BDS was comically described by a Johannesburg writer “as pretty much how I don’t like my Biltong – droeg (dry), and way past having any flavour left to chew on.” Of course, for some, this is how they like it, so it remains on the shelf but BDS is hardly a WOW item anymore – […]
For two years during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) the small South African town of Rouxville was deserted. All its male residents had been called up for active duty, and soon it was a ghost town. Forty years later, it was only the Jews who left the Orange Free State town of Rouxville. The very descendants […]
South African Architects Changing the Face of Israel The passing in July 2017 of Gilbert Herbert, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at Haifa’s prestigious Technion, brought home the contribution of South Africans to transforming Israel’s architectural landscape. In 1997, I interviewed Prof. Herbert following a ceremony at the […]
by Howard Feldman President Jacob Zuma survived his 8th motion of no confidence in his 8th year of his Presidency. The debate and vote took place on the 8th day of the 8th month. A day after a spectacular lunar eclipse showered the country with brilliant radiance; an eclipse that some say heralds change and […]
by Howard Feldman Every Saturday on my return from the synagogue, I collect the Saturday Star from where it lies at the end of the driveway. I walk into my home scanning the headlines and checking if there is anything at all worth reading. I am often amazed at the poor choice of lead-story but […]
Throughout the days of Mandela’s passing in 2013 it rained incessantly. So too in Israel! During the memorial service at the residence of South Africa’s Ambassador,Mr Sisa Ngombane in Tel Aviv, the heavens opened. South Africans from all over Israel attended the ceremony held under a giant tarpaulin, with rain beating down on the canvas. […]
Breaking News!!!!!! BDS has moved into their new premises tailormade to their lies and deception about Israel. With the recent ruling in South Africa’s Equality Court against Cosatu’s (Council of South African Trade Unions) Bongani Masuku for hate speech against the Jewish community, what does BDS do? They circulate a 1975 United Nations resolution accusing […]
Christians from Southern Africa visit the Holy Land to see for themselves I am of the firm belief that if you really want to get to know and understand Israel, you must see the country for yourself. Anyone who has ever visited Israel is amazed by the vast beauty, extraordinary history, and unprecedented emotional ties […]
The events of the ‘Exodus’ that celebrates its 70th anniversary in July 2017 – and the South African connection The Jerusalem Post reported on July 18, 2017 – seventy years to the day that the unarmed ship was rammed by two British destroyers – that “Of all the illegal immigrant ships carrying Holocaust survivors to […]
Every now and then a court case comes along and shakes the foundations in its aim to set a legal precedent. One such example is the landmark ruling in the case of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies vs COSATU’s (Council of South African Trade Unions) Bongani Masuku, for hate speech against the Jewish […]
By David E. Kaplan and Dr. Les Glassman With Lawn Bowls being a major sport at this year’s 2017 Maccabi Games, discover how this sport was introduced to Israel by South African immigrants. “HARD TO BEAT” was the message that resounded at the European Lawn Bowls Championships held in Israel in August 2015. Although England came out […]
by Howard Feldman Anytime now. Maybe even as soon as Wednesday, but Thursday at the very latest, I intend to start a new organization. It won’t be Friday, because I have a lot to do and I am sure it will take up most of the morning (at the least). I have yet to decide […]
“I never knew my grandfather,” writes Richelle Shem-Tov in the opening line to her ‘My Dear Papa – Letters From A Farm in Africa.’ In truth, her grandfather never knew her as he died in 1922, but it appears the writer knew him well! A retired physiotherapist living with her husband in Tel Aviv, Richelle, […]
It is often said that you must scratch the surface to discover true beauty. This is only half true about Eilat, for in this cherished part of Israel, its beauty is both above and below its magical multifarious surface – eternally alluring – inviting mesmerising discovery. Beneath the flowing shades of green and blue of […]
Established during the ninetieth century by German Templers, the German Colony – in Hebrew, HaMoshava HaGermanit or simply HaMoshava – is an illuminating gem in the nation’s capital. Replete with picturesque old refurbished homes nestled in leafy lanes, old historical buildings, and a main street lined with trendy shops, restaurants and cafés, it is well […]