community.”

Shaun served as a bodyguard for the late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris for a year, and was always part of the CSO, says Tarynne. “Every yom tov, he would be in shul early, lifting up every seat to check for anything that shouldn’t be there. It was just part of him.”

The CSO decided to use the funds to give back to the community, says Goldblatt. “Though the training equipment will be used at schools, it’s also for the greater community who will be taught situational awareness and self-defence.” The training forms part of the organisation’s Body and Mind Programme. “In today’s world, we believe that the community as a whole needs to play its part in becoming more vigilant and managing its own security,” he says.

Tarynne says becoming a single mother at the age of 36 was daunting initially. “When Shaun passed away, I was naïve. I had never done anything on my own, I didn’t even know how to do internet banking or how to budget. It was frightening for me. But I also knew that my kids were relying on me, so I didn’t have a choice.”

Tarynne kept “pedalling the bicycle”, and told her children they would get through their heartbreaking loss together. “I wasn’t prepared to embrace any form of victimhood, and I said to my kids straight from the get-go, this isn’t going to define you,” she says. The family continues to live by Shaun’s mantra: “Play the cards you have been dealt to the best of your ability.”

Having left university when she fell pregnant with her first child, Tarynne eventually returned to her studies, and is completing a master’s degree in industrial psychology.

Tarynne is proud of all of her children, who consistently take on mitzvot in their father’s memory, whether it be by learning or donating to charity. “It’s part of them to keep Shaun’s legacy alive,” she says. “They’re so proud of their dad.”

If you would like to make donations, please email donations@cso.org.za for banking details.