A groundbreaking ceremony took place earlier this month in Tel Mond, Israel, to launch a memorial garden that for the first time commemorates a remarkable group of South African Jews who contributed to the struggle against apartheid as well as gave support to the State of Israel.
The garden will be know as Gan Siyabonga as Gan means ‘garden’ in Hebrew and siyabonga means ‘we thank you’ in Zulu.
Explains Michael Kransdorff, chairman of the Jewish National Fund in South Africa, who is championing the garden: ‘At a time when some are trying to divide South Africa and Israel for their own sectarian interests, this garden will be a living testament to the bond between the two peoples in the struggle for freedom.’
The 5 000 square metre memorial garden is surrounded by trees in the Tel Mond park, north of Tel Aviv. Tel Mond is home to an English-speaking community just 15 minutes from Raanana where many South Africans have settled and 10 minutes from the beaches of Netanya.
A South African artist is to create a sculpture to recognise the Jewish contribution to South Africaa’s struggle, 36 trees will be planted and there will be stones throughout for each activist with QR codes. When the QR codes are scanned, a short personal history of the activist will be revealed. According to Jewish tradition, each generation is saved by 36 righteous people.
Kransdorff adds, ‘There were many South African Jews who contributed to South Africa’s liberation and who were supportive of Israel’s establishment and development. These heroes have never been recognised and many are not well known, yet they were instrumental in helping to build better societies in South Africa and Israel.’
Rowan Polovin, national chairman of the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) said ‘Those we are honouring wanted to right the injustices that they witnessed in South Africa. They were equally inspired by the Jewish people’s struggle to reclaim their ancestral land and their right to attain political freedom. They contributed in various ways to Israel, some fought for the creation of the state, some chose to live there, others helped develop civil society, and even from abroad, many raised funds and offered diplomatic and public support.’
Ruth Wasserman Lande, a member of the Israeli Knesset who spent some time living in South Africa as a child said: “As someone who grew up in South Africa and immigrated to Israel, I am immensely proud to witness the bridging of those two worlds with the opening of this park – donated by the South African Jewish community which is known for its staunch support of and loyalty to South Africa on the one hand and its love of Israel on the other.
“It also bridges a divide between two countries that unfortunately are experiencing a difficult stage in their relationship. SA has been through tremendous hardship and so have the Jewish people. There are deep connections between us that have been kidnapped. This project is another stone in a bridge to bring South Africa and Israel closer.”
The statue and a special song to commemorate the garden will likely be unveiled early in 2023.
As the list of those who will be commemorated is still a work in progress, families, friends and comrades are invited to submit names for consideration to admin@sazf.org
