South Africa – Page 16 – tangential travel

April 7, 2016

New Jewish Websites & Shemot

In honour of the Jewish Pedlar or Smous – see Graaf Reinet KehilaLink

My article about the Shanghai KehilaLink has been published in the April 2016 edition of Shemot, the publication of the JGS of Great Britain.

http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/shemot

My interest in family history started in 1992, after my cousin wrote seven ancestors’ names down on a scrap piece of paper.

I have had many genealogical success stories since then. This is due to my often unorthodox, multi focused approach, described by my daughter in law as “tangential”!

In 2011 I visited Eastern Europe for the first time. My heritage travels have taken me back four additional times. I have visited Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey.

I started writing KehilaLinks in 2011, the first being for Orla, near Bialystok in Poland in 2011.

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/orla

What is a KehilaLink:

JewishGen KehilaLinks (formerly “ShtetLinks”) is a project facilitating web pages commemorating the places where Jews have lived. KehilaLinks provides the opportunity for anyone with an interest in a place to create web pages about that community. These web pages may contain information, pictures, databases, and links to other sources providing data about that place.

Kehila קהילה [Hebrew] n. (pl. kehilot קהילות): Jewish Community. It is used to refer to a Jewish community, anywhere in the world.

Sites are hosted by JewishGen, the world’s largest Jewish genealogical organisation, an affiliate of the Jewish Heritage Museum in New York City. JewishGen provides amateur and professional genealogists with the tools to research their Jewish family history and heritage.

People are invited to send in their own stories, photos and memoirs. There is no cost in participating in a KehilaLink and it is a great way to share one’s family history

My list has grown to 63 websites with 3 more in the pipeline.

The full list and links are available at

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

The Shanghai KehilaLink

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/shanghai/Home.html

Ironically, the one place I have not been to is Shanghai! Yet, I have been drawn to it by its connection to the Jewish people and especially because of the story of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Kovno, the capital of Lithuania during WWII. Against his government’s wishes, Sugihara issued transit visas to Jews, enabling them to get to Shanghai, and therefore saved many lives. The story only surfaced in the 1970s. See Rabbi Levi Wolff of Sydney Central Synagogue:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/shanghai/Australia.html

The video:

Sugihara also appears on several of my other KehilaLinks: Mir in Belarus, Kedainiai in Lithuania, and Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.

Digging Up Old Jewish Johannesburg

Photo by James Ball – The Heritage Portal

During Ishvara Dhyan’s walking tour of Doornfontein in February, he mentioned the Poswohl Shul.

I did some follow up research and found some very interesting info from:

The Archives at Beyachad
Rabbi Silberhaft
Friends of Beit Hatfutsoth
James Ball’s Heritage Portal

I want to thank Naomi Musiker and Rabbi Silberhaft for giving of their time and sharing information; my appreciation to Rose Norwich for allowing me to use parts of her dissertation for her Masters in Architecture in 1988; and to Elona Steinfeld and the researchers for the next two volumes of Jewish Life in the Country Communities.

More details about the Poswohl synagogue on my Johannesburg KehilaLink website.

With permission from James Ball The Heritage Portal:

The Poswohl Synagogue – A Memorial to a Community that No Longer Exists

A captivating story appeared in the 1982 issue of Restorica. It was compiled by Hymie Amoils and traces the origins, history and significance of the Poswohl Synagogue in Mooi Street Johannesburg.

In answer to Carol Hoffman’s query:

Tell me please, would this shul have been settled by Litvaks who had come from what is now known as Pasvalys?

From Rose Norwitz

Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 9.49.52 PM

From Jewishgen.org

Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 9.48.50 PM

With Rabbi Silberhaft

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March 17, 2016April 25, 2016

Jewish Doornfontein – Part 3

From the past when it was the Great Synagogue:

My thanks to Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft for giving me the book he compiled which included the above article.

A sound clip of Chief Rabbi Louis Rabinowitz, showing his style of oratory. It was part of the toast he made to our Rabinowitz family at my sister, Sorrel Rabinowitz and Gidon (Clive) Katz’s wedding in 1961. Here is the Chief Rabbi making the point that we were not related, and so aren’t most Rabinowitzes!
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”http://elirab.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Chief-Rabbi-Louis-Rabinowitz-1961-Short.mp3″]

The book about Rabbi L I Rabinowitz written by my late cousin, Rabbi Gerald Mazabow z”l

The Great Synagogue, Wolmarans Street is today The Revelation Church of God.

We continue on Ishvara Dhyan’s Walking Tour of Doornfontein;

On the outside:

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The scenes inside

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Some video footage of the remarkable scenes around and inside the building:

Marc Latilla’s excellent work on the old suburbs of Johannesburg.

https://johannesburg1912.wordpress.com

March 10, 2016

Letters From The Pinsker Orphans Left Behind

Letters From The Pinsker Orphans Left Behind

Click on the link above to view the post.

There are several lists of names which are searchable in the WordPress search engine on the top of the sidebar on the right.

Should you wish to receive an email each time I post, please enter your email address and press “subscribe”. Confirm the email that you will receive. It is free!

Details about David Sandler and his books are available by clicking on the link above.

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

February 27, 2016

Muizenberg Sunrise

Here is a selection of my photos from last week’s sunrise walk from Muizenberg to St James and back.

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February 26, 2016

Muizenberg – A Surfers Paradise

Here are a few of the photos I took at Muizenberg last week.

The people and cultures on this popular South African beach present quite a contrast to the heydays of the Litvaks, who were here in the 40s, 50s and 60s and then left!

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Here is a short video clip:

On my last day in Cape Town, I arrived in time to see the sunrise. I enjoyed the walk to St James and back. These photos will appear in a later post.

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 24, 2016

Jeppestown Walking Tour

Ishvara Dhyan’s walking tour of Doornfontein two weeks ago was fabulous – a highlight of my visit to South Africa.

I will be posting my photographic memories of it shortly

Ish is leading another tour this weekend. I am not sure if there are places available, but email him at:

ancientsecrets@absamail.co.za

This is what he says:

The Jeppestown Walk ~ on Saturday 27^th Feb 2016

..will begin at 10 am

we are meeting at the HOUSE of BAOBAB No 20 Kruger St

at the Maboneng Precinct near Arts on Main –

there is secure parking in the surrounding streets.. the walk ends at the same place at approx 13h30

Jeppestown is Johannesburgs oldest residential suburb. (1889)

We will visit many places of historical & cultural interest on the walk, including :

* the mosaics at Maboneng Precinct by artist Hannelie Coetzee
* the Jooste & Bryants Building ( Victorian Beauty)

* the Mentis Building ( Art Nouveau )
* the Jozi Mall ( Somali shops – designed as a result of xenophobia )
* old Jewish shops & homes of Jeppestown
* the scenes of the 2008 xenophobic attacks
* the Anglican Church – Joburgs oldest (still functioning) church
* the restaurant used in the movie “ Long Walk to Freedom “
* traditional herbalist shops of Zulu Inyangas
* scene of the Jeppestown massacre 2006

* the first Lithuanian Shul 1903 – 1926
* the Main Jeppestown Synagogue 1926 -2002
* Salisbury House – Philosophy school 1903
* St James Preparatory School 1905

We return to the Maboneng Precinct for an optional lunch at your own expense

( Senegalese buffet ) at ” The House of Boabab ” restaurant.

Cost : R150-00 per person

Category: South Africa

New Jewish Websites & Shemot

Like this:

Digging Up Old Jewish Johannesburg

Like this:

Jewish Doornfontein – Part 3

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Letters From The Pinsker Orphans Left Behind

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Jewish Doornfontein Part 2

Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI)

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Doornfontein Walking Tour – Part 1

The Lions Shul

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Muizenberg Sunrise

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Muizenberg – A Surfers Paradise

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Muizenberg Comes To San Diego

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

Litvaks On The Move

Visit: litvak-portal

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Jeppestown Walking Tour

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Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI)

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The Lions Shul

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

Litvaks On The Move

Visit: litvak-portal

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