Ideally Speaking is a series of interviews with a wide
cross-section of South African & ex-South African Jews
Steve Hellmann and Lindsay Talmud explore the memories, thoughts and present day activities of people whose youthful experiences led them to try and make the world a better place.
Set against the backdrop of Israel's struggle to sustain a credible democracy and the many challenges facing post-apartheid South Africa, this question is particularly relevant and sometimes painful.
Ideally Speaking is bound to stimulate serious discussion as well as a lot of nostalgia.
The interviews were done with graduates of Habonim, Betar and Hashomer Hatzair, as well as with people who were not active members of Zionist youth movements.
“Our book focuses on the role of ideology for Jews who grew up under the apartheid regime,” say the authors.
“Perhaps it is opportune that the book has appeared at a time when South Africans in Israel are expressing deep concern about many of the issues touched on in the interviews.”
List of participants
ISRAEL: Alan Apter, Steven Aschheim, Moshe ben Ami, Louise Bethlehem, Arnie Friedman, Aryeh Gilat, Merle Guttman, Alan Hoffmann, Harry Hurwitz, Meir Jaffe, Janina Kahn-Horwitz, Hertzel Katz, Jerrold Kessel, David Kretzmer, Ron Lapid, Zeev Mankowitz, Raphael Melmed, Tzvi Pantanowitz, Benjamin Pogrund, Gideon Shimoni, Itz Stein and Meir Winokur.
SOUTH AFRICA: Lael Bethlehem, Johnny Broomberg, Jules Browde, Selma Browde, Geoff Budlender, Johnny Copelyn, Dennis Davis, Mickey Korzennik, Michael Kuper, Leon & Lorna Levy, Alan Lipman, Ronnie Miller and Illona Tip.
ELSEWHERE: Sidney Bloch, Sam Fanaroff, Michael Hayden, Manfred Kagan, Ronni Kahn, Richard Kuper, Shula Marks, Vivian Rakoff and Michael Schneider.
Unfortunately the book is not carried by any SA sellers and can only be ordered online.
You can get it from Amazon; Barnes & Noble; or The Book Depository; and as a Kindle e-book. Amazon UK and The Book Depository do not charge for delivery. Prices fluctuate, expect to pay around US$16.
