Chapter 14: the Jews of South Africa
The specific fascination of the South African Jewish community is that it is a community that up to a couple of decades ago appeared to be healthy, strong and vibrant. However, the last years of the twentieth century has seen a great outflow of Jews from South Africa owing to fears – real and imagined – that accompanied the fall of the apartheid regime and brought grave uncertainty and insecurity to the community as a whole. As a result, over a quarter of the community has left South Africa, striking out for other pastures, especially Australia, where a large emigrant community of South African Jews is in the process of putting down roots. Welcome to South Africa!