This short recording donated by Dr David Bass recalls the memories of his father, Dr Louis Bass, of Cape Town, regarding the First World War and the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. He makes mention of Rabbi Mirvish, who lost his son, Jacob Mordechai, aged 25 year, to the epidemic. A memorial service was held at the Great Synagogue in November 1918 for those who died in the epidemic. Cape Town was considered the epicentre of the epidemic and during the month of October 75 people in the Jewish Community died. At the peak of the epidemic over the weekend of the Friday 11th October to Monday, the 14th October , thirty funerals were conducted at the 7th Avenue cemetery, Cape Town. Many other Jewish communities sustained loss of life to the Spanish Flu. In over 40 Jewish cemeteries across the country, more than 230 Jews were documented to have succumbed to the epidemic. [Source: Naomi Rapeport]