Cape Jewish Chronicle

Aviva Pelham in The Great Waltz After performing last in a full-length production almost 30 years ago, Cape Town’s well-known opera star of many years Aviva Pelham is thrilled to be back on stage at the Theatre on the Bay in A Little Night Music. Playing Madame Armfeldt in this Stephen Sondheim opera, Aviva joins some of South Africa’s most celebrated musical theatre performers, such as Samantha Peo, Jonathan Roxmouth, and Kate Normington – among others.

Our country has been ravaged yet again by horrific xenophobic hatred, leaving thousands of people displaced. Cape Town’s Jewish community has responded with a number of initiatives to assist these people, who are at serious risk. You can make a positive difference to their lives by getting involved in the various initiatives! Here are some ways you can help: Donate goods in kind. Food items, supplies for babies, blankets, and healthcare products are what is needed.

The Cape Town Jewish community has lost one of its great connectors and cultural entrepreneurs with the passing of Avron Kaplan z”l in early June. For decades, Avron was a familiar figure through The Living Newspaper, the platform he founded in 1987 to bring prominent local and international speakers to Cape Town audiences. Through these events, he raised funds for the Camps Bay Congregation, while enriching community life with thought-provoking discussions and remarkable personalities.

The Cape Jewish Chronicle is a monthly print and digital publication that focuses on the Cape Town Jewish Community. The print edition arrives in most Jewish homes in the city in the first week of every month. The website is updated when the print edition goes to post. A voluntary subscription of R450 per year is requested to help cover costs.

In the Wonderful (Probably, Possibly, Perhaps not) World of AI – BTW (By The Way), this is being written by me, Julian Anthony Resnick, and not by a Bot imitating me – the questions on the table today could be answered by asking a computer the question and allowing me to continue fading away into insignificance as a has been. As someone who believes that human intelligence is a crucial part of continuing to grapple with the important questions we face as human beings. So, let’s play a game.

The internationally acclaimed Spanish dancer Enrique Segovia, who passed away in late June, was born Geoffrey Neiman to Jewish parents in Johannesburg just days before the outbreak of World War II. Neiman began dancing as a teenager and devoted his career to Spanish dance. He worked for 20 years with the renowned Mercedes Molina, touring internationally with her company before later leading it.

While the name Cyril Karabus is for many of us associated with the horrific story of a man unexpectedly arrested and imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates more than a decade ago, Professor Cyril Karabus should not be defined by the bizarre events of 2012. He was, in fact, an “extraordinary and somewhat unique” individual, a man who touched many lives. His daughter, Sarah, described him in this way while giving a eulogy at his funeral recently, after he passed away at the age of 91.

If the story of Anne Frank has fascinated you since your childhood, you’ve probably always wanted to visit The Annex in Amsterdam, the Frank family’s hiding place. Now, you can do so – without having to travel to the Netherlands. A new Virtual Reality (VR) tool provides you with a tour of the property that you can watch on your cellphone or computer. To find out more, take a look at page 8.

Anne Frank House was established in 1957 – a collaborative effort led by Otto Frank, Anne’s father. An independent non-profit organization, the House runs a museum in the house where Anne Frank went into hiding. On a recent visit to Cape Town, Aaron Peterer, who works at the House, demonstrated a new offering from the Museum: a virtual reality (VR) tour of the section of the property where the Frank family hid.

Molly as a grandmother (and Ochberg Orphans – background) Chronicle reader Charlotte Cohen read the article about the ‘Ochberg Orphans’ in our May edition (read it here!), and shared the recollections of her late mother-in-law, Molly Cohen, who was the last surviving Ochberg Orphan in Cape Town. She passed away in 2013 – 9 days before her 100th birthday.