In the past, many South African-born Jews did not regard this land of braaivleis and baasskap as their land of milk and honey. In fact, it would not have been unusual for a local Jew to know more about the Warsaw Ghetto than Soweto.
Yet eight years into a non-racial society, South Africa’s Jewish youth seem far more determined to make a meaningful place under African skies. This much is evident at Herzlia College. Established in 1946, the independent Jewish school initially seems far removed from Cape Town’s grittier realities, cushioned between the bookends of the mountain and the sea. But despite its postcard location in Vredehoek, Herzlia no longer basks under the sheltered sun of privilege. And its learners, like many of their peers from diverse faith systems and backgrounds, appear to be attuned to their identities as South Africans and their future role in the fledgling democracy.
The school is avowedly non-racial and welcomes students of other religions, provided they are prepared to study Hebrew or Jewish studies for matric. Learners with special needs are also included in mainstream classes. Incorporating both a primary and a high school, Herzlia is rich in curricular and extramural resources. Its ethos of excellence is reflected in its consistently high academic achievements.
But every school – even a private one – is a microcosm of broader society. Like the rest of South Africa, Herzlia is grappling with an escalating drug problem. Learner-driven committees have been established by the school’s Student Representative Council to tackle the problem.
‘But essentially we don’t encounter major behavioural problems. On the whole, Herzlia learners seem to have an underlying sense of stability and self,” says Miriam Marks, formerly an English teacher at Herzlia and now its principal. ‘The primary issue for our students is not whether they are first and foremost South Africans or Jews. While their loyalty to Israel is a given, this does not imply blanket or uncritical acceptance of every action taken by the Israeli government.” She adds: ‘The school prides itself on the fact that our students are encouraged to think for themselves.”
Separated by a lace curtain – boys on one side, girls on the other – the students perform their morning prayers. But instead of the air of sombre reverence, the shul resonates with a bristling energy. Young men, adorned in customary yarmulkas (skullcaps) and tifilin (leather bindings), recite the miynan brocha (morning blessing). On the other side of the room, young women dressed in the uniform of the MTV generation – trendy jeans and T-shirts – are just as vocal. And in the front of the shul a cardboard box is rapidly being filled with sandwiches and fruit as part of Herzlia’s outreach programme.
‘A strong social conscience is engendered by Herzlia at every level,” says Marks. She emphasises that Herzlia’s various outreach projects are undertaken without a sense of paternalism. ‘There must be respect between different South African communities if we are to break down the old stereotypes of each other.”
Towards this end the school has established Gemilot Chasidim – acts of loving kindness – and each scholar is obliged to spend 10 hours doing community service, be it at old age homes, night shelters or crèches.
To students like Tammy Glick, Gemilot Chasidim has become a way of life.
A Grade 11 learner and a member of Cape Town’s Junior City Council, Tammy was selected this year to attend a two-week youth convention in New York. Called ‘Face to Face, Faith To Faith”, it included learners from the United States and other regions in conflict such as Northern Ireland and the Middle East. The aim of the convention was to develop leadership skills and break down stereotypes.
Says Glick, ‘One of the incredible aspects of the convention was that the Islamic and Jewish students instantly bonded because we have so much in common. It reinforced for me how little we know about one another’s beliefs.”
That realisation spurred Glick to organise a local Interfaith Day attended by student representatives from eight Western Cape schools. Participants included students from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and even Rastafarian backgrounds.
‘It was a real eye-opener for me. I never realised how different my life is to that of someone living a mere half an hour away from me.” She adds: ‘It’s time that South African youth learnt to celebrate our differences as well as similarities and built a culture of tolerance and respect for one another.”
Ultimately, it is the individual’s relationship with God that constitutes the basis of Judaism. And the teacher who encourages the students at Herzlia to explore this spiritual path is Rabbi Kerbel.
Kerbel pays much more than mere lip service to the teachings of tolerance and inter-faith respect. For him, formulating a sense of Jewish identity must be done at ground level. And the bond between the teacher and his students is clear. He talks in a language with which they identify and understand even when tackling the loftiest of religious issues.
He fervently believes one should feel free to question anything, as long as it is with respect. ‘Don’t debate the person,” says Kerbel. ‘Debate the idea.”
But whatever side of the holy debate one stands, it is evident that, as with every religion, the bricks and mortar of Judaism include equal parts of history, myth and mystery. ‘When we were younger we were told that Israel was a land without a people for a people without a land, ‘ recalls journalist Joel Pollack, the keynote speaker at Herzlia’s special ‘Solidarity With Israel” assembly. ‘Today we know this is not true. But our solidarity remains with Israel, not simply with Jews but with Arabs, Palestinians, Christians and everyone who has a stake in the Holy Land.”
Then he poses a question: ‘Can anyone provide a definition of solidarity?” After a brief silence, a student calls out: ‘To me, solidarity means compassion.”
And it is this language of reconciliation and compassion, not separateness, that is the overriding spirit of Herzlia today.