From David Solly Sandler:
3rd January 2016
Dear fellow Arcs and friends
Greetings from Western Australia and I hope you are all well.
This week we share with you the sad news of the passing of Solly Jossel, the last of the Ochberg Orphans living in South Africa.
Max Goldman emails from Johannesburg and speaks for us all:
So sorry to have to give you the very sad news of Solly Jossel’s passing.
Solly was surely one of the true legends of The Arc and the Ochberg story!
What a rough start he had in life……his father being murdered in cold blood in Russia by some brigands while trying to assist a young woman who was being harassed by them……all this while his mother was pregnant with Solly.
In Solly’s last years he was very frail and his hearing and eyesight were quite poor, yet it was always a pleasure to be in his and Sylvia’s presence.
They say that your face tells your story…….. reveals your character…….looking into the faces of Sylvia And Solly I could only ever see one thing…………..GOOD!!
Solly will be much missed!
Sincere condolences to Sylvia and all of Solly’s family.
MHDSRIP
Best to you
Max and all Old Arcs and Ochberg descendants
Attached is Solly Jossel’s story from the More Arc Memories book
Thanks to David Solly Sandler for use of this article
For more information on David’s work, see:
JewishGen Johannesburg KehilaLink:
http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/johannesburg/Jossel.html
Thank you for bringing to our attention this moving story of an amazing time, man, and family.
I remember the arc well when I was firstly in pprimary school the bus from the arc used to bring kids to Doornfontein Primary School we would often go home to the arc on the bus with them Habonim often had functions at the arc for example sports etc
My father Frank james had siblings at the Arc. Alf James, Esme James and I forget the other sister. Does any one remember any of them?