From Converts to Campus Shluchim: The Unlikely Story of South African Chabad Reps

by Leibel Kahan – Lubavitch.com

Growing up in a Christian home in Cape Town, South Africa, Chananyah Duthie never met a Jew until he stumbled, curious, into a synagogue in nearby Stellenbosch, where he was then studying at university.

Until that moment, the only thing Chananyah knew about Jews was that his grandfather was one—a fact he discovered a few years earlier while on a trip in Germany that left him with more questions than answers.

Intrigued by his encounter with the synagogue’s gabbai, Chananyah attended services there through the remainder of the school year, growing close with the local community and learning what being Jewish is all about. After graduating, he moved to Germany where he continued his Jewish discovery. When his visa expired several years later, he moved back to South Africa.

Chananyah attended his first Passover Seder then—“a life-changing event.” He engaged with Chabad Shluchim in Cape Town, attended services, studied Chabad philosophy—another turning point in his journey—and experienced Jewish living. In 2016, Chananyah began the conversion process, ultimately becoming a Jew in June of 2018. He went on to study in the Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem for two years and was eventually introduced to Eliana.

Eliana grew up with a lot of questions and very few answers while attending Sunday school at a Baptist church in North Carolina. Drawn to Judaism, she underwent a non-Orthodox conversion. In 2016, with degrees in Political Science and German Language and Literature from East Carolina University, she moved to Germany. She continued to practice a basic level of Judaism, all the while feeling something missing, she says. On a visit to Antwerp, where she connected with Chabad shluchim Rabbi Yossi and Chomie Weiss, her spark caught fire. Eventually, Eliana moved to Brooklyn, where she completed her Orthodox conversion process in December of 2018.

Once they met, Chananyah and Eliana’s connection grew quickly—even from across continents. When they finally met in person, it was clear they shared the same vision for life and outreach. After marrying, Chananyah completed his rabbinical studies in Crown Heights before the couple began exploring where they could make a difference.

Returning to his alma mater felt natural—Stellenbosch, also known as the City of Oaks—in the Western Cape province of South Africa, had a small but growing Jewish population, yet no permanent presence. Together, the Duthies decided to make it their mission to bring Chabad to the university town. At first he and Eliana worked with Rabbi Nissen Goldman, Chabad on Campus Rabbi in Cape Town who had been visiting the school every week. In May 2024, the young couple and their four month-old baby settled in Stellenbosch. Their first Shabbat meal drew more than fifty students—a turnout that astonished even longtime community members.

The Duthies quickly expanded their programs, hosting weekly Lunch & Learn sessions, providing kosher meals, and organizing social events like braais—South Africa’s traditional grill gatherings. Beyond infusing the town with new Jewish energy, their presence helped bridge the gap between students and the older Stellenbosch Jewish community, as many of their programs are hosted in the old synagogue.

“They have me over for Shabbat lunch. You just feel at home,” says Ethan Epstein-Kay, a student at university. “To keep kosher in Stellenbosch is quite difficult, so small things like that make a big difference in our lives.”

The Duthies purchased their own Chabad House close to campus, and plans are underway for a new Mikvah and a kosher restaurant. “Stellenbosch is the beginning of South Africa’s wine route,” Chananyah explains, “so, when kosher tours come through, we want them to have somewhere to eat while they’re here.” With their energy and vision, the Duthies are not only revitalizing Jewish student life but also strengthening the broader Jewish presence in this historic South African town.

Student Zi Goldstuck says the Duthies remind her of “the story of Avraham and Sara having their tent open on all four sides, so that people can always enter and they’re always welcome. It’s just this very caring sort of atmosphere that they’ve created.”

For the young couple, it’s a journey come full circle. Deepening their own Jewish identity through Chabad, they are now drawing on those experiences to help others build their own Jewish connections. And who better than those who have traveled such a great distance on their spiritual quest to share the warmth and depth of Jewish life with other spiritual seekers?

Adapted from the episode of Lubavitch International’s Lamplighters podcast, “Two Converts, One Mission: Reviving Jewish Life in Stellenbosch: Rabi Chananyah and Eliana Duthie.”