Litvak – Page 15 – tangential travel

March 9, 2016

Jewish Doornfontein Part 2

Berele Chagy Soundclip

Ishvara Dhyan’s Walking Tour – the shuls in Doornfontein

My thanks to Naomi Musiker of the archives at Beyachad for showing me this two volume set and to Rose Norwich for writing them and giving me permission to use extracts. Rose’s thesis has never been published. Hopefully someone will take on this project!

Rose and Naomi

Poswohl Synagogue

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Ponevez Shul

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Ponevez Sick & Benevolent Society 1949

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The First Chevra Kadisha on the grounds of the University of Johannesburg

Beth Hamedrash Hagadol – The Berele Chagy Shul. It is now a gym on the campus.

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Berele Chagy

Chagy – soundclip

Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI)

1. The world-famous cantor, Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI), was born in Dagda, Latvia on July 25, 1892. He emigrated to the United States in 1913.

(Information from Paul Silverman)

2. The famous Cantor (Chazan) Berele (Boris) CHAGY, the son of Yitzchak and Sheine CHAGY was from Dagda.

(Information from Eli Goldstein, Johannesburg, South Africa)

3. Berele Chagy was a great hazzan and officiated at Smolensk by 17. Later he had congregations in USA (New York, Detroit and Boston) and in South Africa (BETH HAMEDRASH HAGADOL). The last few years he was at the great Brooklyn shul Bethel (Bethel Synagogue created some rushes towards a movie of its great cantors). He went from Dagda to Riga to study, thence to Smoilensky (a cigarette case given to him with inscriptions in Hebrew “From the Hassids of Smolensk” is still in the family). Because of his youth he required special permission to be a cantor presiding there.

His father and his father’s father are supposed to have all been cantors. At nine he was accompanying his own father in singing and praying. One day he ran away to another village and was found davvening there!

He married very early a young woman, Esther, who was very active as a Zionist, though they never made aliyah together and she visited only late in life. His sons became philosophers and pianists. His grandchildren are in the arts.

He had a hard time escaping the army and came to America. He died while praying in Newark, New Jersey, in l954.

(He is listed in many Jewish encyclopedias.)
(His students – or those who sang under him are – interesting: From Jan Peerce and Danny Kaye to others.)

(Information from David Shapiro, New York, USA)

Any further information about Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI) will be greatly appreciated. Write to: Elsebeth Paikin

Marc Latilla’s blog

Next time – The Great Synagogue, Wolmarans Street.

March 3, 2016

Doornfontein Walking Tour – Part 1

I have divided this outstanding 4 ½ hours walking tour of Doorfontein into separate posts.

Here is the first: Introduction and the Lions Shul.

http://elirab.me/jewish/a-journey-through-the-jewish-shtetl-of-doornfontein/

I only found out about this tour a couple of weeks before leaving for South Africa from Lewis Chiat, who also lives in Perth.
I was lucky as the tour operator and guide, Ishvara Dhyan, only runs this tour three times a year and my dates in Jo’burg matched his next tour.
I was given a lift to Doornfontein by Marc Latilla, who writes a fabulous blog: Johannesburg 1912 Suburb by suburb research- see below.
We met the rest of the group in the parking lot of Ellis Park rugby ground. It is quite safe to park there. Some of us left our cars in China City nearby.
There were 53 on this tour that day and Ish told me that he had to turn away a further 60.

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A few words from Ish

The Lions Shul

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The Lions Shul

The Johannesburg KehilaLink:

BS,D

Shalom

My father z”l was Hachazan Yizchak Rafael Lerman and was born in the old city of Jerusalem into a family of chazonim and baalei tefilot and very musical. He was in the famous Rivlin choir and often sang solo and gave concerts as well. My Abba z”l learned chazanut under chazan Mann of operatic fame. My Abba was Chief chazan of Herzliah and davened in the shul where chazan Leibel Glans was. In 1964, a few weeks before Rosh Hashana, my Abba came to South Africa and davened in the Germiston shul on Rosh Hashana and Yom kippur. My Abba got married in the Doornfontein Lions Shul, at which chazan Shlomo Mandel and Greenblatt afficated My Abba was at the Lions Shul for 3 years, then moved to Glenhazel Shul in 1969 and was there for a long time. In between he davened at various shuls in South Africa

My Abba z”l was a baker as well – the Lerman Bakery in the old city. He also taught Bar Mitzvah lessons in cheder and taught over 1000 bochrim their bar mitzvah. My Abba didn’t make any tapes, but all the recordings were left in Eretz Yisrael. He taught people Nusach

My Abba z”l was an excellent chazan and had a good voice and everyone enjoyed my Abba’s chazanut.

My Abba z”l passed away 9 years ago and is buried on Har Hamenuchot in Givat Shaul in Eretz Yisrael.

My father comes from a chassidic and rabbinical family and was a 5th generation sabra Jerusalemite

Chaim Lerman

March 2015

Published on Sep 7, 2014

The Lions shul is Johannesburg longest standing congregation.

It is a vibrant, active and dynamic congregation.

The 108 year old synagogue is in pristine condition and the chavershaft is warm and family oriented.

The house next door

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Marc Latilla’s blog: Johannesburg 1912 Suburb by suburb research

Next: The Beth Hamedrash Hagadol

March 1, 2016

Protecting Our Litvak Heritage

Two weeks ago I spoke on Litvaks on the Move at the Claremont Wynberg Shul in Cape Town:

This week I presented the Perth version of this Litvaks on the Move slideshow at the WA Jewish Historical & Genealogical Society at Noranda Shul.

Perth:

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Some slides from the show:

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I included slides from my recent trip to South Africa where I visited the Kaplan Centre and Gitlin Library in Cape Town and the Archives and Friends of the Beth Hatsutsoth in Johannesburg.

I also visited the Liliesleaf Museum in Rivonia.

One of highlights was the 4½ walking tour of Doornfontein run by Ishvara Dhyan.

Posts to follow.

At the end of my presentation, Sue Levy presented me with a certificate and the customary book was donated to our local genealogical society library on my behalf.

I was blown away by what book Sue chose!

The title is “Preserving Our Litvak Heritage”, something I have been passionately working on for a while now. The name of the author – Josef Rosin z”l.

In June last year, I noticed that the Birzh KehilaLink had not been updated for long time. I made some enquiries and found out that this website had been compiled by Josef Rosin, who had passed away in Israel in the previous November. When I showed interest in adopting the Birzh site, I was asked by Joel Alpert if I would be happy to adopt 25 others, all the work of late Josef Rosin.

http://elirab.me/litvak-portal/kehilalinks/

I have spent the last eight months updating these Lithuania kehilalinks, the work that Josef Rosin had done so brilliantly over so many years!

A tribute by Joel Alpert to Josef Rosin:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/birzai/Joseph_Rosin.html

I have previously corresponded with Joel in early 2014. He wanted to use my image of broken matsevot at the Brest Fort for the cover of the new Brest Yizkor book. That photo was one of the slides I used in my Litvaks on the Move presentation – eerie or what!

February 26, 2016

Muizenberg Comes To San Diego

Save the date for South Africa’s most popular and travelled exhibition:

Memories of Muizenberg is coming to San Diego!

After successful runs in South Africa, Israel, the UK, Australia and Canada, the exhibition is about to hit the USA.

Visit the KehilaLink for more on Muizenberg:

kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/muizenberg

Litvaks On The Move

Visit: litvak-portal

February 20, 2016February 21, 2016

Claremont Shul, Cape Town

My Litvaks on the Move talk took place at Claremont Shul last Sunday night.

An audience of about 80, mostly of Litvak heritage, attended the presentation.

Question time was held afterwards. Discussion centred around finding ones shtetl.

Thanks go to Rabbi Matthew Liebenberg and Steven Sherman for organising this most successful event.

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Images of the evening’s talk

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The main synagogue

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The small shul

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Walls covered with the history of both Claremont and Wynberg Shuls

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Images from the archives at the Kaplan Centre, UCT.

My thanks to the librarian, Juan-Paul Burke, for his assistance and allowing me to use this amazing material housed at the Kaplan Centre.

Jerry Zinn’s barmitzvah photo in 1953. Jerry is not in the photo!

February 12, 2016April 29, 2016

Herzlia – Atzalyno Bridges

My Litvak Powerpoint slides

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February 10, 2016February 10, 2016

Litvak Hangout with Cape Town & Kedainiai: A Unique Event!

On 11 February 2016, a unique event will take place!

Two quite different schools on opposite sides of the world, will link up in a Litvak Hangout.

A joint session between students of Herzlia, the Jewish Day School in Cape Town, South Africa and those of Atzalyno Gimnazija, a high school in Kedainiai, Lithuania will be held at 11am South African and Lithuanian time.

Eli Rabinowitz will make some introductory comments about Jews of Lithuania and South Africa and how the Litvaks got to SA.

Three of the Lithuanian students will talk about the Jewish history, the importance of Kedainiai and the Jewish sites in the town.

Three Herzlia students will talk about their Lithuanian heritage, their family shtetl, and when and how their family came to SA.

And then we will talk about the future!

Click here for the link to watch this event live on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/dvnv7q6arAY

Several people around the world have been working hard to make this event happen:

Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno in Kedainiai

Mark Helfrich, Curriculum Head at United Herzlia Schools, Cape Town

Steve Sherman, Chief Imagination Officer at Living Maths, Cape Town

Eli Rabinowitz, Perth Australia.

Read more about Eli’s bond with Atzalyno:

http://elirab.me/australia/my-bond-with-atzalyno-gimnazija-a-school-in-kedainiai-2/

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016

My bond with Atzalyno Gimnazija, a school in Kedainiai

The students take me on a multicultural tour of Kedainai, the last stop being the two former synagogue complex, one of only a handful in Lithuania. The centre is run by Rimantas Zirgulis, director of the Museum and includes a permanent Jewish display, one of the first towns in Lithuania to do so.

The video report on a Lithuanian TV channel with a synopsis in English by two of the students: Juste & Julija

Kedainiu Zinios 7:21 – 9:55 – meeting at our school
The English teacher Laima Ardavičienė surprises her students every single lesson. She is diversifying her lessons with various tasks and even guests.
Laima says, „ Last year I was working on a project and the main idea was to introduce different cultures to students. I found a video of Jewish weddings which reflected Jewish traditions. After watching this video, I asked the author if I was able to use it and I got shocked when he replied „ Laima, you can use it. By the way, you can be really surprised, but I‘m rooted in Kėdainiai“. The author of the video was our guest Eli Rabinowitz. It‘s the second time Eli Rabinowitz is visiting our school. Last year he was a participant in our project too, while students were learning about different communities in Kėdainiai. Meetings like this never end. We keep in touch via skype and have skype meetings with students.

An article in the Lithuanian press:

Anglų kalbos pamokos kitaip
Iš arčiau 2015/05/29 by Vilija Mockuvienė
Vieni „Atžalyno“ gimnazijos mokiniai mokytojos Laimos Ardavičienės anglų kalbos pamokų laukia su baime, kiti – su džiaugsmu. Gimnazistai žino, kad šios patyrusios pedagogės pamokose nebus nei nuobodulio, nei tuščio laiko leidimo.
Paįvairindama pamokas „Atžalyno“ gimnazijos mokytoja Laima Ardavičienė į Kėdainius pakvietė Australijoje gyvenantį žydą E. Rabinovičių, kuris turi sąsajų su šiuo miestu ir mielai bendrauja su jaunimu.

For further see:
http://muge.eu/anglu-kalbos-pamokos-kitaip/

My images are supplemented with some provided by Vilius, a delightfully engaging student, who would like one day, to have sports photography business, possibly in South Africa!

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