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Only top-level descriptions SAJM Jewish Digital Archive Project (JDAP) South Africa
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Astra Centre for Jewish Sheltered Employment Collection

  • Collection
  • YYYY

The Astra Centre for Jewish Sheltered Employment Collection comprises a small number of images donated by the Astra Centre of Cape Town covering the period of the early 2000's and depicting varius events and persons.

Astra Jewish Sheltered Employment comprises of three Group Homes; Rosecourt House, Rosecourt Terrace and Vriende House; as well as a Workshop on the Astra premises, where workers are taught skills in a protective and sheltered environment. They are involved in contract work, such as packaging goods for companies, packing flyers and brochures, as well as the manufacture of a large range of unique and high-quality craft goods, which are in great demand in the market place. There are various departments: painting, woodwork, needlework, weaving, catering and philately. The Workers enjoy the dignity of being occupied daily which enhances their self-esteem, while at the same time giving them the opportunity for social interaction.

Included in the photographs are Selwyn and Merle Furman, two of Astra’s longest standing executive committee members. They are seen delivering speeches, installing mezuzahs and celebrating renovations with a Table Mountain backdrop.

Whenever possible research has been conducted to enrich the information in these collections. If you would like to add any additional information please contact us.

Benoni Park Street Synagogue Collection

  • Collection
  • YYYY

The Benoni Park Street Synagogue Collection, donated by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies Archives includes a small number of photographs covering a large period of time of the Park Street Synagogue in Benoni, South Africa.

These photographs are well preserved and document the prominent names of those involved in the Synagogue. Those people include statesmen, executive committees, rabbis, the Synagogue choir and nursery school children.

On 15 October 1932, Dr Chaim Weizmann, President of the World Zionist Organisation and first President of the State of Israel, visited Benoni and the new Synagogue in Park Street. A photograph documenting his visit is included in the collection.

Dr Isaac Halevi Hertzog, Chief Rabbi of Israel, is also seen about to turn the first Sod for the Talmud Torah and Hall in 1952.
The Synagogue’s first Bar Mitzvah service, first Bat Mitzvah service and first wedding service are all included in the collection.
The Council photographs range in timeframe from between 1924 and 2009.

The Rose Kirschner nursery school images show children playing, dancing and singing. There are also names of the nursery school children included in the collection.

The collection also includes a photograph of the exterior of the Synagogue building.
This collection is historically fascinating as it deals with a prestigious South African Synagogue. Those involved on the Council are well recorded. The nursery is shown to have been a successful institution. The number of first services recorded shows how proud the Synagogue is of its history. The prestigious statesmen and rabbis who have been involved with the Benoni Synagogue is also testament to Park Street’s status as a premier synagogue in South Africa.

Whenever possible research has been conducted to enrich the information in these collections. If you would like to add any additional information please contact us.

Cutting Through The Mountain Collection

  • Collection
  • 1998

The Cutting Through The Mountain Collection, includes a small number of powerful photographs which pertain to interviews conducted for the book by Immanuel Suttner titled Cutting Through The Mountain (1997). This collection depicts Jewish stalwarts who fought in the Struggle against the South African apartheid regime. It is important to note that many of these activits had ties to the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress.

Pauline Potbrey was a trade unionist in search of communism.

Gill Marcus has had several political and Struggle milestones in her life.

Ronnie Kasrils was a central figure in the South African Communist Party. He functioned as head of military intelligence for the ANC's military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe.

Rowley Arenstein was an attorney and a Marxist. He was served the longest banning order in the history of apartheid.

Shawn Slovo is a screenwriter who lives in London. Her parents Joe Slovo and Ruth First were involved with the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress in the Struggle against apartheid. Shawn Slovo wrote the award-winning feature film A World Apart, based on her childhood perceptions of the detention without trial of her mother Ruth First in the early 1960s.

Maxine Hart was active in a range of extra-parliamentary groups that opposed apartheid, including being a founding member of Jews for Justice.

Whenever possible research has been conducted to enrich the information in these collections, if you would like to add any additional information please contact us.

Robertson Hebrew Congregation Archive Collection

  • Collection
  • 2022

The Robertson Hebrew Congregation Archive Collection is shared to sajmarchives by the Kaplan Centre and UCT archival collections. The physical collection is stored in the Kaplan Centre archives under the collection number BC873 and was digitised in 2022 for online display.

Robertson was established in 1853, on the farm Over het Roode Zand, and attained municipal status in 1902. It is named after Dr William Robertson. The town is situated in a fertile valley in an important wine-growing district and is known for its sherry, dessert wines and liqueurs. Other crops include fruit, lucerne, almonds, coriander, and vegetables, as well as wool. Robertson was a thriving centre of ostrich farms from the late 1880s until c1916.

Some of the first Jews who lived in Robertson from 1857 onwards were Levi Witsteyn, a converted school teacher, Abraham Rosenthal, a Russian trader and farmer, Joseph Gluckman, a Russian wagon maker and farmer, and Harry Abraham Millin, a Lithuanian.

Other settlers in the 1890s were marks Simenhoff in 1893, Maurice and Ellen Greenwall and Rev Klein in 1985, Willie and Rose Millin, who were married in Robertson in 1896, Joseph Johanberg from Sweden, Isaac Marks and Moses Rom from Zesmer, Russia, and Maurice ‘Max’ Goldstone from England.

Prior to the establishment of a congregation in 1881, Louis Silbert arranged minyanim for the High Holy Day festivals. The Robertson Hebrew Congregation was founded around 1895, with Rev B Klein appointed as the first minister. The first Jewish wedding in Robertson was between Ellen Buirski and Maurice Greenwall, solemnised in 1895 by Rev Rabinowitz, who came from Cape Town to officiate the event. A Talmud Torah operated from that year with 20 scholars. The synagogue was designed by HC Marcus, built by Solomon Zurnamer and consecrated by Rev B Klein. The synagogue was called the Knesset Israel Synagogue and was situated on Adderley Street. On 24 March 1896 Rev Bender solemnised the marriage of Willie and Rose Millin, the first wedding to be held in the Robertson Synagogue.

Rev Bender dedicated a torah to the congregation on 19 August 1896. On 20 August he consecrated a burial ground at the bottom of White Street. Members of local churches attended the ceremony. An infant named David Rosenzweig was the first grave in the cemetery.

In 1897 services for the High Holy Days were conducted in the synagogue by Rev Klein and Isaac Marks. A general meeting to elect a congregation committee was held shortly afterwards.

In 1900 a ladies’ gallery was built as an addition to the synagogue, at a cost of £60.

Reference:
Rehbock, R. & Delvare, I. (eds.). 2007. Jewish Life in the South African Country Communities, Volume III. Johannesburg. The South African Friends of Beth Hatefutsoth.
Researcher: Alex Abrahams

Wendy Ackerman Collection

  • Collection
  • 2014-

The Wendy Ackerman collection comprises of seven photos from Temple Israel, in Wynberg, Cape Town. Two of these images depict a young boy in shul, presumably on the occasion of his bar mitzvah. The other images show Rabbi David Hoffman and other members of the community.

Whenever possible research has been conducted to enrich the information in these collections, if you would like to add any additional information please contact us.