In a heartwarming display of solidarity, members of the Jewish community in South Africa received calendars created and distributed by the movement Christians Against Antisemitism on Rosh Hashanah. The gesture was a simple yet meaningful way to show support and friendship at a time when many Jews have felt increasingly isolated. Noreen Goetz, a member of a Jewish women’s choir in Cape Town, expressed her gratitude for the calendar and handwritten card, saying it was a lovely surprise that warmed her heart.
The director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, Benji Shulman, spent much of Rosh Hashanah at Johannesburg’s Chabad of Illovo, one of the shuls that received the calendars. He noted that many congregants were deeply moved by the gesture and curious about the people who had gone to such lengths to show their support. Shulman emphasized that the gesture was a reminder that the Jewish community does not stand alone against prejudice and discrimination.
The calendars form part of a broader effort that began in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, to bring Christians and Jews together through prayer gatherings, commemorations, and other acts of support. Working through personal networks and organizations, including the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), those involved aim to stand alongside the Jewish community while strengthening ties between the two faith communities.
Christians Against Antisemitism is an inter-denominational group of Christians across South Africa, an informal collection of churches, ministries, and individuals who believe in the word of God as contained in scripture. The response to the calendars was more profound than organizers anticipated, with Jewish recipients expressing surprise and gratitude for the show of solidarity.
Loshni Bassadien, one of the coordinators of this initiative, explained that since the events of October 7, 2023, a network of Christians across the country has come together to pray and show solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community. The initiative has evolved over the years, with a focus on praying for hostages in 2023, handing out envelopes with messages of hope in 2024, and distributing traditional Rosh Hashanah items in 2025.
This year, amid the rise in antisemitism worldwide, the organizers decided to address it more directly through the calendars. Volunteers distributed the calendars to shuls and other Jewish communal spaces, with some individuals and representatives from churches collecting calendars and personally giving them to the Jewish people in their lives as a gesture of support.
The initiative is part of an ongoing effort to support the Jewish community, with Christians Against Antisemitism working closely with SAFI and other organizations to promote awareness and solidarity. The organizers hope that their efforts will continue to strengthen ties between the Christian and Jewish communities in South Africa.
Key points
- Christians Against Antisemitism distributed calendars to Jewish communities in South Africa as a gesture of solidarity on Rosh Hashanah.
- The initiative is part of a broader effort to bring Christians and Jews together through prayer gatherings and other acts of support.
- The response to the calendars was more profound than organizers anticipated, with Jewish recipients expressing surprise and gratitude for the show of solidarity.
