THE SOUTH AFRICAN ZIONIST FEDERATION
The brief of the South African Zionist Federation is Israel - every aspect of Israel. This brief is carried out with dedication, passion, knowledge and expertise. The South African Zionist Federation is the link between the Jewish community and Israel. This is where it all happens
Under Chairman Avrom Krengel and Director Isla Feldman, the South Africa Zionist Federation has since 2002 offered the community entertainment showcasing different aspects of Israeli culture, in-depth information and education on Israeli politics and history; and has sometimes successfully, but sadly sometimes not, defended Israel in the media.
This is part of the SA Zionist Federation mandate, to ensure that the community is constantly familiarised with the holistic vision of Israel. It is done though the presentation of concerts, talks, annual celebrations and commemorations relating to historical events around Israel, and of course the regular annual and wonderful Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations that are eagerly attended by hundreds – no, thousands – of local Jews. These are preceded always by the dignified and quiet Yom Hazikaron commemorative ceremony – the two regular annual events hosted by the SAZF.
Over the years the SAZF has brought Israel into the homes, hearts and minds of the SA Jewish community so successfully that ours is known to be the most strongly Zionist of all the diaspora communities – and the one most frequently admired, emulated and applauded. A variety – a plethora – a cornucopia of events and functions, serious and amusing, educational and entertaining, have graced concert halls, auditoriums, theatres and lecture theatres.
Eminent guests who have graced our shores at the invitation of the SAZF and spoken to large audiences have included Ambassador and Mrs Dennis Ross, Professor Alan Dershowitz, President of WIZO USA Evelyn Sommer; Winston S Churchill; Israeli Ministers Shimon Peres, Ehud Olmert, Natan Sharansky and Isaac Herzog. We have hosted Itamar Marcus of the Palestinian Media Watch; Michelle Rojas of StandWithUs; Ron Proser, Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr David Olesker of the Jerusalem Centre for Communication and Advocacy Training; Johann Greef, head of the South African office of the ICEJ; Rebecca Brimmer, International Director/CEO of Bridges for Peace; Professor Bernard Wasserstein of the History Department, University of Chicago; and Eli Yerushalmi, Director of Department for Jewish Communities in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We have had audiences enthralled listening to Dr Ra’anan Gissen, special advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon; Colonel Eli Schermeister, Military Attaché for the Embassy of Israel; Gadi Goldwasser, brother of Ehud Goldwasser; Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel; Dr Colin Rubenstein, Executive Director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and member of the Federal Government’s new Council for Multicultural Australia (CMA); Professor Gideon Shimoni; Tony Leon; Dr Greg Mills; Dr Dan Ronen; Archaeologist Professor Dan Bahat, Professor Rafi Cohen-Almagor; Professor Asher Susser; Modi’in Mayor Moshe Spector; Deputy Minister Ehud Olmert; and Yossi Levy, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Special guests Rev Kenneth Meshoe; Lady Amelie Jakobovits; Freda Keet, formerly Kol Yisrael Radio station announcer and Israel activist; and Ambassador Carmi Gillon, Vice President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and former Israeli ambassador to Denmark have spoken on a variety of topics.
Adv Zweletu Lukanyiso (Mighty) Madasa, Chairperson of the SA Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs (Sub-Committee on International Affairs); Hirsh Goodman, well-known media strategist and author; Benjamin Pogrund; Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post; Dr David Gerbi, an Italian-Libyan Jewish psychotherapist working to promote dialogue between the Jews and the Arabs of Libya; Judge Stephen Adler, president of the national labour court in Israel; and Mr Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, have given new and different perspectives on the Middle East.
The SAZF is well-known for its variety of different publications.
There is the monthly FedSpeak, which is widely distributed both and internationally.
The Chairman’s Fed Focus column appears fortnightly in the Jewish Report.
The Selection of the Best regularly reaches a large mailing list of local and international addresses.
“We’ve been waiting for you a long time”: The Arab-Israeli Conflict by Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein was published by the SAZF.
The informative and invaluable SAZF booklet “Dispelling the Myths: Israel and the Middle East” has reached every senior school pupil at the Jewish Day Schools; members of the Zionist Youth Movements; members of the media; and Cape Town’s Jewish community, as well as interested parties in Israel.
After a very successful panel discussion involving Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein, Professor Milton Shain and Mr Chris Eden, the SAZF published “The Jewish Zionist Question in SA: Is anti-Zionism anti-semitism?”
Early in 2008 the SAZF published South Africa and Israel: 60 Years On: a history of the relationship between South African Jewry and Israel since the latter’s independence.
In December of that year, the SAZF published “Celebrating Israel 2008”, a beautifully designed collection piece detailing all the SAZF functions held to celebrate Israel’s 60th birthday.
A monthly Media Team column entitled Fight Back appears in the Jewish Life Magazine.
A weekly interview with non-political Israelis, under the title “The Other Face of Israel”, is flighted on CHAI FM.
Panel discussions were held under the topics “If not Annapolis, what then?”; “Waiting for Godot: Is peace possible in the Middle East?”; and The Jewish Zionist Question in SA: Is anti-Zionism anti-semitism?’
Some of the highlights of the SAZF cultural offerings have been the International Photographic Exhibition entitled “Ethiopia in Israel”; the Photographic Exhibition entitled South Africa and Israel: 60 Years On; the wonderful Art Exhibition “In celebration of Israel at 60”; and the outstanding “Israel Arts Judaica 2004.”
We have held numerous concerts including “Celebration 60”, Rhapsody in Green”; “Around the world with Yevgeny Shapovalov and Colin Schachat”; “The Show Must Go On”; the “Jewish Harmony Singers”; and the world premiere of Israel’s Diamond Anniversary Concert.
We brought out the Misgav Dance Troupe; the Aviv String Quartet; the Ramat Gan Youth Orchestra; the Kfar Vradim Jazz Orchestra; the Re-Vital of Israel Theatre Dance Group; “On your toes”; and the Of Simches Dance Group.
We have also staged two plays: “Two Men Talking” and “Harry and Ed”.
We have had rallies – the Stand up and Step out March for Israel; the Solidarity Rally for Israel; and the Peace in the Park Rally. Also the Cycle Ride for Israel; and Solidarity Missions to Israel.
The Israel Now Tours are among the most successful and unique tours undertaken to Israel by any organisation – educational and entertaining and fun-filled and exceptionally high in standard and quality.
The annual Israel Quiz has uncovered brilliant students of Jewish and Zionist history in the Jewish Day Schools, all of them worthy of mention and future leaders of the Zionist community. The Hebrew Ulpan has been instrumental in teaching people to speak Hebrew for many decades.
The Media Team Israel, an integral part and significant branch of the Zionist Federation, has received accolades and praise galore, both locally and in Israel from officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for its work in dealing with the oftentimes vitriolic and hostile anti-Israel South African media. The Team fights constantly to ensure that Israel receives a balanced and even-handed profile in the media; and has made huge advances in the past 7 years in obtaining more balanced and even-handed coverage on Israel.
The SAZF works with and has affiliations with all the Zionist Youth Movements; with Zionist organisations including the IUA, the JNF, the Israel Centre, WIZO and Maccabi SA; with the Western Province Zionist Council, the KwaZulu Natal Zionist Council and the Eastern Cape Zionist Council;
The SAZF has a wonderful website – www.sazionfed.co.za – which has information on all our events, past and future, and facilities for booking for all future functions. Should you wish you e-mail us, our address is sazf@beyachad.co.za; and our telephone numbers are 011 645 2510/12/05/31.
Contact us – call us – e-mail us – about anything related to Israel, and we will help you immediately with information, tools and material.
