By Cindy (Kesler) Moritz

We get together!

(Like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong)

The Class of ‘88 is remembered, among other things, as the biggest year ever to matriculate from HERZLIA. Alumni are scattered all over the world, but wherever we are, we make a point to stay connected. So, after Israel, Australia and USA held their reunions to mark 30 years since we said goodbye to the corridors of the High School, on 1 November 2018, it was Cape Town’s turn.

This is where the majority of class of ‘88 alumni remain, some having left and returned, others never having left at all. Some travelled from Johannesburg, one – Joseph Jaffe – from New York, to reciprocate Sharon Levy’s attendance there.

The organising committee – Sharon Levy, Lara Marks, Jonathan Gershuny, Jerome Jacobson, Deta Dorfman, Rael Levitt and David Gordon – pulled together a night to remember transforming The Press Bar and Grill into the set of Grease, The Musical.

As friends old and new trickled in it wasn’t long before it felt like we were 17 again, with polite hellos and tentative hugs turning into screeches of laughter and even tighter embraces as the evening went on.

Current Herzlia Director of Education, Geoff Cohen joined us and was particularly moved to reconnect with the Ulpan group that he took to Israel in 1986. Apparently, we all have a special place in his heart because of this formative experience (but it could be he says this to all his Herzlia alumni). Ex-teacher Lesley Rabinowitz was also there, and there was much reminiscing between her and some of the first students of her career.

Head students, Raymond Goss, who came from Johannesburg, and Dr. Dayle Zieff addressed the crowd to much applause before we were treated to the genius wit of Nik Rabinowitz who was elated to find a Kommetjie resident in the crowd who could vouch for his Waldorf school jokes.

The festivities continued well into the night despite Mark Algranti not having been the DJ, and some of our die-hard partyers even made it to a ‘neighbourhood rock and roll bar’ in town to top off the evening.

There was a strong turnout, although we missed those who either chose not to or simply couldn’t be there. The difference 30 years on is that if you missed it, it’s all saved for posterity on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the dreaded Whatsapp group.

It felt at once as if no time had passed since we left school and that we’d all become better versions of who we were back then. What can be said for sure, and as the final strains of Grease the musical remind us, ‘We’ll always be together’.