Jewish Psychologists in South Africa – A View from Ground Zero

Presented by Martin Strous, Ph.D. and Karen Milner, Ph.D.
Date:  Sunday, May 11th, 2025
Time: 10:00 am PT / 11:00 am MT / 12:00 pm CT / 1:00 p.m. ET
Webinar length is approx 90 min, ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the event

South Africa's history serves as a focal point for some of the worst accusations against Israel, including claims of apartheid, colonialism, and, more recently, genocide. The BDS movement directly links its campaign to the historical boycott of apartheid South Africa, presenting this as a model for addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Karen Milner and Martin Strous examine the challenges faced by psychologists working in South Africa in this complex and contentious landscape.

The South African Association of Jewish Mental Health and Allied Practitioners (SAJMAP) brings together Jewish professionals and their supporters in mental health, medical, and allied fields. Our goal is to advocate for ethical practice, promote excellence, uphold integrity, and foster inclusivity, while actively opposing antisemitism and biased, anti-Israel rhetoric in professional settings.

We commit to interacting in a truthful and ethical manner in all our engagements. Our mission includes:

1. Fostering collaboration and developing shared values among South African Jewish professionals and their supporters.
2. Challenging bias and correcting misinformation relating to Jews and Israel.
3. Addressing cultural insensitivity in professional organisations, specifically anti-Jewish or biased, anti-Israel sentiment.
4. Opposing the misuse of professional bodies for the promotion of racism, discrimination, and cultural insensitivity in relation to Jews and Israel.

Karen Milner (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa. She is also the elected National Chairperson of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (the representative spokes body for the Jewish community in South Africa) and a vice President of the World Jewish Congress (WJC). Karen is actively involved in fighting all forms of racism and antisemitism in South Africa, in particular on South African university campuses and in the government arena.

Martin Strous, PhD, is an educational psychologist, a psychotherapist, and engages in forensic work within family law settings. He has lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand and served as an associate editor of the South African Journal of Psychology. He founded and has been integrally involved in the Educational Psychology Association of South Africa. He is the chairperson of the recently formed South African Association of Jewish Mental Health and Allied Practitioners (SAJMAP).