Three South African Jewish Teenagers Attacked at Johannesburg Mall
Three South African Jewish teenagers wearing kippahs were physically assaulted and verbally abused at a mall in suburban Johannesburg.
Three Indian South African men attacked the teens on Saturday evening in Rosebank, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies said in a statement released Tuesday. One assailant hit one of the teens, while a second attacker shouted invective including “You fing Jew” and “your fing people are killing our innocent children.”
The assault was caught on surveillance video. Rosebank police are searching for the assailants.
The Board of Deputies called on South Africans to respond to the attack by attending a movie on Saturday night wearing a kippah or hat.
“In this way we will demonstrate our commitment to fight against any form of prejudice and intimidation,” the statement said, using the hashtag #KippasAgainstHate.
“As proud South African citizens our freedom of movement, religion and association are guaranteed by our Constitution.”
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
