Cape Jewish Chronicle

The last (Pesach) issue was intended to offer some ‘non-consumable’ material for the seder table – but not to interrupt or interfere with the traditional Haggadah reading and discussions arising, of course.

What did, and still does, emerge from that issue is the amazing impact of the article on the closing of the fish shop in the Gardens. The demise of what must be viewed as an ‘institution’ of the community is bound to touch a lot of people – and Fernando’s fishy recollections added much poignancy. There were a number of folk who felt left out of his memories and anecdotes. Perhaps a follow-up article is required. But not in this issue!
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Since this issue has to be completed before Pesach, to ensure that you will be reading it around 1 May and so that we, who are working sooo hard to get the 40 pages done, can have the time to do the requisite shopping and enjoy unpressured pre Pesach preparation (try saying that fast) this article is being written well in advance of Haggadah night. So it is largely speculative on how things turned out, not only on the seder nights, but, in fact, for the entire matzoh-munching period.

Did you enjoy the candle-lit experience, the cold repast (except for the not negotiable hot chicken soup and kneidels) as advised on the front page of our last issue? Or did you simply disregard the UOS appeal? If the former, you were the simple son, if the latter, naturally, the wise one.

Personally, I thought that was our best April Fools joke ever, as so many people, bemusedly, reluctantly and with some annoyance, actually did believe it. I have collected a few of the responses of the simple or perhaps they should be described as confused sons which you can read on page 32.
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The Board fully supports the principle of freedom of expression, recognising that this is one of the cornerstones of any democratic society. There comes a time, however, when the boundaries between fair comment and offensive propaganda are crossed. Such was the case with a cartoon by Zapiro that appeared in all the Independent newspapers on 12 March. In essence, this accused Israeli Jews of celebrating their deliverance from persecution whilst simultaneously committing the same acts of oppression against the Palestinians.

Using the contacts we have built up with the local media over the years, the Board was able to ensure that responses to the cartoon appeared in all the papers in which it was originally published. This included the publication of a full opinion piece in The Star and Mercury and numerous letters in the Cape Argus and Pretoria News.
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Recent psychology points to a fairness instinct in all humans, which goes along with other similar torturing, beating, bombing and gassing. Around 100 million people met violent deaths in the course of political conflict in the 20th century alone.

How does one reconcile these two apparently mutually exclusive human truths altruism and extreme brutality? And what does it imply for Jews specifically, faced as we so often are by hostility to the point of genocidal intent?

Strangely enough, it looks as if the very instincts we admire, the capacity for kindness and fairness, may be one reason why our species is prone to such extraordinary brutality. Put simply: along with altruism comes hatred and desire to harm those who are perceived to transgress the moral norms of the group.
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It is not every day that the young people of the community are invited to such glamorous events, but everyone was made to feel like a true socialite at the sparkling YAD Launch of 2008. Stepping into the elegantly decorated hall at GrandWest, the guests were greeted with an evening of glitz and entertainment.

In true Jewish style, a delicious buffet started off the evening, catered to perfection by Merle Rubin and her team. The meal was followed by the smooth sounds of the Sterling EQ quartet, adding a touch of diamond glamour to the atmosphere. More entertainment included the slick style of MC and stand up comedian Loyiso Gola, who was voted Stand up Comedian of the Year 2007, showing us a different side of Cape Town and that the best thing for democracy is to laugh with each other and at ourselves!
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