---
title: "Prominent figures among hundreds of concerned South African Jews calling for ceasefire in Gaza"
description: "William Kentridge among more than 700 joining worldwide call for an immediate ceasefire."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "OPEN LETTER"
author: "Concerned South African Jews"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/concerned-south-african-jews/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-15-william-kentridge-among-hundreds-of-concerned-south-african-jews-calling-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/"
published: "2023-11-15T20:53:44"
updated: "2023-11-20T11:15:18"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 1977
---

# Prominent figures among hundreds of concerned South African Jews calling for ceasefire in Gaza

> William Kentridge among more than 700 joining worldwide call for an immediate ceasefire.

By Concerned South African Jews · Published 15 November 2023, 22:53 SAST · Updated 20 November 2023, 13:15 SAST

## Key points
- Daily Maverick stands with South African Jews in mourning the lives lost in Israel and Palestine, and in calling for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and the release of all hostages and detainees unjustly held.
- A diverse group of South African Jews express dismay at Israel-Palestine situation
- Condemn violence against civilians, particularly children
- Reject collective punishment and disproportionate response to violence
- Call for an immediate ceasefire, end to occupation and release of unjustly held hostages

## Content

We are a diverse group of South African Jews who are dismayed by the situation that is unfolding in Israel and Palestine. Through it, the world has witnessed a catastrophic loss of life, and indeed, a loss of humanity. We mourn every life lost: Palestinian and Israeli.

We believe in the universal values of peace, justice and equality, and condemn in the strongest terms any and all violence against civilians, and against children in particular. We must hold to account those responsible for violence against civilians — whether perpetrated in Gaza, the West Bank, or Israel. We do so not in spite of our Jewish identity, but because of it. One of the core beliefs of Judaism is the sanctity of human life and the duty to preserve it, enshrined in the principle of *pikuach nefesh*.

The assault on Gaza follows an unprecedented and brutal attack by Hamas in southern Israel on 7 October. We are devastated that the lives of over 1,200 Israelis, including 31 children, were lost to the gratuitous violence that occurred on this day. We grieve with the families whose loved ones were killed or taken as hostages.

We insist, however, that one heinous crime does not justify another. The experience of persecution and genocide is woven into our collective memory. We are therefore called upon to prevent it from happening again, anywhere, to anyone. Moreover, we have a particular obligation to oppose such atrocities when perpetrated in our name.

For this reason, we call for an immediate cease to Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza. We condemn the denial of basic resources such as water, food, electricity, internet and medical supplies to Palestinian civilians. As of Wednesday 15 November, Israel’s campaign in Gaza had exacted a toll of at least 11,078 Palestinian lives, including 4,506 children. We abhor the use of collective punishment and see Israel’s response as dramatically disproportionate. We are distressed at the fact that this has taken place alongside state and settler-led violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

We acknowledge that the current cycle of violence is rooted in decades of dispossession. We also acknowledge that this conflict is fundamentally asymmetrical in nature; between a powerful military force and a stateless people who have resisted the denial of their basic human rights for generations.

We note with great concern the rising incidence of Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes worldwide. We reject attempts to conflate the parties to this conflict with entire religious or ethnic groups, just as we reject the notion that criticism of the State of Israel necessarily constitutes anti-Semitism. As Jews with diverse views, we do not feel represented by the institutions that claim to speak on behalf of the South African Jewish community on Israel and Gaza.

We join the many voices worldwide calling for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and the release of all hostages and detainees unjustly held both in Gaza and in Israeli prisons. We believe that the only lasting solution to ensure genuine safety for all is one that secures the equal rights and dignity of all Israelis and Palestinians. **DM**

*List of signatories to the open letter (as of 4pm SAST on 15 November 2023, regularly updated**[online](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ejsYVhq1O0NXykqzOdtIwjHuKPp1KnC1yCoiZ3HcJQo/edit)**):*

1. 
  1. Aaron Jacobs
  2. Aaron Sher
  3. Adaiah Lilenstein
  4. Adam Maserow
  5. Adela Itzkin
  6. Adrienne Shall
  7. Aidan Mosselson
  8. Aisha Gelb
  9. Alan Fine
  10. Alan Morris
  11. Alan Hirsch
  12. Alex Abrahams
  13. Alex Freeman
  14. Alexa Scher
  15. Alexander Dubb
  16. Alexandra Kreuz Goldberg
  17. Alexia Kaplan
  18. Alison Todes
  19. Alison Swartz
  20. Alison Sher
  21. Allan Horwitz
  22. Allan Kaplan
  23. Alli Appelbaum
  24. Amy Kahn
  25. Amy Simons
  26. Amy Zinn
  27. Andrea Nossel
  28. Andrea Lewis
  29. Andrew Spiegel
  30. Andrew Emdon
  31. Andrew Feinstein
  32. Andrew Nell
  33. Andrew Brown
  34. Andrew Colman
  35. Andy Davis
  36. Andy Nossel
  37. Ann Bradlow
  38. Anthony Fish Hodgson
  39. Anton Richman
  40. Anton Harber
  41. Anton van Diermen
  42. Antony Altbeker
  43. Anya Mendel
  44. Arlene Joffe
  45. Asha de Lanerolle
  46. Ashley Fischhoff
  47. Aubrey Blecher
  48. Ava Ruff
  49. Barak Setton
  50. Barbara Klugman
  51. Barbara Segal
  52. Barbara Friedman
  53. Barbara Jawitz
  54. Basil Dubb
  55. Belle Marx-Miller
  56. Ben Sanders
  57. Benjamin Bradlow
  58. Benjamin Fogel
  59. Benjamin Zar
  60. Beth Silbert
  61. Bethea Clayton
  62. Bianca Sossen
  63. Bonita Alice
  64. Brahm Fleisch
  65. Brandon Finn
  66. Brenda Goldblatt
  67. Brent Sender
  68. Brett Steingo
  69. Brian Coleman
  70. Brian Slon
  71. Brian Ruff
  72. Brigette Barnett
  73. Bryan Pieters
  74. Cara Browde
  75. Carin Favis
  76. Carin Abramovitz
  77. Carly Abramovitz
  78. Carmel Marock
  79. Carol Wengrowe
  80. Carol Steinberg
  81. Carole Lewis
  82. Carole Abramovitz
  83. Carole Bloch
  84. Caroline White
  85. Catherine Marcus
  86. Cathy Aaron
  87. Caz Friedmann
  88. Cecily Jacobson
  89. Cheryl Cohen
  90. Chloe Kiley
  91. Claire Tuch
  92. Claudette Davis
  93. Clive Greenstone
  94. Clive Rubin
  95. Colette Thorne
  96. Colin Purkey
  97. Colleen Radus
  98. Craig Hart
  99. Dale Washkansky
  100. Damon Galgut
  101. Dan Jawitz
  102. Dan Odendaal
  103. Dan Keify
  104. Dani Hovsha
  105. Dani Cooper
  106. Daniel Sher
  107. Daniel Linde
  108. Daniel Mackintosh
  109. Daniel Hartford
  110. Daniel Friedman
  111. Daniel Petrie
  112. Daniel Band
  113. Daniel Gallan
  114. Daniel Berger
  115. Daniel Browde
  116. Danielle Travill
  117. Danielle Joffe
  118. Danielle Pincus
  119. Danieyella Rodin
  120. Danny Bradlow
  121. Dara Beth
  122. Daryl Glaser
  123. David Rosenthal
  124. David Lubinsky
  125. David Bass
  126. David Eppel
  127. David Lewis
  128. David Fine
  129. David Jammy
  130. David Stoloff
  131. David Freund
  132. David Shandler
  133. David Fig
  134. David De Jong
  135. David Daitz
  136. Debbie Schkolne
  137. Debbie Budlender
  138. Debbie Staniland
  139. Deborah Posel
  140. Deirdre Richman
  141. Delilah Stoloff
  142. Derek Lubner
  143. Desrae Saacks
  144. Diana Edelstein
  145. Diane Cooper
  146. Diane Levine
  147. Diane Fine
  148. Diane Sandler
  149. Dinky Levitt
  150. Doron Isaacs
  151. Dylan Kesler
  152. Eduan Naude
  153. Edward Wethli
  154. Edwin Ritchken
  155. Eileen Weinronk
  156. Elaine Unterhalter
  157. Eli Goldblatt
  158. Emma Reitstein
  159. Emma Daitz
  160. Emma Schneider
  161. Emma Botha
  162. Emma Delius
  163. Emmylou Savage
  164. Eric Itzkin
  165. Erica Elk
  166. Erin Gordon
  167. Ethan Jacobs
  168. Evan Wigdorowitz
  169. Evan Carman
  170. Eve Mendel
  171. Eve Terblanche
  172. Ezra-Rose Fleisch
  173. Faye Falconer-Pincus
  174. Frances Aron
  175. Francesca Annenberg
  176. Francis de Satge
  177. Francois Petousis
  178. Franny Rabkin
  179. Gabriel Dubb
  180. Gabriel Espi-Sanchis
  181. Gabriel Fine
  182. Gabriella Saven
  183. Gabriella Kaplan
  184. Gail Washkansky
  185. Gail Behrmann
  186. Gail Super
  187. Gary Berkowitz
  188. Gavin Silber
  189. Gavin Pincus
  190. Gemma Field
  191. Georgi Annenberg
  192. Georgia Altbeker
  193. Georgia Saacks
  194. Geraldine Glaser
  195. Gideon Sweijd
  196. Gila Simons
  197. Gilad Isaacs
  198. Gilad Katzav
  199. Gilbert Marcus
  200. Gill Saks
  201. Gillian Hart
  202. Gillian Finchilescu
  203. Gina Fredman-Jacobson
  204. Graeme Sacks
  205. Grant Sieff
  206. Guy Daniel
  207. Guy Simpson
  208. Hal Cooper
  209. Hannah Claassens (Wengrowe)
  210. Hannah Fleisch
  211. Hannah Goldblatt
  212. Hannah Savage
  213. Harold Kolnik
  214. Harriet Perlman
  215. Harriet Gavshon
  216. Hayli Geffen
  217. Heather Silove Howe
  218. Heather Schiff
  219. Heidi Grunebaum
  220. Helene Perold
  221. Hillary-Gayle Barwin
  222. Howard Varney
  223. Ian Goldman
  224. Ian Szapira
  225. Ilan Strauss
  226. Ilan Rosenstein
  227. Ilana Stone
  228. Imran Budlender
  229. Ingrid Gavshon
  230. Irwin Manoim
  231. Isa-Lee Jacobson
  232. Isabella Kentridge
  233. Isabella Levitas
  234. Ishvara Dayan
  235. Ivan Strasburg
  236. Jack Lewis
  237. Jack Fine
  238. Jackie Maris
  239. Jacob Wheeldon
  240. Jacob Hoffman
  241. Jacob Claassens
  242. Jacques de Satgé
  243. Jacqui Benson-Mabombo
  244. Jaimen Brown
  245. Jake Lipman
  246. James Bernstein
  247. Janet Lubner
  248. Janine Simon-Meyer
  249. Jaqui Perkes
  250. Jarah Fluxman
  251. Jared Chaitowitz
  252. Jarred Srot
  253. Jarred Durbach
  254. Jay Goldstuck
  255. Jay Savage
  256. Jayden Simons
  257. Jean Cohen
  258. Jeanette Isaacman
  259. Jeanne Freed
  260. Jeff Rudin
  261. Jeffrey Meyer
  262. Jemma Meintjies
  263. Jenifer Rabinowitz
  264. Jenna Searra
  265. Jenna Bass
  266. Jenna Jacobson
  267. Jennifer Pogrund
  268. Jenny Perkel
  269. Jenny Wheeldon
  270. Jered Shorkend
  271. Jeremy Baskin
  272. Jeremy Phillips
  273. Jess Stillerman
  274. Jess Auerbach
  275. Jesse Harber
  276. Jessica Sherman
  277. Jessica Mayson
  278. Jessica Horler
  279. Jessica Wengrowe
  280. Jessie Ayles
  281. Jessie Lewis
  282. Jessie Lazar Knott
  283. Jill Thorne
  284. Jill Schlachter
  285. Jill Strelitz
  286. Jillian Edelstein
  287. Jo Silbert
  288. Joceyln Freed
  289. Jodi Wishnia
  290. Jodie Dwolatzky
  291. Joe Turpin
  292. Joel Bolnick
  293. Joel Simons
  294. Joey Hasson
  295. Johannes Dieterich
  296. John Festenstein
  297. Jonah Sack
  298. Jonathan Berger
  299. Jonathan Bloch
  300. Jonathan Taylor
  301. Jonathan Fluxman
  302. Jonathan Weinberg
  303. Jonathan Gevisser
  304. Jonathan Yach
  305. Jonny Steinberg
  306. Jos Thorne
  307. Joseph Goldblatt
  308. Joseph Weinberg
  309. Joseph Power
  310. Joseph Sweijd
  311. Joshua Maserow
  312. Joshua Marcus
  313. Joshua Gordon
  314. Joshua Davis
  315. Joshua Hartford
  316. Joshua Lapid
  317. Joshua Sehoole
  318. Joshua Lipman
  319. Joshua Hovsha
  320. Joshua Blacher
  321. Joy Sapieka
  322. Judy Brown
  323. Judy Favish
  324. Judy Weis
  325. Julia Chaskalson
  326. Julia Shapiro
  327. Julia Michalow
  328. Julian Reitstein
  329. Juliette Rose-Innes
  330. Justin van Zyl
  331. Justine Shear
  332. Kabir Budlender
  333. Kagiso Makgalemele
  334. Kai Lockstone
  335. Karin Brodie
  336. Karina Turok
  337. Karyn Levy-Philipp
  338. Kate van Niekerk
  339. Kate Abramovitz
  340. Kathy Barolsky
  341. Katy Menell
  342. Katya Broomberg
  343. Kayla Brown
  344. Ke-tu-rah Zizipho Dhlamini
  345. Keiran Peacock
  346. Keith Witelson
  347. Keith Gottschalk
  348. Kelly Rosenthal
  349. Kelly Kropman
  350. Kelsey Shapiro
  351. Kelsy Arden
  352. Keren Setton
  353. Kerry Petrie
  354. Kevin Levy
  355. Kevin Posen
  356. Kevin Goldstein
  357. Kezia Lilenstein
  358. Kieran Brown
  359. Kim Sacks
  360. Kim Segel
  361. Kira Gimpel
  362. Kira Stone
  363. Kira Schlesinger
  364. Kristin Henry
  365. Kyla-Rose Smith
  366. Kylie Thomas
  367. Larry Jasven
  368. Larry Strelitz
  369. Laura Czerniewicz
  370. Laura Phillips
  371. Laura Markovitz
  372. Laura Chittenden
  373. Laura Wener
  374. Lauren Bock
  375. Laurence Hamburger
  376. Laurice Taitz-Buntman
  377. Laurie Nathan
  378. Leigh Whitesman
  379. Leila Strelitz
  380. Leila Bloch
  381. Leila Stein
  382. Leila Emdon
  383. Leon Saven
  384. Leon Levy
  385. Leon Jacobson
  386. Leonard Solms
  387. Leslie London
  388. Leslie Witz
  389. Leslie Swartz
  390. Lexi Ryman
  391. Liane Durra
  392. Liat Davis
  393. Lilian Kaplan
  394. Lily Manoim
  395. Linda Cooper
  396. Linzi Lewis
  397. Linzi Fredman
  398. Lionel Krause
  399. Lisa Seftel
  400. Lisa Segal
  401. Lody Levy
  402. Lorna Levy
  403. Lorraine Levine
  404. Louis Marcus Finn
  405. Louisa Carman
  406. Louise Renton
  407. Louise Spitz
  408. Luke Kaplan
  409. Lula Grant
  410. Lynda Levetan
  411. Lyndall Gordon
  412. Lynn Radford
  413. Lynne Slonimsky
  414. Madeleine Bazil
  415. Maia Zway
  416. Maia Lehr-Sacks
  417. Mandy Barnett
  418. Mani Kuti-Alexander
  419. Marc Suttner
  420. Margaret Green
  421. Margaret Auerbach
  422. Margie Gelb
  423. Marilyn Jones
  424. Marion Isaacs
  425. Marissa Rollnick
  426. Mark Fleishman
  427. Mark Gevisser
  428. Mark Saacks
  429. Mark Orkin
  430. Mark Steinbuch
  431. Mark Kaplan
  432. Maryke Sher
  433. Maureen Isaacson
  434. Maureen Robinson
  435. Maxine Rubin
  436. Maya Schkolne
  437. Maya Aberman
  438. Maya Marshak
  439. Maya Goldman
  440. Maya Super
  441. Megan Bryer
  442. Megan Choritz
  443. Megan Lang
  444. Meghan Finn
  445. Melanie Judge
  446. Melanie Horwitz
  447. Melanie Chait
  448. Melanie Hall
  449. Melanie Samson
  450. Melinda Silverman
  451. Melissa Levin
  452. Melvyn Freeman
  453. Merle Favis
  454. Merle Jawitz
  455. Mervyn Bennun
  456. Mervyn Sloman
  457. Mia Candy
  458. Mia Altbeker
  459. Micaela Browde
  460. Michael Moss
  461. Michael Weinberg
  462. Michael Kaplan
  463. Michael Friedman
  464. Michael Markovitz
  465. Michael Hurwitz
  466. Michael Levin
  467. Michaela Verity
  468. Michele Stein
  469. Michelle Friedman
  470. Michelle Adler Rogoff
  471. Michelle Laufer
  472. Miriam Altman
  473. Mischa Blecher
  474. Mitch Said
  475. Mitchel Joffe Hunter
  476. Moira Levy
  477. Monique Horwitz
  478. Monique Marks
  479. Naashon Zalk
  480. Nadia Randera
  481. Nadia Dollie
  482. Nadya Cohen
  483. Nancy Krisch
  484. Naomi Marshak
  485. Natasha Pincus
  486. Nathan Nadler-Nir
  487. Nathan Eisen
  488. Neil Tabatznik
  489. Nelson Miranda
  490. Neva Makgetla
  491. Nic Fine
  492. Nicholas Budlender
  493. Nicholas Eppel
  494. Nicholas Fine
  495. Nick Groll
  496. Nicky Falkof
  497. Nicola Galombik
  498. Nicola Soekoe
  499. Nicole Franco
  500. Nimi Hoffmann
  501. Nimrod Zalk
  502. Nina Barnett
  503. Nina Frank
  504. Nina Lang
  505. Nina Abrahams
  506. Nina Bloch
  507. Noa Abramovitz
  508. Noah Lubinsky
  509. Noga Watt
  510. Nompilo Sibisi
  511. Olivia Welte
  512. Orli Setton
  513. Orrie Staschen
  514. Pam Meyerowitz
  515. Pam Britt
  516. Pat Sidley
  517. Patti Silbert
  518. Paul Weinberg
  519. Paul Mesarcik
  520. Paul Hendler
  521. Pearl Jantjies
  522. Pedro Tabensky
  523. Penny Smith
  524. Peta Becker
  525. Peter Mayson
  526. Peter Barron
  527. Peter Cohen
  528. Peter Jaspan
  529. Peter J Cooper
  530. Philip Krause
  531. Philip Miller
  532. Phillipa Reinders
  533. Phoebe Saacks
  534. Phoenix Pincus
  535. Pierre Dane
  536. Rachel Balsham
  537. Rachel Weisz
  538. Rachel Catzel
  539. Rafael Friedman
  540. Rafael Lubner
  541. Ran Greenstein
  542. Raphael Chaskalson
  543. Raphael Segerman
  544. Raymond Suttner
  545. Raymond Brown
  546. Rebecca Metz Ross
  547. Rebecca Swartz
  548. Rebecca Bradlow
  549. Rebecca Sher
  550. Rebecca Segall
  551. Renay Weiner
  552. Renee Usdin
  553. Renée Bishop
  554. Ribka Berhanu
  555. Richard Kuper
  556. Richard Levin
  557. Richard Kaplan
  558. Rifke Gellman
  559. Riley Grant
  560. Rina King
  561. Robert Krause
  562. Robert Schroder
  563. Robert Freeman
  564. Robin Scher
  565. Robin Cohen
  566. Robin Catzel
  567. Robyn Fischhoff
  568. Roland Dubb
  569. Roland Kesler
  570. Ronnie Simons
  571. Rosa Elk
  572. Rosa Manoim
  573. Rosemund Handler
  574. Roslyn Fish
  575. Ross Engers
  576. Roy Hunter
  577. Ruby Wheeldon
  578. Ruby Lapid
  579. Ruby de Lanerolle
  580. Russell Soffer
  581. Ruth Morgan
  582. Ruth Sacks
  583. Ruth Carneson
  584. Ruth Urson
  585. Ruth Reichman
  586. Ruth Nowosenetz
  587. Ruth Cornick
  588. Ryan Kaplan
  589. Ryan Goldblatt
  590. Sally Suttner
  591. Sam Kentridge
  592. Samantha Brener
  593. Samir Gelb
  594. Samuel Turpin
  595. Samuel Shapiro
  596. Sandra Caganoff
  597. Sandra Kay
  598. Sandy Chaitowitz
  599. Sandy Paul
  600. Sandy Szapira
  601. Sarah Adcock
  602. Sarah Zinn
  603. Sarron Goldman
  604. Saul Musker
  605. Saul Johnson
  606. Savanah Abramovitz
  607. Sean Wasserman
  608. Serna Kramer
  609. Shannon Bernhardt
  610. Sharon Fonn
  611. Sharon Cort
  612. Shaun Reznik
  613. Shawn Slovo
  614. Shayni Geffen
  615. Sheila Barsel
  616. Shelley Epstein
  617. Shelley Bass
  618. Shereen Usdin
  619. Sigall Keify
  620. Simeon Lilenstein
  621. Simon Kaplinsky
  622. Simon Shear
  623. Simona Stone
  624. Simone Petousis
  625. Simone Honikman
  626. Simone Shall
  627. Simone Hoffmann
  628. Simonne Horwitz
  629. Sivan Zeffertt
  630. Solly Levy
  631. Sonia Horwitz
  632. Sonja Woolff
  633. Sonya Cotton
  634. Sophie Hunter
  635. Sophie Crawford
  636. Sophie Douglas
  637. Stacey Gibson
  638. Stanley Ginsburg
  639. Stephen Marcus Finn
  640. Stephen Gelb
  641. Stephen Cheifitz
  642. Stephen Laufer
  643. Steve Kahanovitz
  644. Steven Fluxman
  645. Steven Goldblatt
  646. Steven Robins
  647. Steven Markovitz
  648. Steven Wolf
  649. Steven Bradlow
  650. Steven Budlender
  651. Su Lubner
  652. Sue Fawcus
  653. Sue Pam-Grant
  654. Sue Davidoff
  655. Sue Isserow
  656. Sue Kaplan
  657. Sue Goldstein
  658. Sue Starfield
  659. Sue Kramer
  660. Sue Rabkin
  661. Suzy Bernstein
  662. Sydelle Willow Smith
  663. Tali Cassidy
  664. Talia Simons
  665. Talia Mayson
  666. Talya Lubinsky
  667. Talya Stein
  668. Tanya Layne
  669. Tanya Cohen
  670. Tara Weinberg
  671. Tariq Blecher
  672. Terry Shakinovsky
  673. Terry Kurgan
  674. Tess Peacock
  675. Tessa Abramovitz
  676. Tessa Gordon
  677. Tessa Dagut
  678. Tevya Turok Shapiro
  679. Tiffany Markman
  680. Timothy Fish Hodgson
  681. Toker Beverley
  682. Tony Carr
  683. Tony Fluxman
  684. Tony Lachman
  685. Tony Kaplan
  686. Tracy Cohen
  687. Trevor Sacks
  688. Trevor Rosenfield
  689. Trevor Bernhardt
  690. Tymon Smith
  691. Vanessa Barolsky
  692. Vicki Davidoff
  693. Vicky Alhadeff
  694. Warren Wilensky
  695. Warren Nebe
  696. Weez Bramwell
  697. Wendy Newstadt
  698. William Kentridge
  699. Yair Schkolne
  700. Yda Walt
  701. Yoni Bass
  702. Yuval Nicolas Douglas Henshilwood
  703. Yvonne Shapiro
  704. Zandi Sherman
  705. Zara Tonkil
  706. Zara Julius