Item 179_Jewish_Government_Schools_024 - Jewish Government Schools, "Harris School name change - newspaper article"

An article 'New Name Jewish Govt. now Harris School' which was published in the Sunday Express on Sunday the 5th June 1966 with a photograph of the Jewish Government School building, Doornfontein, Johannesburg. Written in blue ink is the name I.H. Harris School. The article described how the primary school was originally founded to assist Eastern European immigrant children to adjust to new ways and ideas and have it was now helping a new wave of immigrant children from Europe and African to integrate into the South African way of life. It had the highest percentage of immigrant children in attendance at any primary school in the Republic. The Jewish School of Johannesburg was originally established in 1893 in Kerk Street. A new school was built in 1896 on a site adjoining the Park Synagogue on the corner of De Villiers and Joubert Street and was opened on 14 July 1897 by the Chief Justice J. Kotze. It was a three-story building with a hall on the ground floor. During the Anglo Boer War the British commandeered the school for a hospital. The British government subsequently took over some of the existing private schools including the Jewish School and on the 28 July 1902 it became the Jewish Government School. Its first principal was Mr A. M. Abrahams who came out from London, England. By 1907, the school had 500 pupils but was overcrowded with the building itself regularly condemned by engineering and health authorities. Land was bought in End Street near the Doornfontein Station in 1913 and the school was built the following year. The school continued to be run by Mr. Abrahams who served as principal from 1902 to 1925. Mr. I. H. Harris succeeded Mr. Abrahams and served as principal from 1925 to 1940. Mr A Arenson was principal from 1940 to 1956 and Mr C. Pakter from 1957 to 1960.