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Rapeport Meyer
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Rapeport Children Photograph Series

Following the collapse of the ostrich feather industry, in 1916 the Rapeport family moved to Rustenburg Transvaal from Calitzdorp, Cape Province. They had three sons: William, Martin and Lazarus. Their eldest son, William Rapeport worked for Philip Wulfsohn, a general dealer, and rose to the position of general manager. He married Sylvia Simson of Johannesburg in 1924 and they had three children. In 1933 he founded ‘W Rapeport’, a clothing outfitters and drapers store which became ‘W Rapeport and Son (Pty) Ltd’. William played an active role in the town and served as a town councilor. He was elected mayor of Rustenburg in 1946-1947 and was the only Jew ever to serve in this position. During his tenure, he and his wife were introduced to the British Royal Family during their visit to the Union of South Africa. Martin Rapeport married Hannah Socher of Rustenburg. Her parents’ home was known as a home away from home for young Jewish immigrants. Martin and his wife moved to Johannesburg in the 1930s. Lazarus Rapeport was born ‘deaf and dumb’. Although he did not have any formal schooling, he was able to communicate with people, using hand signs and mannerisms. He was a great raconteur and entertained people with his imitations of popular personalities and political figures.

Schamroth and Opeskin Families Photograph Series

The Schamroth and Opeskin Families Collection includes a number of photographs of Leo Schamroth and Rebecca (nee Opeskin) Schamroth.

Leo and Rebecca Schamroth (nee Opeskin) both came to South Africa as young children in 1929. The Schamroth family came from Antwerp, Belgium and settled in Johannesburg. The Opeskin family came from Breslev, Poland (Braslaw Belarus) and lived initially in Swartruggens, Western Transvaal before settling in Johannesburg. The couple attended Athlone Boys’ and Girl’s High School respectively and shared a common interest in music. Following their marriage they lived in Johannesburg. They travelled extensively during their married life due to work commitments of Leo Schamroth with sojourns in London England, Baltimore Maryland and Lexington Kentucky USA.

Schamroth and Taub Families Photograph Series

This Collection contains a number of photographs pertaining to the Schamroth, Leichtag, Brodheim and Taub families.

In 1983 an international prize for medical research was bestowed upon a South African by Les Amis du Commerce et la Persévérance Reunis of Antwerp, Belgium. This was a once-off prize given by the Masonic Lodge to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Professor Doctor Leo Schamroth was chosen above 61 proposed candidates from 18 countries. When this prize was awarded to him, the award committee were unaware that they had given the prize to a native-born son of Antwerp. At the gala evening of the presentation, Professor Leo Schamroth addressed the attendees in Flemish.

Professor Leo Schamroth was the grandson of Judel and Ernestine Taub (nee Brodheim) and Samuel and Sarah Lea Schamroth (nee Leichtag). His maternal grandparents originated from Saukenai, Lithuania and Przemysl, Austria and his paternal grandparents from Cracow, Austria. During that period Kraków was under Austrian Rule and was known as the Grand Duchy of Cracow (1846 -1918). His grandparents and family moved to Antwerp, Belgium in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although family members resided in Antwerp for over 40 years and some family members were born in Antwerp, none were granted Belgium citizenship. His parents left Antwerp with their two sons in 1929 for South Africa. The majority of family members who remained in Antwerp during World War Two were deported to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. A few managed to go into hiding and one served as a slave labourer under the Nazis. By the end of WW II only a handful of his immediate family who had remained in Belgium survived. Information of Leo Schamroth’s family was filed in dossiers that were kept by the Antwerp City Police regarding foreign nationals residing in the city.

Fanny Meyer Photograph Series

The Fanny Meyer Collection donated by Naomi Rapeport includes photographs and documents pertaining to the Blieden and Meyer Families. Fanny Meyer (nee Blieden) was the 6th child of Yehuda Blieden and Yocheved Gittelson of Žagarė (Zhager) Lithuania. Soon after her birth, her father, Julius Blieden emigrated to South Africa. When she was 6 years old, her family were reunited in South Africa. Seven years later, her father died in Germany. She was devastated by his death and kept pressed flowers and ivy leaves brought back by her mother, from his grave site in Germany. These she kept to her dying day. She attended the Fanny Buckland School in Johannesburg, which subsequently became Johannesburg Girls’ School. She married AL Meyer in 1917 and had three children. Fanny accumulated many boxes of family photographs and she kept memorabilia pertaining to important events in her life.

Kantor Family Photograph Series

The Kantor family originated from Shavl (Šiauliai) Lithuania. Abram Zelik Kantor was a well to do town dweller and a merchant. One of his sons was Vulf Kantor and a daughter was Musha Reuvid (nee Kantor). Vulf and his wife Faiga Kantor had 8 children, of whom 7 emigrated to South Africa. They included Louisa Rapeport formerly Ettin, Charlotte Kantor, Fredericka Ettin, Abraham Kantor, Maurice Kantor, Gabriel Kantor and Rose Saltman. Family members of Vulf’s sister, Musha Reuvid (nee Kantor) also emigrated to South Africa.

During the Anglo Boer War, the Kantor family members had different allegiances. Abraham Kantor fought with the Boers against the British. Charlotte’s husband, Robert was the manager of Ohlsson’s Breweries and supplied the British (Imperial) Military Railways army with provisions. Gabriel Kantor and Harris Saltman were war refugees and left the Transvaal Republic for the Cape Colony.

Rapeport Family Photograph and Document Series

The Rapeport Family Collection donated by Naomi Rapeport consists of a number of photographs and documents from the Rapeport Family. The Rapeport family roots can be traced to Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp, Cape Colony.

In the 1880s two Russian immigrants, Louis Rapeport and Lazarus Rappeport resided in Calitzdorp. Louis Rapeport was a hawker and Lazarus Rappeport, whose surname was at times spelt as Rapeport, was a speculator and commission agent. Louis Rapeport initially married the widow Jetta Fleischer (nee Sebasewitz). Following Jetta’s death, he then married the widow Louisa Ettin (nee Kantor). They had three sons. Lazarus Rappeport was married to Rosa Kabaker and they had three children.

In 1909 Rosa and her children emigrated to Chicago, USA. The family never saw Lazarus Rappeport again. The children in the USA were convinced that Louis and Lazarus were one and the same person. However, Louis Rapeport is buried in Pretoria and Lazarus Rappeport is buried in Cradock. Their exact relationship is unknown as their tombstones have different Hebrew names for their respective fathers. It is notable that one of Louis Rapeport’s sons was named Lazarus.

Rapeport Meyer Collection

  • Collection
  • 2014-

The Large Rapeport Collection comprises fifteen photograph and document series depicting the lives and events of various families connected to the Rapeport family.

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.

Zelda Rapeport Photograph Series

The Zelda Rapeport Collection donated by Naomi Rapeport comprises a number of photographs documenting the life of Zelda Rapeport. She was born and schooled in Johannesburg. She grew up in a traditional Jewish home, At the age of 16, she matriculated from Johannesburg High School for Girls (Barnato Park School). Due to financial constraints, she was unable to go to university. She did voluntary work with the Red Cross during the Second World War and wanted to pursue nursing as a career, but her parents objected. Instead she did a secretarial course and worked as a personal assistant at the law firm, Werksmans.

Following her marriage to Jack Rapeport, she lived in Rustenburg. She worked in the family’s business and was very involved in Jewish life in the town, running the children’s services at the shul and being a member and chairlady of WIZO. In 1966 she moved to Durban. She continued to partake in activities in the Durban North Jewish community, WIZO and the Union of Jewish Women. She ran one of the few kosher homes in the suburb. Guests included the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Army. She worked with her husband in their retail clothing businesses and travelled extensively abroad sourcing fashion goods.

Her home was always filled with visitors who arrived en masse to spend school holidays in Durban. She was an ardent Zionist and in 1982 she and her husband went on Aliyah. They lived in Haifa and spent their last years surrounded by their children and grandchildren in Israel.

Opeskin Fleisch Families Photograph and Document Series

The Opeskin-Fleish family arrived in South Africa at the end of the 1920s. They joined a family member, Clement Fairly in Swartruggens, Western Transvaal. They subsequently moved to Berea Johannesburg. The family’s roots can be traced back to Lithuania and Latvia. During the First World War the family moved to Moscow Russia and then to Breslev, Poland (Braslaw Belarus).

Many of Boris Opeskin’s siblings moved from Dvinsk (Daugavpils) to the Latvian capital, Riga. The Opeskin family members who remained in Eastern Europe during the Second World War either died in the Riga Ghetto or fled to Tashkent (Uzbekistan). A similar fate happened to Fleish family members who remained in Šeduva (Shadeve) Lithuania. They died in Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

The Opeskin-Fleish family in South Africa maintained contact with surviving family members. Three of the Opeskin-Fleish family offspring subsequently left South Africa for Australia and Canada. Very few grandchildren remained in South Africa, having emigrated to Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand and Israel.

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