Jewish Community in South Africa

Dedicated and passionate, the SAJBD team works tirelessly to ensure that your civil rights as a Jewish South African are protected and secured. It does so through continual engagement with government, political parties, civil society, media and other faith groups, bringing to wider notice the needs and concerns of SA Jewry. Whenever required, it takes appropriate action to enforce Jewish rights and freedoms.

Where incidents of anti-Semitism occur, the SAJBD responds swiftly, assisted by its legal advisers. It has a record of consistent success in prosecuting cases of anti-Semitism, through the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), in the Equality Court and in other judicial forums. In every case where blatant anti-Zionism has resulted in anti-Semitism, the SAJBD has exposed it for what it is and taken action where necessary.

The SAJBD further ensures that students are not disadvantaged by their religious practices during their school or university studies, as well as upholding other Jewish rites, such as swift Jewish burial and in the work environment. The SAJBD team make it their mission to provide a strong and balanced voice in the South African mainstream media, both proactively and reactively. It is committed to ensuring that SA Jewry can express their South African Jewish identity with pride.

Representing SA Jewry, Supporting Israel

The South African Zionist Federation has connected hundreds of South Africans to Israel through its various programmes and affiliate organisations. As the representative body of the South African Jewish community and its connection to Israel, it aims to protect our rights to be proud supporters of Israel.

Proud Supporters:

  • Kleine Draken with a history dating back to the 17th century, this winery has been diligently restored to recapture its 300 year old history. Kleine Draken vineyard enjoys the delicacy and complexity of both red and white grape. Their wines and special juices are kosher.
  • Chabad of Huntsville is committed to Chabad movement. Chabad welcomes every Jew into non-judgmental environment to experience real heritage.
  • Mobile Casino established by Jewish community, casino site dedicated to casual online gambling, playing poker for money, betting recognized by halachah.

This year, it has hosted major community events Yom Ha’azmaut and Yom Hazikaron, and of the Diller Leadership programme, the Zionist youth movements and the Project TEN outreach centre in KZN, ensuring that young Jewish South Africans stay connected with Israel and to a global network of Zionist youth.

Its media and marketing teams have had a busy year promoting and defending “brand Israel”, monitoring, responding to and informing major media platforms on Israel-related news. The flagship project, South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), has grown from a handful of supporters to a broad-based grassroots movement that transcends religious, cultural, political and racial barriers.

SAFI has expanded over the past five years and the SAZF has successfully connected thousands of “friends” who are now supporting and advocating for Israel alongside the Jewish community. The SAZF will continue to create meaningful ways for our community to express their love for and support of Israel.

Engaging students

The South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) provides a dynamic vehicle through which Jewish university students can proudly explore and express their Jewish identity. It enhances the Jewish experience on campus with regular events and programmes celebrating all facets of Jewish life.

This year saw record sign-ups, and since then members have participated in the many campaigns that SAUJS has run, among them tikkun olam projects, Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations, the ‘Dialogue not Division’ campaign that provided a forthright and effective counter to the hateful ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ initiative, and a range of social and educational events.

The SAUJS Leadership Development Programme (LDP) is SAUJS’s advanced political and leadership training trip. It is devoted to developing leadership skills among the SAUJS Council, as well as achieving a better understanding of Israeli society and the ongoing conflict in the region. This year, SAUJS sent a 10-person delegation to the World Union of Jewish Students congress, where they joined with Jewish student leaders from 35 countries to share ideas, collaborate on projects and understand pressing issues facing world Jewry.

SAUJS does its utmost to ensure your children are safe, happy and looked after on campus at all times, fostering an environment in which their higher education goes hand in hand with building on and proudly affirming their Jewish heritage.

Mandela and the Jews

Shortly before Shabbat last week, South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein spoke to Dr Makaziwe Mandela, daughter of former President Nelson Mandela, to convey to the family the Jewish community’s prayers and support. In thanking Rabbi Goldstein, Dr Mandela asked him specifically to convey to the Jewish community that her father cherished “the special and warm relationship” he had had with South African Jews and that he deeply appreciated how throughout his life he had enjoyed the warmth, kindness and support of the Jewish community.

With the life of this extraordinary man now inexorably drawing to a close, South Africans of all races and creeds are preparing with heavy hearts to bid a final farewell to their country’s greatest son. It is not a time for recriminations and finger-pointing, nor is it a time for any individual or group to presume to share in the light of his legacy.

South African Jews, notwithstanding Mandela’s generous acknowledgment of the support he received from members of their community, are well aware that in these sad times, it is to Mandela alone that all tributes belong. Nor should it be forgotten that while many Jewish individuals did indeed play a valuable part in his life and career, the majority of Jews chose not to confront the apartheid system in any meaningful way.

SA Jewish History

The South African Jewish community traces its origins to the influx of a large number of British settlers in 1820, amongst which were three Jewish families and a handful of individuals. In 1841, seventeen Jews organised the first Hebrew Congregation in Cape Town, called the Tikvat Israel Congregation. Thereafter, the community grew slowly but steadily until the discovery of diamonds (1869) and gold (1886), combined with the massive worldwide migration of East European Jewry at the end of the 19th Century, saw its numbers being dramatically augmented.

To illustrate this remarkably rapid growth of the South African Jewish population, one need only consult the relevant census figures. In 1880, there were no more than an estimated 4,000 Jews out of a total white population of 474,309, less than 1% of the total. A mere quarter of a century later, the figure had leapt to 38,101 out of 1,116,806, now comprising 3.4%. The community continued to grow over the next three decades, to 46,919 in 1911, 62,103 in 1921, 71,816 in 1926 and 90,645 in 1936. By the latter date, Jews constituted 4.5% of the white population, which meant that nearly one white person in twenty at the time was Jewish. Thereafter, while the Jewish population continued to increase, the general white population increased somewhat faster, so that the relative proportion of Jews gradually shrunk over the next seven decades.

In 1946, there were 104,156 Jews in South Africa, 4.4% of the total white population of 2,372,690. In 1960, while having increased to 114,762, it was only 3.7% of the white population and 3.1% in 1970 when it reached a peak of 118,200. Thereafter the community, after nearly a century of growth, began steadily decreasing. In 1980, it had dropped slightly to 117,963 (2.6% of the total white population of 4,551,068) and in 1991, was estimated at 105,711. Today, the Jewish population is estimated as being around 70-80 000 souls, well under 2% of the white population but, more significantly in a post-apartheid, majority rule society, no more than 0.2% of the total population of almost 50 million.