By Daniel Keren
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein of South Africa
One of the most world-renowned rabbis today is Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa. Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971, he has two Chief Rabbi distinctions – one that he was the first South African born rabbi to be appointed to the post of Chief Rabbi by the [South African] Union of Orthodox Synagogues and also at the age of 32 in 2003, the youngest rabbi to be elevated to that position to date.
There are perhaps dozens of national chief rabbis and most are not well-known outside of their unique communities. Chief Rabbi Goldstein has broken those barriers with a couple of amazing and important projects that have benefited Jewish communities around the world.
Originator of the Shabbat Project Around the World
The first was the Shabbat Project that Chief Rabbi Goldstein first launched in South Africa in 2013 that aimed to on one Shabbat (or Shabbos) unite frum (religious) and secular South African Jews to join together for a day of Shabbat celebrations. Videos of events promoting that Shabbos and the Havdalah ceremonies concluding the holy day went viral and made people around the world jealous and ask Chief Rabbi Goldstein if his Shabbat (Shabbos) Project could go international. With a team of trailblazing volunteer partners, his project has now spread to more than 1,500 cities and more than 100 countries.
Indeed, his most recent book that has received much acclaim from both Torah observant and secular Jews is “Shabbat: A Day to Create Yourself.”
The second project initiated by Chief Rabbi Goldstein was his Sinai Indaba, an annual collection of Torah lectures that attract some of the world’s best Torah personalities and speakers from the English-speaking Jewish world. More than 7,000 people attend the Sinai Indaba project each year in the three major South American communities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, inspiring many South African Jews both religiously observant and secular to become more involved in and proud of their Judaism.
Issued Various Videos Defending Israel After October 7th
However, since the barbaric Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7th (coinciding with the Jewish Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres) Chief Rabbi Goldstein has released a number of very important and effective videos or podcasts defending Israel. He has issued two sharp podcasts attacking his own South Africa government, including one titled – “You Are Iran’s ‘Useful Idiots’ – a Response to Global Opponents of Israel” (24 minutes.)
Chief Rabbi Goldstein has released two separate podcasts attacking the United Nations and the U.N. agency – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with titles such as “Put the UN, ICJ on Trial – Not Israel,” and “This is Not 1938 – A Call to Fight Back Against the ICJ Verdict.”
On his attack against the UN, Chief Rabbi Goldstein declared: “The United Nations and its institutions have a credibility they do not deserve, and have become a threat to freedom and democracy in the world. Israel’s case before the UN’s International Court of Justice, brought by South Africa, should be used to expose this fact and begin the process of placing clear boundaries on the UN.
“The UN’s gross bias against Israel places it [the United Nations] in breach of the agreements signed at the establishment of the Jewish state to accept the authority of the ICJ to adjudicate its actions. Now, I believe, is the time to walk away from this dangerous farce.”
Another recent Rabbi Goldstein podcast that you should view or listen to is “From Hanakkah to Harvard – Forces of Evil and Rising Antisemitism in Ivy League Universities” (15 minutes.)
All of these podcasts above defending Israel and the Jewish people can be found on the Chief Rabbi of South Africa’s website: https://www.chiefrabbi.co.za/category/videos/.
Another recent pro-Israel podcast that for some reason is not on the Chief Rabbi’s website that you should also view or listen to is: “Repent for Sins Against Israel (Chief Rabbi Tells Pope Francis.”) You can also google it at https://youtu.be/FVijgOsjLxo?si=241UH7yv8UxU6nFi
Reprinted from this week’s edition of The Jewish Connection.
