Family1 5november

In May 2017, I received a letter from Gwynne Robins, Deputy Director of the
Cape Jewish Board of Deputies.

The contents of Gwynne’s letter literally “sent a shiver up my spine”:

Dear Dr Kaufman
You do not have to worry.
Rest assured the glass cylinder with its contents is safe and is on permanent display in one of the cabinets at the entrance
to the Samson Centre, having been taken over by the Board as trustees of the old Jewish Museum who did not require it
for the new SA Jewish Museum.
You are welcome to pop in any time to see it. preferably in the mornings when I am here as I have the keys.
Cylinder containing scroll with Maitland Hebrew Congregation synagogue history found behind the Maitland Synagogue
foundation stone when shul was dismantled.
Donated by Charles Odes, 1989.
We also have on display
Maitland Synagogue Simchat Torah Cardboard chocolate box, 1934
Yellow cover with photograph of synagogue, printed with Simchas Torah 5694 – 1934 with compliments from the
Maitland Hebrew Congregation
Donated July 1988 by Mendel Rieback, Johannesburg, who kept his exam papers from Hope Lodge and CT High School in
the box – (Beth Hatefutsoth wanted it) 9.5cm x 14.5cm x 3cm deep, 1988/10

Best wishes

I continued to correspond with Gwynne Robins and asked if she would have the scroll

photographed because I had noticed some of the Hebrew script was perfectly readable

when I enlarged the photo of the exhibit.

Dear Gwynne
I trust that this finds you well and send you my wishes for a successful and happy 2018.
I am presently busy with updating all my records regarding family heritage and I write in connection with the
abovementioned scroll re the History of the Maitland Hebrew Congregation as written by my late grandfather – Rev
Avraham Zalman Kaufman.
As you know I am in possession of the translated version of this scroll (attached) and I understand from the cover letter
that the scroll is not in good condition.
I understood from my cousin, who lived with my grandfather, that the scroll was written in Hebrew hence the translated
version but I would really like to know if when the tube was opened and the scroll unfolded and translated if in view of
the condition of the document that perhaps photographs were taken of the original so as to preserve what it looked like.
Is there any way of knowing this?
If I enlarge the picture that you sent me I can actually see that there are some Hebrew letters not only the heading but
also on that scroll within that glass tube.
Any information you may have would be very much appreciated and I can tell you that I have in my possession a
handwritten diary written in Hebrew by the same man when he was 15 years old in 1893 and this has been accepted at
the Jerusalem University, Mount Scopus – Dept. of Hebrew Language, as a work for a Masters degree and is described as
a wonderful example of Pre Revival Modern Hebrew.
The professor has asked me if I have any other documents written by him in Hebrew so they can compare the different
versions and assess the development of his Hebrew skills as he got older. ……..fascinating stuff.
There is a distinct possibility that I will be visiting Cape Town in August this year – so hopefully we can set up a meeting.
Hope you can help
Thanks in advance
Cyril Kaufman
**copy to Janine Goldberg, Kaplan Centre University of Cape Town.

Gwynne replied:

In August 2018, Norma and I together with Sara and Ben travelled to South Africa for a
two weeks touring holiday which included a visit to Cape Town, the Garden Route,
Madikwe Game Reserve in the North West Province of South Africa and then to
Johannesburg and Klerksdorp.

On Thursday 2nd August 2018 I visited the Cape Jewish Board of Deputies.

For the first time I personally met up with Gwynne Robins
and I saw, touched, opened and photographed this invaluable and historic document

which I consider to be a priceless family heirloom.

Pointing to the exhibit in the display cabinet. Cyril and Gwynne holding the exhibit

Cyril Gwynne Robins Julius Gluch

I was accompanied by my very good friend, Julius Gluch.
We were both born in Klerksdorp in 1942 and have been the best of friends ever since.

A few days after I had left Cape Town to continue with our family tour of South Africa, I
received the email below from Gwynne Robins and I read of her intention to publish an
article about this historical document.

Dear Cyril
It was great to meet with you and I am so please that you were able to photograph the scroll
and see it for yourself.
I want to put this article in the Chronicle- it is designed both to tell your story, and to explain
why it is important for us to have established these cabinets of all the things abandoned in the
store room by the SA Jewish Museum and which the Board treasurer at the time wanted to sell.
I would like the photograph to go with the article
Please edit it for accuracy.
Kind regards
Gwynne

Cape Jewish Chronicle October 2018 9

BOD appoints new director One never knows how significant a
particular object might be
Dear Community to someone else

It gives me great pleasure to By Gwynne Robins
announce that after an extensive
and professional recruitment and When the new SA Jewish Museum as a diary, hand written in 1893 by his 15-
selection process conducted by was built, it discarded everything year old grandfather giving their family’s
Staffwise and members of our in the old Jewish Museum that had history. One of the things that startled
committee, the Cape Board has no significance to it and ten years him was that in 1892 his grandfather had
appointed Stuart Diamond to later the Jewish Board of Deputies, signed his name as Kropman, yet why in
the position of Director, effective as trustees of the original Jewish South African did he chose to be known
1 October 2018 Museum, took these over and with as Kaufman? There is no one alive to ask.
the generosity of Marco van Emden
Stuart has a deep rooted passion and the United Jewish Campaign, Because it was written in Pre-Revival
for both South Africa and the cabinets in the foyer of the Samson Modern Hebrew, Cyril had difficulty
Jewish community of Cape Town. Centre were erected for these understanding it, so he approached the
He has a long record of service objects. Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The
to both. professor described it as a wonderful
Among them are items from defunct example of such Hebrew and asked if
Most recently, Stuart held the Stuart Diamond, the newly country communities whose there were any other Hebrew documents
position of Mayco member for appointed Director of the SAJBD possessions were significantly meaningful written by his grandfather so they could
Assets and Facilities Management (Cape Council) to them to be donated to the Museum in assess the development of his Hebrew
memory of their communities. skills as he had grown older.
for the Cape Town City Council. He
One day the Kaplan Centre forwarded Using the material in this diary, Cyril
has served as a DA councillor since 2011 and is a Board member me an e-mail from Dr Cyril Kaufman from embarked on a search for his family,
Israel who was trying to find a Hebrew tracing names through My Heritage and
of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District. He is founder document written by his grandfather JewishGen, Yad Vashem records, old
Rev Avraham Zalman Kaufman, one family documents and photos, as well as
and current President of Grass Boots Football Club and has served of the founders of the Maitland Hebrew photographs of tombstones and is writing
Congregation and Chief Shochet of the a family history starting from 1775, his
many other NGO and Community Based Organisations. Stuart will Cape Western Board of Shechita for 45 Zeida’s birth in Lithuania in 1878 through
years from 1907 until his retirement in to the present.
shortly be saying farewell to his formal political career but will bring 1952.
We took out the glass tube. With awe
the experience and expertise he has gained into his new role. It contained the detailed history of the and reverence, he placed the individual
Congregation from the time he arrived pages under the Perspex I had suggested
Within our community, Stuart is currently a sitting member of the in South Africa in 1903 until 1954. The he used to flatten the scroll prior to
Cape Board as well as a member of the Board of Governors of document had been enclosed in a photographing the pages his grandfather
United Herzlia Schools. stoppered glass tube and then in a lead had lovingly inscribed using tail feather
tube and placed in the wall behind the quills which he had carefully plucked and
We are excited and confident that he will lead the organisation cornerstone of the Maitland Shul. Cyril sharpened from turkeys sent to him from
professionally while tackling the various opportunities and was concerned that it had disappeared Koffiefontein to slaughter for Yomtov.
challenges that present themselves from within and outside of our without a trace.
community. When the Hebrew University Professor
I reassured him that on the contrary the received Cyril’s photos, he was most
We wish Stuart hatzlacha raba; every success in his new position scroll had been donated to the Museum impressed to see how Rev Kaufman had
in 1989 when the shul was dismantled; it adapted his Pre Revival Modern Hebrew
RAEL KAIMOWITZ, CHAIRMAN was in perfect condition, the ink was as to that of spoken Hebrew in 1954 –and his
clear as the day it was written, it had been perfect grammar.
Commission to rule on translated to English and that it was on
election investigation display in the Samson Centre and I sent We have something else from the Maitland
him photos as proof. Hebrew Congregation — something
The Board of Deputies appointed the Seligson Commission equally unique. A Simchat Torah chocolate
to investigate whether there had been irregularities in the On 2 August an excited Cyril arrived from box from 1934 with a picture of the shul on
2017 election and the commission recommended that an Netanya to see it for himself. He explained it. There are unlikely to be any other 80-
independent constitutional commission be appointed to that he and his wife Norma (Fleishman) year old Simchat Torah chocolate boxes
investigate the Board’s election system. and their two eldest children, Aaron in the world, let alone one from Maitland.
and Sara, had made aliyah in the 1974, The owner cherished it for years, keeping
At the moment three people are elected by public ballot and followed later by his parents, brother, his exam papers in it, before passing it on,
twelve people are elected at the conference by the affiliated sister-in-law and their children. After his in his old age, to the Jewish Museum for
organisations. parents passed away, his father in 2004, safe keeping.
his mother in 2011 they found amongst
Accordingly, the Board appointed an Independent Constitutional his mother’s effects a box filled with faded It is discoveries like this that show how
Committee which has been meeting to examine the issues. In photos of relatives, a Tanach in which important it is that the Jewish Board
order to ensure broad community participation in the process, was recorded dates of births, deaths and of Deputies values and treasures our
it has drawn up a Mail Chimp questionnaire which was sent out other important family occasions as well inheritance both religious objects
to the communal database in August and September. and objects from vanished country
communities.
The results will be analysed and used to inform the deliberations
of the committee when finalising its recommendations.

Judith Cohen

CHAIRPERSON, INDEPENDENT CONSTITUTIONAL
COMMISSION

Cape Jewish Board of Deputies www.capesajbd.org

What follows are photographs of the scroll
and a printed version of the contents.

** Once I had carefully read the contents of the scroll I noticed that there are some mistakes
and omissions in the English translated version. A list of these follows:
Page 1:

• ‫ שו"ב‬are abbreviations for ‫ שוחט ובודק‬- Ritual Slaughterer and Inspector
• The translator missed the sentence at the bottom of the page

‫הגזרה הזאת הביאה בכנפיג ייסוד הקהילה‬
This decree brought about the founding of the community
Page 2:
• 10th row – should read Avraham Zalman Kaufman (not Avraja, Zachman Kaufman)

THE AUTHOR – )‫אברהם זלמן ב"ר יהושוע פישל קויפמאן (קראופמאן‬

‫תולדות קהילת עדת ישראל מייטלאנד‪-‬ברוקלין‬
‫ע"י אברהם זלמן קויפמאן שו"ב‪1‬‬

‫אין לי כל ידיעה ממה שהיה לפני בואי לאפריקה‪ ,‬ז"א לפני המאה‬
‫הנוכחי‪ .‬ורק משנת תרע"ג (‪ )1903‬יש לי ידיעה ברורה‪ .‬אך מפי השמוע‬
‫מה שספרו לי אחרים‪ ,‬וזאת היא‪ - :‬כי לפני מלחמת הבורים‪ 2‬עם האנגלים‬

‫בשנות ‪ 1898‬עד ‪ 1901‬לא היה כמעט יהודים במייטלאנד‪ .‬אך במשך‬
‫המלחמה עזבו‪ ,‬יותר נכון ברחו‪ ,‬רבים מאחינו מטראנסוואל‪ 3‬ובאו‬
‫אל הקייפ‪ .‬ומהם השתקעו במייטלאנד ובברוקלין אשר נקראה אז‬

‫איסטערפלאץ‪ 4.‬לא היה אז כל קהילה‪ .‬ולימים הנוראים באיסטערפלאץ‬
‫התפללו בבית ר' חיים יוסף בעקער ז"ל ושנה אחת בבית יהדה ליב‬

‫ארענסאן ז"ל‪ .‬ובמייטלאנד הסתדרו מנין לשבתות בביתו של מר שקוי‬
‫ולימים נוראים התפללו שנה אחת בבית ריק בצאפעל שטריט ובשנת‬
‫תרע"ד ‪ 1904‬שאז הוקם בנין בית הספר הכללי (החילוני) אשר היה תחת‬

‫פקודת ועד המקומי שכרנו את אולם בית הספר לתפילה‪ .‬וכן בשנה‬
‫השניה‬

‫שוחט ובודק ‪1‬‬
‫‪2 Boer War‬‬
‫‪3 Transvaal – Province of the Union of South Africa‬‬
‫‪4 Ysterplaatz – Suburb of Cape Town‬‬

‫אך בשנה השלישית קרה שני דברים‪ .‬ראשית‪ ,‬כי מר שקוי עזב את‬
‫ביתו שהיה במרכז העיר‪ ,‬ונתעורר שאלה מה יהיה עם המנין ואחרי‬
‫וכוחים הוחלט כי המתפללים ויתר יהודי מייטלאנד יקימו את הבית‬

‫למנין והם ישלמו ‪ £4.10‬לחדש‪ .‬כל אחד ישלם שילינג אחד מס‬
‫חדשי‪ .‬ועלי נפל הגורל להיות המאסף ושלום על ישראל‪ .‬מרדכי‬
‫סימענהאף שרת בתור גבאי מולך מעצמו‪ .‬כה נהל המנין עד לפני‬
‫ראש השנה‪ .‬אך כאשר בקשנו עוד הפעם את אולם בית הספר בעד‬
‫ימים הנוראים השיבו את פנינו ריקם‪ .‬כי בשנה ההיא עברה ההנהגה‬
‫של בית הספר תחת ועד החנוך הממלכתי‪ .‬והם טענו‪ ,‬כי אין מבטלין‬
‫שלשה ימים תנוקות של בית רבן אפילו לבנין המקדש (להבדיל)‬
‫ואנחנו מצידנו טעננו כי יש לנו חזקה על זה‪ .‬ובטחנו עליו‪ ,‬ואחר עמל‬
‫הרבה מצד רעוו‪ .‬א‪.‬פ‪ .‬בענדער הסכימו לתת לנו האולם השנה בתנאי‬

‫כי לא נבקש עוד‪ .‬וגם שכר לא לקחו‪.‬‬
‫גדולה הסרת טבעת יותר ממ"ח‪ 5‬נביאים‬
‫הגזרה הזאת הביאה בכנפיה ייסוד הקהילה‬

‫ממשנה ח' ‪5‬‬

‫קראנו לאסיפה כל יהודי מייטלאנד וברוקלין והחלטנו ליסד קהילה‬

‫בשמה ק"ק עדת ישראל מייטלאנד ‪-‬ברוקלין ובחרנו ועד הפועל‬

‫יהודה ב"ר מרדכי פרידמאן י'ו'ש'ר מרדכי קוריצקי סגן י'ו'ש'ר‬

‫ש‪ .‬שלאמאויץ מזכיר הכבוד‬ ‫זאב ב"ר דוד שמשון גזבר‬

‫א‪ .‬קויפמאן סגן מזכיר הכבוד חברים חיים יוסף בעקער‬

‫מרדכי סימענאוו‬ ‫צבי נוח שוואבסקי‬

‫וכה התפללנו בימים הנוראים באולם‪ .‬ובמוצאי יום הכפורים אחר תפילת‬

‫מעריב נאמתי לפני הקהל וביארתי להם את המצב בו אנחנו נמצאים‬

‫ובאותו מעמד הבטיח כל אחד את נדבתו לבנין בית תפילה כל ההבטחות‬
‫הגיע לסכום של מאה וחמישים לטראות ‪ 6‬אחרי החגים בחדש‬
‫טבת (דעצעמבער) קנינו המגרש הנוכחי בעד מאה לטראות ואז החל‬

‫העבודה‪ .‬ובל"ג בעומר שנה זו הונחה האבן היסוד ע"י חיים ליברמאן‬

‫שהיה אז ראש העיר דקייפטאן‪ .‬וממחרת להנחת האבן היסוד עשינו‬

‫דין וחשבון ממצבינו הכספית והיה בידנו שלשה ועשרים לטראות‬

‫ובזה החילו לבנות‬

‫לירות שטרלינג ‪6‬‬

‫כל אחד עזר בעבודה‪ .‬ובפרט צבי נח שוואבסקי‪ .‬ועד הבנין היו‪ ,‬י‪ .‬פרדמן‬
‫זאב שמשון‪ .‬חיים יוסף בעקער‪ ,‬אברהם זלמן קויפמאן‪ ,‬ובכל שבוע אספנו‬
‫מנדבות כמעט די שכר העובדים הבונים‪ .‬ואת החומר לקחנו בהקפה וכה‬
‫בנינו‪ .‬ובחדש אלול פתחנו את דלתות בית הכנסת‪ .‬הוצאות הבנין מן היסוד‬

‫עד כלות הבית היה שבע מאות ששה ושבעים לטראות ‪£ 776‬‬
‫ובימים הנוראים של שנת תרס"ז התפללנו יחד אנשי מייטלאנד ברוקלין‬

‫בבית הכנסת שלנו‬
‫אך זאת לא הפיק את רצוננו המלא‪ .‬בראותנו איך שבננו הולכים וגדלים‬

‫ללא חינוך יהדות‪ ,‬אף כי מספרם לא היו רב‪ .‬והתחלנו לדאוג עבורם‬
‫וחפצנו היה ליסד בית ספר עברי או כאשר קראו אז תלמוד תורה‬
‫וברם זכור לטוב כי מר מרדכי קוריצקי ז"ל התענין בדבר לעזרני ואחר‬
‫חג הפסח פקדנו את מר יעקב גיטלין למורה על שלשה חדשים כי‬
‫לא ידענו אם נוכל להמשיך‪ .‬ויצאנו בקריאה ובבקשה הבו לנו בנים‬

‫וכה אספנו שמנה ילדים כלם מתחילים‪ ,‬אך לא מגיל אחד‬
‫אני ומר גיטלין החלטנו כי תכן הלמוד יהיה עברית בעברית‪ .‬רבים היו‬

‫– ‪**This page of the Hebrew Scroll was torn when we opened the glass tube‬‬
‫‪I managed to photograph this and have pasted them together.‬‬

‫מתנגדנו לזה אבל אנחנו באחת עברית בעברית‪ .‬אני נבחרתי ל י'ו'ש'ר‬
‫להתלמוד תורה ומר מ‪ .‬שאקינאווסקי למזכיר ולגזבר‪ .‬ובל"ג בעומר‬
‫שנה אחת אחר הנחת אבן היסוד של בית הכנסת הנחנו היסוד ללימוד‬
‫התורה‪ .‬והודות להשי"ת הלכה וגדלה‪ .‬וכאשר מר שאקינאווסקי עזב‬
‫עירנו‪ ,‬נבחר מר חיים יוסף בעקער ליושב ראש ואני למזכיר הכבוד‪ .‬וכה‬
‫עבקנו עם מצב הכספי שנים אחדות כי התלמוד תורה היה מוסד בפני‬
‫עצמה‪ .‬רק אחרי שנים אחדות כאשר מר י‪ .‬גיטלין עזב את משמרתו‬
‫בשנת ‪ 1914‬ואז היו כבר שני מורים גיטלין ויאניקאן ומקום גיטלן מלא‬
‫מר ה‪ .‬כהן מפתח תקוה וההוצאות נתרבה‪ ,‬לקחה הקהילה את חיובי הכסף‬
‫על שכמה‪ .‬אבל הנהלת התלמוד תורה נשארה כמאז‪ ,‬ותמיד בחרנו רק‬
‫במורים ממדרגה ראשונה כמו גיטלין‪ ,‬ה‪ .‬כהן‪ ,‬א‪.‬ז בערמאן‪ ,‬ה‪ .‬לדרמן‬
‫משה נטס ועוד‪ .‬מקום הלימוד היה בבית הכנסת‪ ,‬אך בערך שנת ‪1913‬‬
‫כאשר נתרבו התלמידים והיינו מוכרחים להעמיד מורה שני‪ ,‬הוא למד‬

‫בחדר קטן (תא) של בית הכנסת עם שתי מחלקות קטנות‪.‬‬
‫כה התנהל התנהל התלמוד תורה כעשר שנים תחת פיקוח מנהל וסגן‬

‫אך בשנת ‪ 1922‬אחר המלחמה העולמית הראשונה מנינו למורה‬
‫את רעוו שלמה דאגאוו והוא מאין במורה שני אשר יעזור אותו‬
‫וכה עברה שבע שנים‪ .‬והתלמוד ירדה ממעלתה ואי שביעת רצון‬
‫גדלה בין האבות עד כי היינו מוכרחים לפטר אותו ממשמרתו ומנינו‬
‫מורים את מר משה נטס למנהל ואת מר ה‪ .‬מלמד לעוזר והת"ת הלכה‬
‫וגדלה עוד הפעם‪ .‬אבל צר היה המקום ואחר שנים של התלוננות החל‬
‫תעמולה לבנין בית ספר ונזדמן לנו לקנות אולם והוספנו עליו מצידו‬
‫שני חדרים מרווחים כפי הדרוש לבית הספר‪ .‬וביום א' כ"ב אלול שנת‬
‫ת'ר'צ ‪ 29 AUGUST 1937‬הניח מר א‪.‬ז‪ .‬קויפמאן שו"ב את האבן היסוד‬

‫ואחר חדשים אחדים נגמר הבנין לתפארת קהילתנו‪.‬‬
‫מורה הולך ומורה אחר לוקח מקומו‪ .‬לעת עתה רעוו שכנא עפרון‬

‫הוא מנהל את בית הספר זה שלש עשרה שנה‪.‬‬
‫וגם הקהילה התנהלה בדרך נכונה וישרה לא זנחנו גם למוד התורה‬

‫פעם במשניות פעם בגמרא ופעם במקרא‪ .‬והקהילה הלכה וגדלה‬
‫ואחרי המלחמה השניה אשר במשך הזמן בצרו תושבי עירנו את‬

‫‪The two pages have been pasted one to the other because of poor photography on my part.‬‬
‫‪There is a small fold in the paper of the left side page and as a result a few of the words are unclear.‬‬

‫עמידתם‪ ,‬התחיל להרגיש צורך לבנין בית הכנסת חדש‪ ,‬ועוד הפעם‬
‫נבחר ועד לאסיפת כסף אשר בראש עמד בנציון שוואבסקי‬

‫יחד עם הגבאי דקהילתנו ועוד אחדים מטובי העיר‪ .‬אך העבודה‬
‫התנהלה בכבדות שנים אחדות ורק לפני שנתים או שלש‬

‫שנים נתחדשה ההתעוררות לעבודה ובאמת הם השקיעו מרץ‬
‫ועבודה רבה והצליחו במדה מספקת וכה נגמרה עבודת שנים‬
‫הרבה‪ .‬ואבן היסוד הונחה ביום א' א דר"ח אלול ע"י‪7‬הגבאי מר‬

‫משה דב בר חיים שמואל הלוי ָאדעס ובו ביום נפתחה‬
‫דלתות בית הכנסת ע"י שרגה פיבוס ממשפחת זיידעל‬
‫ביום א' א דר"ח אלול שנת תשי"ד ‪29 th August 1954‬‬

‫המגילה הזאת נכתבה לזכרון לדור יבוא‬

‫יום א' של ראש חודש ‪7‬‬

Professor Yael Reshef (Hebrew University, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem.) has been kind
enough to give her specialist opinion regarding Zeida’s Hebrew language skills.

Prof. Reshef has read both the handwritten diary from 1893 the scroll from 1954.

Below is her opinion in Hebrew and I have translated this to English.

,‫שלום סיריל‬

.‫אני מצרפת את הטקסט המתוקן‬

‫ יש שם הרבה מאוד‬- ‫ יחסית למועד הכתיבה הוא מאוד ארכאי‬,‫ ראשית‬.‫הסגנון שלו מעניין משתי סיבות‬
‫ אבל נעלמו כמעט לגמרי עד תחילת שנות השלושים של‬,‫תופעות שהיו מקובלות בתחילת המאה העשרים‬
‫ אני מניחה שהוא שימר אותן משום שחי בדרום אפריקה (כלומר היה מנותק מהשנויים שחלו בשפה‬.‫המאה‬
.‫ אבל סבא שלך הוא מליטא‬,‫ הרבה מהתופעות האלה מוכרות מהעברית החסידית‬,‫ שנית‬.)‫אחרי שהגיע לשם‬
‫ אבל לא על העברית של התקופה הזאת‬,‫ההסבר לזה יכול להיות בכך שיש מחקרים על העברית החסידית‬
‫ כך שאולי היו תופעות לשון משותפות לכלל הקהילות באיזור שהיום מיוחסות לחסידים‬,'‫בקרב ה'מתנגדים‬

.‫פשוט כי לא חקרו את לשונן של קהילות אחרות‬

.‫ עם ניסיון לחיקוי של לשון המקרא‬,)‫ כתוב בלשון מאוד מליצית (במיוחד ההקדמה‬- ‫היומן הוא סיפור אחר‬
‫ ויש לא מעט טעויות (אבל אולי‬,‫ניכר גם שהעברית שלו אז הייתה פחות טובה מאשר בזמן כתיבת המגילה‬
.)‫חלקן נובעות מהקושי בפענוח‬

,‫להתראות‬

‫יעל‬

Shalom Cyril,

I attach the revised text.

His style when writing the scroll (1954) is interesting for two reasons. First, relative to the date of
writing (circa 1954) the style of his Hebrew is very archaic, and this is evident as there are many
phenomena of writing and speaking Hebrew that were accepted at the beginning of the twentieth
century, but most of these disappeared around the early thirties of the century.
I suppose that he continued with this style because he lived in South Africa (that is, he was
detached from the language changes after he got there). Secondly, many of these phenomena are
known from Hasidic Hebrew, but your grandfather was from Lithuania. The explanation for this
may be that there are studies of Hasidic Hebrew, but not about the Hebrew of this period among
the Mitnagdim, so perhaps there were common linguistic phenomena for all the communities in
the area that today are attributed to the Hasidim simply because they did not investigate the
language of other communities.

The handwritten diary from 1893 is a completely different story.
It is written in a very eloquent language (especially the introduction), with an attempt to emulate
the language of the Bible. It is also apparent that his Hebrew at the time (1893) was less good than
at the time of writing the scroll (1954), and there are quite a few mistakes (but perhaps some of
them stem from the difficulty in deciphering).

Le’hitraot,
Yael

Below is a photograph which shows the Cheder Group of the Maitland Talmud Torah in
1941.
In the second row and seated on the left is Stella Flaxman – my wife Norma’s cousin.

In the same row in the center is Rev. Kaufman (Zeida) and sitting on his left is
Aaron Flaxman who was the Hebrew teacher at the time (Norma's uncle).

Reverend AVRAHAM ZALMAN KAUFMAN
Chief Shochet - (Ritual Slaughterer)

Western Cape Board of Deputies – South Africa.

According to the document below - Avraham Zalman
the son of Yehoshua Fischel Kropman, officially became an authorized “Shochet”

on ‫ כ"ה בתמוז תרנ"ז‬which corresponds to Sunday 25 July 1897

The above is written in Hebrew and is the translation:

According to the Illuminated address below, Zeida began his duties as a shochet about
1907 which is 4 years after he arrived in South Africa.





BNEI BRAK – November 1960

In the centre of this photograph is Rabbi Yosef Kehaneman, a very famous and respected
Talmudic scholar, who at the time (1960) was the head of the Ponevitz Yeshiva in Bnei Brak,
and on either side of him are two very distinguished gentlemen, both of whom were very well
known to me.
On the left is Zeida and on the right is Adolph (Pop) Schauder.
The occasion was specially organised in order to make a presentation and to show appreciation
to Pop Schauder for the many years during which he had been a strong supporter of the
Ponevitz Yeshiva and in lieu of the substantial donations that he had made to that institution.
It was the year that Pop Schauder was celebrating his 80th birthday and so the Rav
Kehaneman invited him to the Yeshiva and made a special presentation as a token of respect
and thanks for all the help and support. The gift was a beautifully engraved silver Kiddush
cup.
Pop Schauder knew Zeida very well and he was aware that he lived in Israel so he made a
point of inviting him along to the presentation and to meet the Rav.
In the picture, taken after the ceremony, Pop Schauder is holding the cup (wrapped
in white paper) in his left hand.
This is just another one of the amazing findings that have come about as a result of
discovering and researching all sorts of old family documents and photographs.

Below is a picture of the Kiddush Cup (more about this later in the project)

ZEIDA IN RAMAT GAN 1963

Edie and Zeida - Ramat Gan 1963 Harold holding Ilan and Zeida

Zeida always wanted to live the last years of his life in Israel.
In 1960 he made Aliyah together with Raie, Nat and their daughter Zilla- Jane and
they settled in an apartment at 35 Herzl Street, Ramat Gan.

The apartment was very nearby to two small synagogues and the main Synagogue
of Ramat Gan was just a short distance to walk from the apartment.

Every morning and evening he would attend prayers and he soon made many

friends from the local community.
One of the pictures below shows Zeida happy and smiling on Simchat Torah in

Ramat Gan in 1963.

He was respected by all and lived in a very happy environment.

Soon after they had made Aliyah they were joined in 1962 by Harold and Edie and

by Phillip in 1965.
In 1963 Harold and Edie celebrated the birth of their son Ilan Israel (a Sabra) who

was born in 1963.
Ilan was Zeida’s first Great Grandchild and in fact I have a letter that Zeida wrote

to Mom & Dad to tell them how happy he is about the upcoming arrival of a
“Shabre” from Harold and Edie.

Ilan was an exceptional young man who excelled in everything that he did.
Unfortunately however, he was tragically killed in a helicopter crash while serving
on active reserve duty in the Israeli Air Force.
Ilan was 29 years old and is buried in the Military Section of the Savyon Cemetery.
There are photos above, one of Edie with Zeida and another of Harold, Ilan and
Zeida soon after Ilan was born.

The event of Ilan’s death is recorded by Dad on one of the pages of Zeida’s Tanach
Book.
In July of 1963, Mom and Dad sent Basil and I to Israel to visit Zeida. Dad felt that
as Zeida was 84 years old that there would not be many other opportunities for us
to visit him while he was still alive.
We flew EL AL the “long” way around, from Johannesburg to Tel Aviv via
Niarobi and Teheran (Iran)
I remember it as a very rich experience and we were fortunate to have been able to
spend quality time with such an honourable and interesting man.
I also remember that Harold at the time had a prospect of work in Ashdod and so
on the day of the interview he took Basil and myself along for the drive.
I remember Ashdod as a few buildings and a port which of course today is Israel’s
main port city.

Simchat Torah in Ramat Gan

With Zilla- Jane - 1963

Inside the Main Shul - Ramat Gan

Zeida and me - Ramat Gan 1963





CONTRACT THAT ZEIDA SIGNED
WITH Mr. HALPERIN FOR PURCHASE OF

BURIAL PLOT
ZICHRON MEIR CEMETERY – BNEI BRAK

JERUSALEM POST –28 JANUARY 1964 –Death Notice for Reverend Abraham Solomon Kaufman

KAUFMAN FAMILY ± 1923/24

Back Row left to right: Charles. Jane. Isaac. Rachel. Morris Louis.
Front Row left to right: Tobias (Toby). Bobba. Ben. Zeida. Meyer (Mike)

KAUFMAN FAMILY 1939

Back Row left to right: Ben. Isaac & Jane Karpas. Toby. Raie. Isaac.
Front row: Charlie. Bobba. Harold. Zeida. Annie & Phillip. Morris.

Inset: Mike. Louis Karpas

KAUFMAN FAMILY 1958

Back row: Sheila.Cyril. Morris. Charlie. Raie.Nat. Phillip. Ben.Basil.Simmy.

Front row: Saville & Mike. Sylvia. Isaac. Zeida. Annie.Sonny. Toby.

Sitting: Zilla- Jane. Gita Inset: Harold. Louis Karpas. Isaac Karpas.

Isaac & Annie Louis & Jane Morris & Sylvia Toby & Diana Raie & Nat Mike & Sonny

HAROLD ISAAC CYRIL SHEILA ZILLA-JANE GITA SAVILLE
PHILLIP BASIL
SIMMY

• Isaac married Annie (Potash) and they had three sons – Harold, Phillip and
Simeon (Simmy). Isaac died in 1982 and Annie died in 1995.

• Charles never married. Charles died in 1990.
• Jane married Louis Karpas and they had one son-Isaac. Jane died in 1946 and

Isaac was raised by Raie and Nat Goodman in Maitland, Cape . Louis died in
1962.
• Morris Louis married Sylvia Rosalin (Owsianick) and they had two sons – Cyril
and Basil. Morris passed away in 2004 and Sylvia in 2011.
• Tobias (Tobe) married Diana (Kiel) and they had one daughter – Sheila. Diana
died 9 months after Sheila was born and Tobias died in 1967.
• Meyer (Mike) married Sara (Sonny) (Joffe) on 3 May 1953 and they had a
daughter Gita and a son, Saville. Mike died in 1978 and Sonny died in 2000.
• Rachel (Raie) married Nat Goodman and they had one daughter Zilla-Jane.
Nat died in 1984 and Ray died in 1985.
• Ben married Elizabeth – Bess (Lochner). They did not have any children. Ben
died in 1998 and Bess in 2016

Birthdays:

Harold Kaufman– 9th June 1934
Phillip Kaufman – 21st September 1939

Cyril Kaufman – 14th May 1942
Basil Kaufman – 7th July 1945
Simeon Kaufman - 17th June 1948
Sheila Gilinsky – 24th October 1950
Zilla- Jane Goodman – 10th June 1951
Gita Stern – 15th March 1954
Saville Kaufman – 7th June 1956

Yarzheits:

Bobba: 8 July 1946 - ‫ט׳ ְּב ַתּמּוז תש״ו‬
Jane: 19 November 1946 - ‫כ״ה ְּב ֶח ְּש ָון תש״ז‬

Diana (Kiel) 1951 - ‫תרי״א‬
Louis Karpas: 6th September 1962- ‫ז׳ ֶב ֱאלּו תשכ״ב‬

Zeida: 27 January 1964 - ‫י"ג בשבט תשכ"ד‬
Tobias: 18 February1967 - ‫ח׳ ַב ֲא ָדר א׳ תשכ״ז‬

Meyer: 31 August 1978 - ‫כ״ח ְּבָאב תשל״ח‬
Isaac: 1 June 1982 - ‫י׳ ְּב ִסי ָון תשמ״ב‬

Nat Goodman: 5 March 1984-‫א׳ ַב ֲא ָדר ב׳ תשמ״ד‬
Rachel: 9 May 1985 - ‫י״ח ְּב ִא ָיר תשמ״ה‬

Ilan Israel: 23 April 1990 - ‫כ״ח ְּב ִני ָסן תש״נ‬
Charles: 15 May 1990 - ‫כ׳ ְּב ִא ָיר תש״נ‬

Annie (Potash): 26 April 1995 - ‫כ״ו ְּב ִני ָסן תשנ״ה‬
Ben: 30 August 1998 - ‫ח׳ ֶב ֱאלּול תשנ״ח‬

Sonny (Sara) - Thu, 19 October 2000 - ‫כ׳ ְּב ִת ְּש ֵרי תשס״א‬
Morris Louis: 6 January2004 - ‫י״ב ְּב ֵט ֵבת תשס״ד‬
Sylvia: 13 April 2011 - ‫ט׳ ְּב ִני ָסן תשע״א‬

Lauren (Nochomowitz): 26 June 2015 - ‫ט׳ ְּב ַתּמּוז תשע״ה‬
Yvonne (Horowitz): 28 August 2015 - ‫י״ג ֶב ֱאלּול תשע״ה‬
Bess (Lochner): 17 April 2016- ‫ט׳ ְּב ִני ָסן תשע״ו‬
Isaac Karpas – 17 December 2017 - ‫כ״ט ְּב ִכ ְּס ֵלו תשע״ח‬

Anniversaries:
Harold & Edie – 3 September 1961
Phillip & Margalit – 2 March 1970
Cyril & Norma – 22 December 1968
Basil & Sharon – 30 March 1970
Simmy & Renee – 13 October 1974

The picture below is one that I received from Gita.

This is the only photograph that I have of Bobba and Zeida
together with one of their children – In this case Mike (Meyer)

Dad with the twin – Mike and Toby – in England ± 1935

DAD MIKE TOBY

Isaac & Annie Wedding photo – 14 August 1933
Isaac and Annie were married in the Gardens Shul, Cape Town.

Noticeable are;
• Zeida and Bobba in the front row to right of Annie.

• Raie standing behind Annie.
• Jane on Raie’s right.

• Dolly Derman in front row and Charles standing next to Dolly
Zeida & Bobba – circa 1939

Family photos – circa 1939/1940

Zeida & Bobba with Isaac and Harold – circa 1939

Raie with Harold & Isaac Jane & Isaac with Annie & Harold

Harold & Phillip with Bobba Kaufman and Bobba Potash





TILLIE RAY OWSIANICK
GRANNY

THE JOURNEY FROM LITHUANIA TO CAPE TOWN ± 1903/4
THE JOURNEY FROM CAPE TOWN TO KLERKSDORP via OUDTSHOORN and KIMBERLEY

Tillie Ray – ‫ טויבא רחל‬- (Granny) was born in Chelm, Lithuania on 19th March 1896
to Chaim Chaikel Boner and Sarah Rivkah Miller. She was the youngest of six
children.
Some years after Tillie was born, Chaim Chaikel travelled to South Africa to seek
his fortune.
The story that I heard from Mom is as follows:
Chaim Chaikel Boner arrived in Cape Town and heard that there was a thriving
trade in the Ostrich feather business in Oudtshoorn.
In those day there was no form of public transport so he walked – about 400
kilometers –but when he arrived he found that business was not what he had heard
and so he decided to move on to the Diamond mines of Kimberley.
Again, he walked all the way to Kimberley – more than 650 kilometers - but after
futile attempts at finding diamonds he set off for the goldfields of Johannesburg.
This was another journey of about 500 kilometers and on the way Chaim stopped
in Klerksdorp as he had had enough of being on the road.
He had crossed over a small river (Schoonspruit) and was very taken with this
pretty area and decided to stay.

He opened a small produce business in 1902 – Heimann & Bonner - and when he
was more settled financially he brought the family from Lithuania.

Chaim built his home in an area of Klerksdorp called Pienaarsdorp and often
Granny would take me to show me the house where she had spent her youth.

Tillie’s mother, my Great grandmother, Sarah Rivkah (after whom my mother
Sylvia was named) died in Klerksdorp in 1905

and she is buried in the Klerksdorp Jewish Cemetery.

Chaim Chaikel Boner died in Klerksdorp in 1940
and he is buried in the Klerksdorp Jewish Cemetery.

I am named after Chaim Chaikel.

Tillie married Isidore Elkin Owsianick (Oupa) in Klerksdorp on Wednesday 25th
November 1917 and together they had four children, Sylvia Rosalin (Mom),
Norman (died at age 2 in 1922), Ethel (Aunty Effie) and Joyce Beryl (Aunty Joy

At first they settled in a small village about 15 miles from Klerksdorp called
Hartebeesfontien and that is where their son Norman died, apparently after
having been bitten by a scorpion.

Granny decided that she wanted to be in Klerksdorp because she felt that the
medical treatment would be better there and so they moved and built their home
in Observatory Road.

GRANNY:
Thirty-five years have passed since Granny died in 1981.
She died on the 27th March only eight days after her 84th birthday.
I called her Granny and she called me “Cyrilkie” - She was known to all as Mrs. O
or Aunty Tillie.
She was nine years old in 1905 when her mother – Sara Rivkah – died during
childbirth – the family were living in a section of Klerksdorp called Pienaarsdorp.
As a young girl, not even ten years old, she took on the responsibility of helping her
father to run the household and to take care of her brothers.
I have heard from Auntie Effie that Granny told her she had seen the Halley’s
Comet in 1910 – she was travelling on the back of a cart at night when she looked
up and suddenly saw a swathe of light across the night sky.
I remember her as a larger than life personality, the most loving, kind and devoted
person who was always there to offer help, support and advice, an eternal optimist
whose only ambition in life was to do good for everyone with whom she came into
contact and that no task, big or small was too much for her.
The last time that I saw her was in July 1975 when Norma and I, Aaron and Sara
travelled to South Africa to visit Mom and Dad, one year after we had made
Aliyah to Israel. After that time and until she died I corresponded with her – we
used to write letters to each other for birthdays and other family events and I have
a letter that she wrote on 21 March 1981, only five days before she died, written to
Norma, myself, Aharon, Sara and David (we were in San Francisco) to thank us
for birthday wishes for her 84th birthday.
When Mom and Dad made Aliyah in 1977, Granny moved to Port Eliabeth to live
with Aunty Effie and Uncle Hyman and she stayed with them until she died on 27th
March 1981.

On the morning that she died Aunty Eff brought in her morning tea and left the
room for a few minutes and when she returned Granny had peacefully passed
away in this most loving environment and without any suffering.

Both the letter and the photo are shown in the following pages and I remember
that we received this letter in San Francisco a few days after Mom and Dad had
phoned us in San Francisco to tell us that Granny had passed away.

Granny is buried in the Klerksdorp Jewish Cemetery.
Johnny Rosin read the eulogy.



GRANNY - 84th BIRTHDAY

Granny and Aunty Effie - picture taken by
Uncle Hyman as described in Granny's letter
highlighted in yellow and underlined in red





Basil visiting the graves of Granny and Oupa in the Klerksdorp Jewish Cemetery - January 2011

OUPA:
ISIDORE ELKIN OWSIANICK (OUPA) was born
in Wishtinez (Wysztynisc, Wistiten) Poland on 24 April 1892.
His parents were Barney (Yehudah Dov) Owsianick and Paula Owsianick (Starfield)

and he was one of seven children.
Oupa’s grandmother was Etel Starfield and Aunty Effie (Ethel) is named after her.

According to travel documents, Oupa boarded a ship
from London to Port Natal (Durban) South Africa, and arrived in 1913.
Below is a copy of his passport (Val sent this to me) and I had the Russian translated to English.

There are some points of interest with this passport application.
The application is made in Oupa’s handwriting – compare signature to other writing
The application was made when he was 19 yrs. old and two years before he was supposed to be
drafted into the army – it was very common for young men to leave home and country so as to
avoid military service.
Item 3 – This deals with occupation. It is printed by the authorities and apparently they register
him as a ”labourer” which was one stage above “peasant”
It is also interesting to note that he had to divulge his religion.



Oupa opened a General Dealer Store in Hartebeesfontein, a small village some 15 miles from
Klerksdorp and this is where they set up home for two years and then they moved to live in
Klerksdorp.
Oupa passed away in 1946 when I was four years old. I do not have any memories of him but
when I page through family photo albums a scene flashes through my mind as if he were
holding my hand and showing me flowers in a garden.
Of course, I heard many stories from Granny and Mom and Dad and others as to how noble,
kind, gentle and righteous a person he was and all about his contribution to the Jewish
Community and the people of Klerksdorp.
He served on many of the Shul committees together with his father-in law, Chaim Boner and
Dad and he was a prominent member of the Hebrew Order of David (HOD) Lodge .
Oupa was a learned man and an astute businessperson and his business ventures included a
Bottle Store in Klerksdorp, a concession store on the Western Reef Gold Mine site and the
Astra Cinema (Bioscope) on Louis Botha Avenue in Johanneburg.
Oupa died on 6th June 1946 at age 56 and he is buried in The Klerksdorp Jewish Cemetery.

Klerksdorp Hebrew Congregation Committee ±1938.
Sitting on the left of Reverend Rudy is Oupa – Isidore Elkin Owsianick

And sitting on the right of the Reverend Rudy is
my Great Grandfather – Chaim Chaikel Boner.

Oupa with his three daughters - Joy, Effie and Sylvia
at the Railway Station in Klerksdorp (June 1941)

awaiting the arrival of the Kaufman family from Cape Town
who were coming to Klerksdorp for Mom and Dad's wedding.

Oupa wearing his H.O.D. (Hebrew Order of David) dress suit