History of Pretoria Jewry

Pretoria has a small Jewish population, numbering about 3,000 people. Jews have lived in Pretoria since the founding of the city in 1867 and have played a major role in its industrial and commercial development. De Vries, the first Jewish settler in Pretoria, became a prominent member of the city; he became state prosecutor, member of the Volksraad and was a pioneer of the Afrikaans language. Other Jewish settlers from Lithuania were not as educated as de Vries; many only spoke Yiddish and opened small shops. The Jews of Pretoria tried to remain neutral during the Anglo-Boer wars, although some volunteered for the ZAR forces.

The Pretoria Hebrew community was founded between 1890 and 1895. The community’s first synagogue was inaugurated in 1898 on Paul Kruger Street and a second synagogue, the Great Synagogue, was opened in 1922. Neither the old (Paul Kruger Street), nor the new (Great Synagogue) are still in use. A Reform synagogue, Temple Menorah, opened in the early 1950's.

In 1952, the Paul Kruger synagogue was expropriated by the government for the purpose of erecting a new Supreme Court, which was used for security-related cases, the activities of the black opposition movements and socialist/communist alliances. From August 1, 1958, to March 29, 1961, the treason trial of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and 26 others was held at the Old Synagogue. On March 29, 1961, all the accused were acquitted. From October 22 to November 7, 1962, Mandela was again on trial in the Old Synagogue. On November 7, Mandela was sentenced to a total of five years in prison with hard labor, three years for incitement to strike and two for leaving the country without travel documents. In 1963, while serving the sentence handed down in the Old Synagogue, Mandela appeared at the Rivonia Trial. From November 14 to December 2, 1977, the inquest into the death of Steve Biko was held in the Old Synagogue."

The Miriam Marks school, established in 1905 and the Carmel School, opened in 1959, are the two main Jewish educational institutions in Pretoria. The Carmel School is the only one still open; the school also serves as the only functioning synagogue. Currently, the reform congregation shares its rabbi with Johannesburg and the synagogue is also no longer in use; today services are held in the homes of community members.

The Pretoria Jewish community was at its height during the early 19th century. There were many Jewish sporting clubs, charitable organizations and youth groups. However, after 1948, many Jews left Pretoria for Cape Town and Johannesburg.

There are some interesting Jewish sites in Pretoria, including the "Barnato Lions" - marble lions donated by Sammy Marks to Paul Kruger and the home of Sammy Marks, which is currently a museum.

 

---

Sources: Rosenberg, Rebecca Faye. "The Jewish Traveler: Cape Town." Hadassah Magazine (January 2007, p. 46-52).

“Anti-Semitic attacks erupt in Cape Town." World Report. Jewish Bulletin of Northern California July 18, 1997

Beker, Dr. Avi. (ed.) Jewish Communities of the World. Lerner Publication Co. 1998.

Cape Town Holocaust Centre.

"Cape Town" Travel and Tourism to South Africa.

Clasquin, Michel. ‘I am not aware of anti-Semitism in Pretoria: The Jewish experience of an Afrikaner city." Judaism in Pretoria. June 1998.

"The Jewish Community in Cape Town, South Africa." The Database of Jewish Communities. Museum of the Jewish People

"Jews of the ‘new South Africa’: Highlights of the 1998 national survey of South African Jews." JPR Report No. 3, 1999.

"Mandela’s visit to Israel viewed as reconciliation." The Dallas Morning News October 15, 1999.

Ostroff, Maurice. "...South African Jews in the Apartheid Era"

"Post-Apartheid crime frightens South Africa’s Jews." Jewish Bulletin of Northern California  November 27, 1998.

"Staying Put: South Africa's Remaining Jews Adapt to the New Reality." The B'nai B'rith International Jewish Monthly. Summer 2001.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies

"Survey: South African Jews divide their identities." Jewish Bulletin of Northern California September 10, 1999

"Synagogue bombing unnerves South African Jews." World Report. Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. January 1, 1999

Tigay, Alan M. (ed.). The Jewish Traveler. Jason Aronson, Inc. 1994.

Zaidner, Michael (ed.). Jewish Travel Guide 2000. Vallentine Mitchell& Co. 2000.

Cape Town Hebrew Congregation

The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism, Annual Report 2005, South Africa.

Photo Credits: Barnato photo courtesy of South African War Virtual Library - Boer War. Sammy Marks Museum photo courtesy Heléne Cilliers from the Pretoria Online site. Paul Kruger Synagogue courtesy of Judaica Philatelic Resources. All other photos copyright Jono David. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library (Jono David Media)

 

Back to MENU

< Prev		Next >

History of Zionism