I was invited by The Common Sense - South Africa's newest and most exciting online publication, led by Dr Frans Cronje - for a long-form interview about my journey since October 7th.

In this conversation with Gabriel Makin, I reflect on leading the South African Jewish community through crisis, and standing up to the anti-Israel campaign advanced on behalf of Iran and Hamas.

In this wide-ranging interview, the Chief Rabbi speaks about what it meant to guide the community through two years of uncertainty, pressure, and historic responsibility. The discussion explores the events after the October 7th massacre, the war that followed, the battle of ideas in South Africa, the challenge of rising antisemitism worldwide, and the moral and strategic lessons that have emerged.

This is a conversation about leadership in a time of crisis — the decisions, the dilemmas, the inner work, and the profound sense of mission that shaped these last two years.

Key Themes:

• Leadership under pressure - what crisis reveals about values and character

• South Africa's political crossroads and the ANC's stance on Israel

• Why public mobilisation of ordinary citizens matters

• The global struggle against jihadist extremism

• The moral foundations of Western civilisation

• Faith, meaning, and the erosion of spiritual confidence in the modern world

• Lessons from Israel's resilience and miracle-filled survival

• Why true leadership demands responsibility, courage, and clarity