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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

My late father, Solomon Charles Green, served as a Sapper in the Third Field Engineers of the South African Army during World War II. His service took him “up north” through Africa – from his home in Cape Town to Gazala in Libya where he was injured.

My dad kept a hand-written diary spanning the period January 1 through May 30, 1942 – two days before he was seriously injured while detonating a minefield. Although I knew this diary existed, I had never, until relatively recently, read it from cover to cover. For me, it was an eye-opener.

What makes the entries so fascinating is that they were written in real time. This is not a memoir. The entries haven't been re-written to make punch lines more dramatic. They are written as my dad witnessed the events. Editing wasn’t an option. Once the words landed on the page, they were there to stay. He wrote this diary for himself. He had no intention of turning it into a best-seller. That’s what makes it so authentic.
The diary relates requests from officers seeking volunteers for "suicide missions", of saying goodbye to friends who volunteered for these missions and my dad’s "farewell letter" to his sister on the eve of such a mission.

I wasn’t there. I never experienced the oppressive heat, the freezing cold or the blinding sand storms. I wasn't subjected to food and water rations. I never had to contend with rats or swarms of flies and mosquitoes. I never had to dig holes to lay thousands of land mines and then dig them up to create escape routes for retreating forces. I never had to seek shelter from air strikes and artillery shelling. I wasn't subjected to the dangers, the despair and the drudgery these soldiers faced on a daily basis for months, even years, on end. Even the most vivid imagination cannot begin to conceive the routines and realities these soldiers were subjected to.

Considering these soldiers were volunteers, makes the overall picture even more complex. They were soldiers, not career officers. They risked their lives to make our world a better place. Their battlefield was thousands of miles from where they lived, in the heart of one the world’s most desolate regions.

These volunteers had no idea what they were volunteering for. They never knew where they were going, or for how long. Would it be for a few months, a year or a few years?
What motivated them to volunteer? Was it the fear of Adolf Hitler and the threat he posed to the existing world order? Was it their sense of duty to defend their country in its hour of need? Or were they seeking some illusionary adventure to satisfy a lust for action?
What thoughts passed through their minds when they hugged and said good-bye to their nearest and dearest? Where did their minds roam in those moments of solitude, lying in their dug-outs or standing in the freezing cold, manning road blocks and observation posts?

So many died. Nobody ever called them Dad. They never experienced the joys of life. Their unshared dreams and ambitions simply dissipated. They died without a wrinkle on their faces.

Thousands more suffered physical and mental injuries condemning them to lives of pain, anguish and unrealized dreams. For them, the war never ended. Life became one long, lonely, sleepless night after another.
Others were taken prisoner. Often humiliated and tortured, they were robbed of some of the best years of their lives and denied the opportunity to pursue their passions.

And there were those who did make it home after six long years of unforgettable experiences along with sad memories of dear friends who were less fortunate.
These heroes gave our generation a much better life than the ones they experienced. We are duty bound to remember them, to recall their bravery and document their stories.

Wikipedia describes World War II as the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated 70–85 million people perished in the war – around 3% of the world’s population in 1940.

My book focuses on the transcribed diary. To fully appreciate the contents of the diary, understanding the historical, political, social and economic contexts is essential. To this end, I have added sections on my father’s humble background, the diary and its journey, the battlefield, the Battle of Gazala in which my dad was injured and some personal reflections.

I was 36 years old when my father died. We were very close. I never saw him flustered. He never complained. He was always so patient and tolerant. In the diary, there are a few entries in which his frustrations got the better of him. These entries are so out of character with the father I knew. Those days must have been especially tough.

For me, writing a book around my father’s handwritten war diary has been an inspirational and emotional experience. I finally got to reading it from cover to cover. It opened my eyes and filled them with tears on more than one occasion. The diary made me aware of the realities of war and the dangers these heroes voluntarily exposed themselves to – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It made me ask myself so many questions. The what-ifs are too numerous to list. I’ve enjoyed the search for answers and speculating the potential outcomes. Thanks, Dad, for the wonderful legacy you left us.

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.

The Union of Jewish Women (UJW) Collection contains the digital photographic experience element linked to the South African Jewish Museum’s 2023 exhibition Women of Action: A History of the Union of Jewish Women (2023).

The Union of Jewish Women was founded by Toni Saphra and Edna Nussbaum in 1931. It was initially formed as an umbrella association for the several other similar societies which were active around the country.

This collection documents several decades of service by hundreds of women in the South African Jewish community. UJW is a female led organisation which works through its branches across South Africa to assist those in need of food, health and education. In recent years, the society has dedicated itself to outreach programmes for underprivileged communities.

The Union of Jewish Women Collection is arranged by place, each series covering a branch of a geographic area in which the UJW worked over the course of its history. Go to Durban to witness their National Conference, or Johannesburg for historical insight into their events and initiatives. Smaller towns such as Springs, George and Vereeniging were host to meetings and outreach. The photographs from Cape Town are more contemporary, documenting charity festivals, challah bakes and birthday celebrations.

Union of Jewish Women organised several flagship projects, which include Kosher Mobile Meals, Kensington Crèche, Hebrew Nursery schools, and bursaries.

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.

NOTE FROM GEORGINA JAFFEE ( RESEARCHER AND COMPILER OF THE ARCHIVE)

This is the archive of Joffe Marks and his family ( Jaffee/Bloom/Pinn Families) tracking his story as an immigrant during the late nineteenth century as he made his way from Port Elizabeth to the gold mines in the Transvaal ; and the founding of first modern mills in the Transvaal which he built and managed for many decades until his death in 1955.
Through his sponsorship, his brother and wife and two children left Lithuania and came to South Africa in 1913. Their families subsequently worked in the mills in Newtown once they had finished school. The next generation also worked in the mills.
No archive is complete and family members are encouraged to contact the administrators if they wish to add anything to this archive.

I wish to thank the Kaplan Centre and the University of Cape Town archival staff who have made this digital archive possible.

The Abe Mirvish Collection consists of a large number of family photographs, documents and films depicting various aspects of Jewish life.

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.

The Victor Kaplan Collection (donated by Robert Kaplan) showcases a variety of World War I memorabilia relating to Pvt Victor Kaplan.

Victor Kaplan died at the age of 23 during World War I combat at Delville Wood in 1916. He was awarded several medals to commemorate his military sacrifice, including a bronze Memorial medallion, a Victory Medal, a British War Medal, and a 1914-15 Star. His name also appears on the cornerstone and Roll of Honour at the National Jewish War Memorial in Johannesburg.

The bronze Memorial medallion depicts an engraving of a Greek goddess and a lion. The inscription reads, "He died for freedom and honour: Victor Kaplan".

This collection shows the front and back views of Pvt Kaplan's medals. On the front of the Victory Medal is a female winged figure representing Nike, the mythological Greek goddess of victory. The back view of this medal reads, "The Great War for Civilisation – De Grote Oorlog voor de Beschaving 1914-1919".

The front of the British War Medal shows King George V, who was King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 until 1936. The back view of the medal has an engraving of Saint George, naked on horseback and armed with a short sword.

The front of the 1914-15 Star is engraved with a crown, swords, and a wreath. The back is inscribed, "V. Kaplan: 10th Infantry".

This collection also includes delivery notes from the Gerald and Marc Hoberman Collection to Robert Kaplan and Ms Sheila Kaplan of the Kaplan-Kushlick Foundation. These document the return of several books and Victor Kaplan's medals, respectively. The items had been on loan for use in the book, "Tzedakah".

A series of photographs in this collection shows the National Jewish War Memorial in Johannesburg. The cornerstone of the Memorial was unveiled by the Mayor of Johannesburg, Les Dishy, on Sunday, 19 September 1993. Particular mention is made to the Kaplan-Kushlick Foundation, who contributed to the Memorial in memory of Pvt Victor Kaplan. The photographs of the Memorial show a beautiful sunny setting: the gravestones are on an elevated piece of land, overlooking a lawn with pathways. Behind the graves are many trees on a hill. The cornerstone and Roll of Honour are on the brick wall which separates the graves from the lawn.

Other items of interest in the collection are Pvt Victor Kaplan's receipt for his awarding of the 1914-15 Star and a letter from King George V of Buckingham Palace, which reads, "I join with my grateful people in sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War."

This fascinating collection traces the history of Pvt Victor Kaplan's World War I efforts. Besides his accolades and their related documents, the collection also highlights the contributions made by Victor Kaplan's family to the National Jewish War Memorial in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Written by Alex Abrahams

South African Jewish Museum archives a greatly fascinating collection which pertains to the history of the seaside suburb Muizenberg in Cape Town. Hedy I Davis very graciously donated her research to the museum; the research went towards the publishing of her book “Muizenberg: the story of the Shtetl by the Sea” (2014). This collection includes historical photographs, newspaper articles, documents, and brochures. Themes of memory, joy, community, heartache, and revitalization are evident throughout the collection.

The historical photographs document the fun and innocence of children and families in the 1920s until the 1940s. The opening of the Muizenberg pavilion in 1929 certainly attracted a crowd. Boy Scouts frequently camped in the area. Looking at the more modern photographs, the iconic imagery of Muizenberg is captured in a unique spirit, including the mountain, the sea, the beach huts, and the buildings.

Interesting stories come out of the newspaper articles. Refurbishment plans have always been an issue, with the wear and tear of seaside conditions, along with a time-period of poverty in the area, Muizenberg has, on a number of occasions, had to walk the line of reinventing itself whilst remaining true to its “shtetl by the sea” charm.

The article “On Muizenberg” describes the British and Dutch colonies, and how Muizenberg got its name. Other articles share information on Jewish involvement in politics in the area. And some articles report on incidents of anti-Semitism and vandalism.

The Cape Times Peninsula Directories record the main streets in Muizenberg. The Muizenberg Hebrew Congregation AGM agenda in 1980 is in the collection. Other documents include the Southern African Jewish Association of Canada (SAJAC) News booklet – the Rosh Hashanah edition of 2010, and articles about the perspectives of different South African Jews on Zionism.

The collection has several information and advertisement brochures on Muizenberg. Nine copies of the “Corner Chat” community magazine are in the collection.

South African Jewish Museum is grateful to Hedy Davis for donating this terrific collection. These documents were used in the research for her book “Muizenberg: the story of the Shtetl by the Sea”.

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.

My father Meish 1902 - 1982 left his family in Vilna, Lithuania , and emigrated to SA at the tender age of 18. He arrived in Cape Town in July 1921, and made his way to Johannesburg where he lodged with his aunt Mumu Zlata Joffe. He had no English language skills, very little money, a yeshiva education and a burning desire to succeed. Over the next 14 years , four of his siblings joined him in Southern Africa. His luggage was light - a suitcase in one hand and a torah in the other. The torah written in Vilna was to be sold in Johannesburg ; the proceeds of which supported my grandparents Rabbi David and Leah Hannah Gershater and family in Vilna for a full year !

Meish lived in Johannesburg for more than 10 years; he taught Hebrew and helped young men with their Barmitzvah studies ; in Vilna he had been trained in the ritual of "Shechitah" , and worked part time as a "sheichet oyfes" in the Southern suburbs of Johannesburg. In 1929 he registered at the Johannesburg Technical College in the School of Pharmacy and graduated in 1935. The training allowed him to work during the day as a pharmacy apprentice and study after hours.

While at the Johannesburg Tech he met Elias Gordin, whom after graduating in 1935 had moved to Pretoria. Elias had opened "Good Hope Pharmacy" in the "Asian Bazaar" on Boom Street and developed a splendid reputation with the local Asiatic population. He encouraged my father to join him in Pretoria. Meish found a suitable pharmacy for sale in the suburb of Hercules. At price of 120 pounds , stock, fixtures and fittings and a 4 year lease, Meish became the proud owner of Hercules Pharmacy in 1936 on Rustenburg Road , in Hercules. The Pharmacy became the family pride. The fashion in those days was to live as close as possible to your place of employment. So, as children we lived in Hercules, and spoke better Afrikaans than English . "Oom Morris " was well respected by the local community. He also subsequently acquired property in Hercules and built a commercial strip plaza in the 1950's designed by 2 local architects, namely Oscar Hurwitz and later Louis Michael. The shopping plaza was a wonderful innovation for the local population
Meish spent his leisure time with the affairs of the "Histadrut Ivrit", "The Krakenova (Landsleit) Society" and the Miriam Marks Hebrew School. He had a deep interest in Labour Zionism and Israel. His phenomenal memory allowed him to recite passages from the Torah unassisted. His knowledge of Jewish law and customs was encyclopedic.

Meish and my mother Eva (nee Green 1902 - 2000) were married on the 9th July 1933 at the St. John Street Shul (the Grine shul of Oudtshoorn.) and became residents of Pretoria in 1936 .They began married life in a boarding house on Beatrix Street , run by a posh English lady, Mrs. Freen. In the 1950's Mrs. Freen opened the "Little Tea Room" on Andries street a block away from Church Square. A Friday morning treat for me ( not yet of school going age) was to accompany my mother to the tea room . The place had a definite Old English Colonial charm .I remember it well.

Eva who was born in Dysselsdorp (Western Cape) and grew up in Oudtshoorn. My grandparents Jacob and Rosa Green were from Shadewa in Lithuania and came to SA in 1898 with 4 children. Grandpa Jacob had a trading store in Dysselsdorp and then later moved to Oudsthoorn, trading in feathers and tobacco.

Eva grew up and was educated in Oudsthoorn ; she would relate with pride that one of her high school teachers was C.J.Langenhoven (who wrote the words to "Die Stem"). She dedicated her life to her husband and children, and left Pretoria 8 years after the passing of my father in 1982. She emigrated to Canada in 1990 to join her two sons and their families in Toronto. She passed away 10 years later.
My sister Fay (1935- 2014) was born in our grandmother's home in Oudtshoorn . Our parents with their new infant moved into their 1st home a 1/4 mile from the pharmacy in Hercules. There was no nursery school available for Fay and her first formal education was at the Loretta Convent on Flower street in Gezina , followed by Clapham High School. Fay was an accomplished pianist trained by Mrs. Gooch and Goldie Zaidel ; she often performed as a soloist with the Pretoria Orchestra. In her 20's she ran a piano studio for Goldie Zaidel in our home at 77 Charles street in Brooklyn. She eventually gave up her music career for an ECE Diploma from TUKS . She married Chaim Salzmann in 1966 and they moved to Geneva Switzerland in 1968.She became principal of the Jewish Nursery School in Geneva - a post she held until her retirement in 1990.

My brother Raziel (1939 - 2006 ) was an outstanding scholar and sportsman. He attended Pretoria Boys High School and then studied medicine at TUKS. He graduated in the 1960's together with Michael Jaffe, Jossy Faktor, Bentley Novis and Lewis Spitz. All five of them made incredible contributions to varying medical specialties. Raziel furthered his studies in England and the USA and emigrated to Canada in 1965 ; he was appointed Chief of Radiology at North York Hospital in Toronto and held this post for 25 years. His wife Jeanne Adelaar was born in Onderstepoort (1939 - 2007). They married in 1967 in New York City. Jeanne had a B,Sc. from TUKS and pursued her career in computer science in Toronto. Their 3 children were all born in North America. Tal born in 1969 is an educator (B.Sc. B.Ed U.Queens), David 1970 - 2000 (B.A. U.Toronto ) , and Elize born in 1972 , like her father is a Radiologist (FRCP Canada).

I was born in 1943, and spent a short unsuccessful time at the Rachel Spero Nursery School - I was told by my mother that supervising me was a formidable task ; I had some strange " behavioral quirks" . The principal of the school, Mrs. Grossfeld recommended to my parents to bring me back a year later - I never went back ! 7 years at Brooklyn Primary School and thereafter Pretoria Boys High . I studied pharmacy at The Pretoria Technikon, graduating in 1969. Both Raziel and I had the privilege of studying Hebrew and Jewish studies with Michael Silber and later Rev.Sigbert Silberman. Both these men were brilliant educators who imparted a huge amount of knowledge to us both. I must also not forget that as a teenager Fay was an enthusiatic member of Bnei Akiva. Raziel and I were staunch members of Habonim. Our Sundays on Beatrix street, at the Miriam Marks Hebrew School, and Jewish Memorial Hall , "slap chips" on Church street are all etched in my memory!

My wife Adele Kossowsky (born in East London in 1943) and I , were married in 1967. We have 2 girls Darryl born in 1970 is a Social Worker ( MSW U Toronto) and Lee-Anne born in 1972 is a teacher ( M.Ed. U Toronto) . Both girls were born and educated at Carmel and Pretoria Girls High and thereafter in Canada. I took over Hercules Pharmacy in 1969, due to my father's failing health, and sold the pharmacy in 1988 when our family emigrated to Canada. Our family has been resident in Toronto for the past 34 years. I worked in the first aid and medical supply industry in Toronto and retired in 2020. Adele , worked as a bookkeeper and is retired.

During the Covid epidemic (2020/2021) I had the opportunity to compile and edit a history of the 5 Gershater siblings who emigrated to Southern Africa between 1921 and 1937. During the time of my research I was able to put a good picture together of the family, how they integrated into the South African culture and became firm members of the Jewish community ; their trials and tribulations , the hard work they did, to give the next generation, myself and my 13 first cousins, the ability and skills to pursue their lives in Canada, USA, Australia, Israel and South Africa. Only 3 of the cousins remain resident in Johannesburg.

South African Jewish Museum archives a delightful collection on Freda Rabinowitz. The collection is divided into three series: photographs, photo albums and diaries. Throughout the collection, Freda’s fun, exuberant, charming, and witty personality can be seen.

In her youth, Freda (née Fleishman) Rabinowitz had an eye for the dramatic. Many photographs consist of headshots of her in theatrical poses and impersonations. Always with a smile on her face, she would jokingly command the limelight every time the camera flashed.

Freda grew up in South Africa, but she was travelled enough to be considered a citizen of the world. Photographs of her travels span from London to Hong Kong, from Israel to Zimbabwe. Her personality shines through in the images taken in Mozambique, where she can be seen singing on the bus and dancing with Portuguese men. Her honeymoon was spent in Malawi. She also travelled to many places within South Africa.

Freda Rabinowitz wrote in her personal diary every day for forty years. Her diaries have been made available to read in this collection. Freda’s handwriting is so small, that only the truly dedicated will be able to decipher her experiences.

It is lovely to see Freda’s cheerful personality shine throughout the collection. Her well-travelled photographs depict her dramatic personality, whilst her personal diaries show that she had an off-beat humour and a unique mind.

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.

South African Jewish Museum archives a greatly fascinating collection of photographs that have been handed down from the Port Elizabeth Jewish Museum for digitising. All the content is focused on Jewish life in Port Elizabeth. This large historical collection covers social areas such as weddings, families, entertainment and youth activities. It also covers institutional life such as SA Jewish Board of Deputies, SA Ex-Service League, Wedgwood Park Country Club and Theodor Herzl Schools.

Many of these photographs are from the first half on the twentieth century. The entertainment in Port Elizabeth at the time involved concerts, operas, local plays and orchestras.

Important to the youth at the time was Scouts and Habonim camp. This collection features a photograph from the very first Habonim camp held in South Africa.

Judaism institutionalised itself in Port Elizabeth. This collection contains sections on SA Jewish Board of Deputies, Hebrew Order of David, Masonic Lodges and the Zionist League.

Other important institutions included Wedgwood Country Park Club for sport, SA Ex-Service League for the military, Theodor Herzl Schools for education, and PE Civic Leaders and Mayors for politics.

This collection also contains some history of the Port Elizabeth Jewish Museum, for example, Chanuka 2006 in the Shul, the photographs featured downstairs and in the reception area, the 85th anniversary of the Raleigh Street Synagogue, and the visit of Rabbi and Mrs Harris in October ’94.

History is captured beautifully in the section about Synagogues from around South Africa.

The collection also features a small section on the Uitenhage Hebrew Congregation; Uitenhage being a small town near Port Elizabeth.

Photographs and phone numbers of the Museum curators are also included in this collection.

This collection is greatly fascinating, and South African Jewish Museum is grateful to PE Jewish Museum for giving us the opportunity to digitise their content. This collection includes social history of Jewish life in Port Elizabeth, as well as the institutions set up to ensure a thriving 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.