2020: On Reconciliation and Reflection

by stuart diamond

​reflections on 2020​

 
​As we enter 2021, Stuart Diamond reflects on how the South African Jewish community can hold on to the shared sense of purpose that helped it come together and navigate 2020.

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OVER the past year, what we have grown to consider ‘normal life’ has been completely upended. From how we understand work-school-home life, to how we socialise, pray and interact as a community, no person has been unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from health concerns and the tragic loss of life, 2020 has also brought economic hardship for many, and economic devastation for others. In South Africa, the number of households facing food insecurity has grown significantly.
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But 2020 also forced us to pause, reflect and adapt -- as individuals and as a community. 

​The challenges facing the Jewish community in 2020 have been extensive, with the pandemic and lockdown inevitably putting stress on communal resources. Yet adversity also brought out the best of what the Cape Jewish community can be when aligned with a shared purpose. 

​"The challenge now is, how do we hold on to the shared sense of purpose that helped us, as a community, come together and navigate 2020?" 

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