Cape Town has a 16 000-strong Jewish community. More than 80% of South African Jews now live in the two major metropolitan centres of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Of South Africa’s estimated 70-80 000 Jews, 60% live in Johannesburg and 22% in Cape Town, and with dwindling numbers in Pretoria, Durban, and Port Elizabeth. Since the 1980s, there has been a migration into South Africa of Jews from Israel, Zimbabwe and other sub-Saharan African countries. Cape Town Jewry has also benefited from the contribution of the Sephardic Jews from Rhodes Island (via the Congo), who have established their own synagogue in Sea Point. As a city, Cape Town is known to be more liberal than the rest of the country, and the Jewish community of Cape Town is known to be more liberal than the other communities.
We generally form a homogenous and cohesive community led by the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies . Our community has a strong Zionist identity, with several Zionist organisations under the South African Zionist Federation (Cape Council). We have an excellent Jewish day school network of Herzlia Schools, which the large majority of Jewish children attend (over 80%), and another 5% attend the more religiously observant Phyllis Jowell Jewish Day School. There are 22 functioning places of worship and eight welfare organisations covering a wide spectrum of social welfare problems.
As a group, the Jewish Community of Cape Town generally retains a strong Jewish identity and a strong commitment to Israel. Many of the younger members of our community nurture a strong South African identity and commitment to South Africa. This identity and commitment are enhanced by a feeling of pride in our new multiracial democracy and constitution, which bans all forms of discrimination, including racial and religious.
The homogeneity of the community is being challenged as the geopolitical reality changes globally. Some of the issues we face include:
Affiliated vs. Unaffiliated
Although our community prides itself on being one of the most cohesive in the world, there is a growing divide between those who are affiliated to communal structures (synagogues, organisations, etc.) and those who are not.
Although our community prides itself on being one of the most cohesive in the world, there is a growing divide between those who are affiliated to communal structures (synagogues, organisations, etc.) and those who are not.
Orthodox vs. Reform
There are still tensions between these two sectors of our community, albeit much less so in Cape Town than in Johannesburg.
There are still tensions between these two sectors of our community, albeit much less so in Cape Town than in Johannesburg.
Israel and Zionism
As is the case in most Jewish communities around the world, there is a growing group of active dissenting Jewish voices, challenging the organised Jewish community with regard to its position on Israel.
As is the case in most Jewish communities around the world, there is a growing group of active dissenting Jewish voices, challenging the organised Jewish community with regard to its position on Israel.
Anti-Israel Coalition
There is a very strong, well-organised and vociferous anti-Israel lobby, headed by organisations such as the Media Review Network, End the Occupation Campaign, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee, and others.
There is a very strong, well-organised and vociferous anti-Israel lobby, headed by organisations such as the Media Review Network, End the Occupation Campaign, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee, and others.
Jewish/Muslim Relations
South Africa has a large Muslim population, with the majority (some 700 000) living in Cape Town. Although historically the relations between the two communities have been very good, since the increase of hostilities in the Middle East over the past decade, this relationship has been damaged.
South Africa has a large Muslim population, with the majority (some 700 000) living in Cape Town. Although historically the relations between the two communities have been very good, since the increase of hostilities in the Middle East over the past decade, this relationship has been damaged.
Dwindling and ageing community
From our peak of 120 000 Jews in the 1970s, we have since lost almost 50% of our population (although at least 20 000 of these could have been Israelis). This has created both a demographic and sociological problem, with ageing Jews remaining while their children have moved to Australia/New Zealand, North America, the UK or Israel.
From our peak of 120 000 Jews in the 1970s, we have since lost almost 50% of our population (although at least 20 000 of these could have been Israelis). This has created both a demographic and sociological problem, with ageing Jews remaining while their children have moved to Australia/New Zealand, North America, the UK or Israel.
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