South Africa | Imamother

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 28 2018, 3:15 am

ChavieMalka wrote:

It is very difficult for South Africans to immigrate unless you are very wealthy and can buy an Investors Visa.
I would move to America today!

My husband has a lot of friends and childhood buddies that have made aliyah from south africa or gone to australia and england. We dont actually know anyone who has moved to america. One childhood buddy moved to canada.

Would you think of any other place to go? Anyway, I will say one thing, I absolutely fell in love with the jewish community there. We stayed in glen hazel for one shabbat we were there (my husband's parents live elsewhere) and it was such a welcoming and warm community. So there is that Smile

moonstone

Mon, May 28 2018, 4:19 am

You couldn't pay me enough to visit there, much less live there. Many South Africans who make aliyah are amazed to see children playing outside, because they never saw that back home. Everyone lives in their walled compound, often in a safe, locked room inside the house. The violence has gotten so bad that some communities have the police escort people to and from shul every shabbat. Carjackings are common, and the thugs sometimes kill the person just for the hell of it. I've also heard how lovely the Jewish communities are there, but that's not enough to make up for the rest of it.

ester1

Mon, May 28 2018, 8:46 am

moonstone wrote:

Hi. As a South African living in this beautiful country I take exception to such a falsely written post riddled with multiple misconceptions. Perhaps you should visit before believing everything you hear. Many times those who make Aliya or leave have to conjure and repeat these stories to make themselves feel better about leaving. Yes South Africa does have a huge problem with crime and other issues for that matter and yes we do live in highly secured houses, however I and my family as well as friends most certainly don’t live in a locked room with in my house. Furthermore, we do not require a security escort to and from shul. We are highly vigilant and do have excellent security companies stared by the initiative of the chief rabbi of South Africa. Thus we are able to not only walk to and from shul freely but enjoy Shabbos afternoons spent in the park all year round. I wouldn’t go as far as to recommend that families relocate to South Africa but I think it’s disingenuous to suggest that there are not thousands of yidden living very happy healthy lives in this beautiful country....

Ruchel

Mon, May 28 2018, 10:06 am

It is very hard to move to America, period. People will tell you Hebrew association or others help, no they don't, not unless you come from a war torn country or maybe Russia (or maybe not anymore). None of my acquaintances who moved to America did so with their help.
My cousin married South African on the condition that they would not live there.
BUT I also have a friend who totally considered moving there for a shidduch (if she married him, meaning!). She said there are people afraid there, people not afraid there, people there afraid to go to Eretz but not afraid there, etc, and she is right. You will have all experiences, all opinions, and often you're comfortable with the "devil you know".

moonstone

Mon, May 28 2018, 10:44 am

ester1 wrote:

Sorry if you don't like what I wrote, but I'm only repeating what I've heard from many South Africans. I doubt they're making this stuff up to feel less guilty about leaving.

Ruchel

Mon, May 28 2018, 1:47 pm

moonstone wrote:

Sorry if you don't like what I wrote, but I'm only repeating what I've heard from many South Africans. I doubt they're making this stuff up to feel less guilty about leaving.

Not GUILTY, but less bad about whatever hardship they'll find moving. Heck, there are hardships even moving to another town sometimes, so another continent... YES it's a well known thing for olim to do that. I am in various Jewish groups and they do it about France, UK, Italy, Greece, USA, Canada, Belgium, Morocco, do I need to go on? Of course some really believe so, but others need to feel good about starting anew/from start/from scratch.

No personal experience with South Africa.

shabbatiscoming

Mon, May 28 2018, 2:19 pm

ester1 wrote:

Ester just realize that you are showing your tryth but others know of other things. I also think it MAJORLY deprnds on where one lives. The area where my in laws lives is not a place to walk around and find a park on shabbat. My husband walks around with a gun. He was held up many years ago and unfortunately we have family friends who were killed because of their watches or jewelry. So your truth is not the next persons.
And no offense but what you ae saying about people who left having to make themselves feel better for leaving? Are you serious? That literally makes no sense. I know south africabs who left 40 years ago and I know those who left last year. They dont need to feel better about leaving. They are thrilled about having left.

Raisin

Mon, May 28 2018, 4:24 pm

ester1 wrote:

It sounds like this guard initiative is a new thing. I definitely heard the park thing from a family who left about 10 years ago.

I also may have heard recently that its getting a little better lately re crime.

Every country has pluses and minuses. People seem to live a good lifestyle in South Africa and I can see why people want to stay there.

I don't see Jews leaving the USA in droves even though the chance of their kids getting shot in public school is pretty high. (I'll bet more Jews died from gun violence in the USA this year then in South Africa what with the Parkland shooting)

tichellady

Mon, May 28 2018, 4:45 pm

moonstone wrote:

First of all you are being a bit dramatic but even so, you are describing joberg, not Cape Town. Cape Town is more like a European city and people certainly walk around freely. I have been to South Africa and loved it and understand why people would want to stay there