Jewish Teen Life in Johannesburg

In Johannesburg the kind of 'Jewish teens' varies. We are all pretty muchexposed to each other, because the government schools really are terrible,so we all go to private Jewish schools. The majority of Jews here should be conservative, but call themselves orthodox. I go to the school where the majority (that is the 'should-be conservative-but-are-orthodox' majority, although I really should go to the Bnei Akiva school.

I'll describe the Shabbos social life. For your average, Jo'burg Jewishteen, it will be Shul on Friday night, dinner with the family, and onSaturday its to 'Sandton' (or in American English, 'the mall'). Once-a-year,the Bnei Akiva madrichim take the entire grade on a Shabbaton, which, combined with a Pesach Seder and Yom Kippur, is the total and subtotal of Yidishkeit these people get in a year. (Unless they go on camp, after which they have a little bit of frumkeit, or a lot of frumkeit, in which case they usually move from the 'typical' set to the 'Bnei' set).

Now I will describe to you my Shabbos and Saturday night, which with school, is our term-time social life. On Friday night we meet at Shul. I doa youth service (well, not exactly youth, actually pre-grades), whileeveryone else goes to daven in our youth service. Occasionally we have adinner or Shabbaton, when we eat dinner together, otherwise, we go home toour families. On Shabbos morning, we all rock up to Shul at different times,ranging from 8:30 when Shul starts, to 10:30, just in time for Mussaf (I come at 9:45 so I can daven before Mussaf). We usually have 'discussion' group while the Rabbi talks, and then all go into Shul for Mussaf.

At the Brocha (or Kiddush) the two girls (of whom I am one) have to sit with the older ladies, unless we get a table with the guys. We then walk to the Bnei Akiva Sandton Bayit (from Ohr Someach Sandton-don't ask why a Bnei group goes to Ohr Someach) and play table-soccer, table-tennis and flickboard, and when we have the patience, listen to the Bnei rabbi's shiur. We pick up two or three people, and proceed to argue about where to have lunch. (Normally these atempts have the desired result, but when they don't, we go to Yisrael Moshe (the Ohr Someach Rabbi's son) for lunch. Then we pick up, on foot, the various unfortunates who couldn't come for lunch, and go again to Bnei. One of the games we occasionally play in Broken Telephone. A few of us observe Shomer Negiah (which we call 'Bli Yadaim' or just 'Bli'- where girls don't touch guys and guys don't touch girls). You can just imagine the results!!!! First of all we have the problem of mixed up messages, but added to that (since the girls normally get stuck next to the Bli guys) we have to scream at the person next to you, instead of holding your hand over their ear and just whispering. Sometimes we have really good discussions, but normally we just have fun. We then daven Mincha and have Seudah Shlishit. After that is a mad rush- we have half-an-hour between Motzei Shabbos and the beginning of our movie.

The 'mall' where all the frum people go is on the other end of town, so it really is a rush to arrange a lift (because we only drive at 18), shower and get there. Usually we end up running through the parking lot and up the escalator. Afterwards, we meet up with all our friends who live in the frum area and go to eat at any-one of the 5 kosher restaurants (which is a lot by South African standards).

Occasionally we meet on a Sunday, but Sundays are mainly for schoolwork and sleep. Basically we have a pretty great teen group in Sandton, even thoughwe come in all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of observance. Right now we are missing some of our favorite people (who are in Israel on a gr.10, Bnei Akiva, 4 month program called Kfar). At the end of the year we'll all go to Bnei Akiva Machaneh together. We have great fun together, we learn a lot from each other, and anyway, who cares what we do or don't do? We're so we can do whatever we like!!!!!!!! Right?:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Tamara Gritzman
Johannesburg
Write to Tamara

This site was produced by David's Consultants RGA Ltd. All Rights reserved, 1998