No Protests as Goldstone Attends Grandson’s Bar Mitzvah
Richard Goldstone attended his grandson’s bar mitzvah without protests.
Members of the congregation stood at the road leading to the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Shul in Sandton, South Africa, to make sure that only family and their guests entered for Saturday’s service, the South Africa Times reported.
Goldstone, the author of a United Nations report on the 2009 Gaza war that many deemed unfair to Israel, originally had planned to skip the bar mitzvah after the South African Zionist Federation threatened to protest the former South African judge outside the synagogue.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies brokered a deal last month between Goldstone and community organizations angry with him over his report in which the Jewish groups agreed not to protest during the bar mitzvah celebrations and Goldstone agreed to meet with the leadership of South African Jewish communal organizations.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
