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

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):

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