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NEWS
South African Jewish Community Continues to Cope With High
Emigration
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
A new book by three South Africans who emigrated to Australia
surveys the unique history of these Jews, whose forefathers
arrived on the African continent just 100 years ago and have
already found themselves immigrants once again. The book,
entitled Two Worlds: The Second Emigration of South
African Jews, notes that during the period of political
instability in the country in the mid-1980s emigration was
very common among young adults. The formation of the new
South Africa in 1994 and the transition to multiracial
democracy led to an alarming rise in the crime rate, which
did not diminish until recent years. A 2005 study found that
thanks to improvement in the economic and political situation
79 percent of participants plan to remain in the country,
compared to 44 percent in 1998. Some of the emigrants even
returned and resettled, and have been joined by Israeli
emigrants.
Still, the loss of a substantial segment of the Jewish
community, especially young families, continues to have an
impact on Jewish life in South Africa. In response to
interracial tension and international sanctions imposed on
the country, the Jewish community was reduced from 118,000 in
1970 to 80,000 today.
Over the course of 15 years enrollment at Jewish schools
dropped by five percent annually, and most of the students
who left were those who could afford to pay the full tuition.
With the loss of many potential donors the community found
itself under increasing pressure to seek additional
fundraising sources. In Johannesburg, where 70 percent of the
country's Jews are concentrated, Jewish schools reached the
point of no return and had to take extreme streamlining
measures, such as closing certain study tracks and firing
workers. Some institutions had to merge in order to
survive.
South Africa has the largest Jewish community on the African
continent and traces its origins back to the 17th century.
The community, which is predominantly Ashkenazi, was formed
largely of immigrants from the Baltic states of Eastern
Europe and has the world's highest concentration of Jews from
Lithuania.
Approximately 75 percent of the country's Jews are registered
as members of the Orthodox community (14 percent consider
themselves chareidi and 61 percent refer to themselves as
traditionalists).
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