"I wanted to try to bring about a better understanding amongst people," reflects Juliette Peires regarding her motivation in writing The Holocaust and Apartheid - a comparison of Human Rights Abuses.
The book came about as a result of a heated meeting which became charged by misunderstanding. The occasion was the 2000 AGM of The Union of Jewish Women. Peires was outgoing chair.
The speaker was Patricia de Lille, a PAC MP at the time. "She was involved in exposing the arms deal," recalls Peires.
"She intended to talk about that but with one thing and another and the chair's report, instead she put that aside and spoke about the idea of co-operation. She spoke about the fact that we all need to work together and work co-operatively in improving society."
"Things were swell until De Lille ended her talk. She said that the same way as Jewish people, say in relation to the Holocaust: 'Never - never - never again,' so we (people of colour) also say: 'Never, never again,' to apartheid. The audience was not happy. They went crazy," recalls Peires.
"They said: 'How dare you compare apartheid to the Holocaust ' De Lille replied in a conciliatory manner that she had not intended to insult anyone, that she did not know much about the Holocaust and that she wanted to learn more."
To her "horror", Peires was confronted by sensational headlines in the media.
After the heat had settled to a simmer, she considered the ruckus that had erupted and thought that this was a topic which needed to be thoroughly investigated - without hysteria.
"Many people feel that in using the word apartheid and Holocaust in one breath, in making a comparison, you are diminishing the horrors of the Holocaust. You aren't.
"This is why I have added in a subtitle: a comparison of Human Rights Abuses. Yes, you can compare them, but they are different."
It is the yes/but thesis which is at the heart of her informative volume which contains testimonies from survivors of the Holocaust and apartheid, details of the race laws under both regimes..
There may be intersecting points of commonality but the "buts" need to factored in very carefully. "It is never a straight equation." Informed debate is what is needed to engage with the issues and to understand the horrors behind the legislation and outcomes under the apartheid and Nazi regimes.
Peires has an intriguing background with several tiers to her career which may be seen to have laid the groundwork for her taking on the challenge of this task.
After matriculating, she studied social work. Two years in the field and she decided it wasn't for her. She went back to university to do a BSc in maths. Why maths? She was good at everything at school except maths and reckoned that the reason she hadn't enjoyed it was because it wasn't taught properly: "I thought that if it was taught properly everyone could do it."
She went on to become head of Maths at St Cyprians and then at Herzlia. Then came her retirement in 1991 and it was time for her next career move. Although she had been a member of Jewish community groups, she had not been an active player. She became UJW chair.
The path to get this book published was not an easy one. Some were not happy with her dissecting the apartheid/Holocaust minefield. Others questioned the title and would have preferred her to use the word Nazism instead of Holocaust.
Cognisant of the research that would be involved, she registered for an honours degree in Jewish Studies at UCT, under the supervision of Professor Milton Shain. Three years ago, this was followed by a masters with a thesis Holocaust and Apartheid. From there, she distilled her research into this book. It is not an academic treatise. The Holocaust and apartheid are components of the Grade 11 curriculum and she is pleased that school libraries are ordering the book.
When she found mainstream publishers dragging their feet (one didn't like the name, the other said it wasn't commercially viable), she self-published.
It was a challenge for a retired maths teacher but then again writing and research runs in the family. Peires's son Jeff Peires has published widely. He won the 1989 Alan Paton Sunday Times Award for non-fiction for The Dead Will Arise: Nongqawuse and the Great Xhosa Cattle-Killing of 1856-7 (Jonathan Ball)
Mother is following in her son's esteemed footsteps with her informed reflections on human rights abuses in The Holocaust and Apartheid. The book is intended "for all" with illustrations, photos, sidebars, references to sources and reading material.
Peires provides compelling insights into the evil decrees of our times. We can all do with extending our knowledge base to gain insights into the past and ensure that genocide does not occur again.
- The Holocaust And Apartheid - A Comparison Of Human Rights Abuses is available from Exclusive Books; the South African Jewish Museum (021 465 1546, 88 Hatfield Street, Gardens); Clarke's Bookshop, (021 423 5739, 211 Long Street); the Union of Jewish Women (Cape Town Branch, 7 Albany Road, Sea Point, 021 434 9555 mornings only).