Maitland Re-union 2005
Welcome to the Maitland Re-union Museum
(This article was provided by Charles Odes,
Cape Town)
History of the Congregation of Maitland/Brooklyn, Elnat
Yisrael
BY Avraham Zalman Kaufman
I have no knowledge of what existed before my arrival
in Africa, that is before the present century, and my knowledge is only from
the year 1903. I only know what others
have told me, that is, before the War with the Boers and the British in the
years 1898-1901, there were almost no Jews in Maitland, but during the war many
of our brothers left or rather fled from the Transvaal and carne to the Cape
and some of them settled in Maitland, which was then called Ysterplaat. There was then no congregation and on the
High Holy days at Ysterplaat, they prayed at the house of Chaim Yosef Baker;
and one year at the house of Yehuda Leib Ahrenson. In Maitland, they organised a Minyan for Shabbatot at the house
of Mrs Saks and on the High Holy Days, they prayed one year in an empty house
in Chapel Street. In 1904, when there
was an established secular school under the local committee, we hired the
school hall for prayers; also in the second year.
In the third year, two things happened; firstly the
question arose about a Minyan and it was decided after debating the matter that
they would combine with Maitland and establish a house of Prayer in Mr Saks'
house which was in the center of the town and members would pay £4.10s.0d. a
month. Everybody paid one shilling
monthly tax and I was appointed responsible for collecting the money.
Mordechair Simonhof served as Gabbai. This is how the Minyan went until Rosh
Hashonah, but when we asked again for the school hall for the High Holy Days,
our request was refused. That year the
school management passed to the National Education Committee and they
complained that children would lose valuable days while the Mikdash was being
built - we also complained from our side very strongly and after much work from
our colleague, Rev A.P. Bender, they agreed to give us the hall that year on
condition we would not ask again; also they did not take rent.
We called a meeting of all the Jews of Maitland and
Brooklyn and decided to establish a congregation with the name Holy
Congregation or Community of Israel, Maitland/Brooklyn and we elected a working
committee: Chairman Mr Friedman, Vice-Chairman Mr.Koreski, Hon.Secretary Mr
Slomowitz, Treasurer Shimshon, Honorary Vice-Treasurer Mr Kaufman. Members were Chaim Josef Baker, Zvi Shoveski
- and thus we prayed on the High Holy days in the hall and on Motzai Yom Kippur
after Ma'ariv I explained the situation to the congregation. Everyone promised a donation to the building
of a House of Prayer - the total came to £150.0.0.
After the festivals in the month of Tevet (December) we
bought the present plot for £100. The
work was commenced. On Lag B'Omer of
that year the foundation stone was dedicated by Hyman Liberman, who was then
Mayor of Cape Town; and the day after the dedication of the foundation stone,
we took account of our financial situation.
We had in hand £23 with which they started to build. Everyone helped in the work, especially Tzvi
Shovavski. On the building committee
were Messrs Friedman, Ze-ev Shimshon, Chaim Yosef Baker, Avraja, Zachman
Kaufman. Every week we collected almost
enough to pay the building workers; we collected the material and in chodesh
Elul we opened the door of the synagogue.
The expenses of the building from the foundation to finish were £776,
and on the High Holy days, the people of Brooklyn/Maitland prayed together in
our synagogue. We were, however,
frustrated and not satisfied as we saw our sons grow up without Jewish
education. Although there were not many
we started to worry about them and wanted to found a Hebrew school, or as it
was called then, a Talmud Torah.
A Mr Mordechai Koresky became interested in helping me
and after Pesach, we appointed Mr Yaakov Gitlin as teacher for three months
because we were not sure we would be able to continue. We assembled eight children, all of them
beginners, but not all of the same age.
Mr.Gitlin and I decided that they would be taught Ivrit b'Ivrit. I was elected Chairman of the Talmud Torah
with Mr M. Sakinovsky as secretary and treasurer. On Lag B'Omer one year after laying the foundation stone of the
synagogue we laid the foundation of the study of Torah which grew and when Mr
Sakinovsky left, Mr Chaim Baker was chosen as chairman with me as honorary
Secretary. We battled with the
financial situation for a few years because the Talmud Torah only became viable
after a few years. Mr.Gitlin left in
1914; there had been two teachers, Gitlin and Yanikin; Mr H. Cohen substituted
for Mr Gitlin. Expenditure increased
but the congregation accepted the monetary responsibilities. The running of the Talmud Torah remained as
before and we always chose the best teachers like Messrs Gitlin, H. Cohen, Z.
Barman, H. Lederman, Moshe Nates. etc.
The place of study was in the synagogue; but after the
year 1913, when the pupils increased, we had to find a second teacher. He taught in a small cheder room of the
synagogue with two small departments; thus the Talmud Torah was conducted for ten
years under the supervision of a principal and a deputy. In the year 1922 after the first World War,
we appointed as teacher our friend, Shlomo Zabow and another who would assist -
this lasted for many years. We appointed
Mr Moshe Nates as principal and Mr H. Melmed as assistant. The Talmud Torah began to grow again but the
venue was not satisfactory.
After many years of complaint, agitation started for a
strong building. A hall was booked for
us to buy to which we added two rooms needed for a school. On Sunday, 29th August, 1937, 22 Elul 5457,
Mr Kaufman again laid the foundation stone; the building was completed in a few
months to the joy of our congregation.
One teacher leaves and another takes his place. Mr R.S. Efron was principal of the school
for thirteen years; the congregation was receiving good leadership. We also did not neglect the study of Torah,
now Mishneh, now Gemorah, now Bible.
The community increased and after the second World War, the settlers of
our town gathered and expressed their need for a new synagogue.
Again a committee was chosen to collect finance chaired
by Mr Benzion Shov together with the Gabbai and the congregation and a few more
of the good people of the city.
However, the work proceeded with difficulty for a few years and only two
or three years ago the work was recommenced.
Truly they put in enthusiasm and much work - and so finished the work of
many years.
The foundation stone was laid on Sunday .... Elul by
the Gabbai Mr Moshe Dov Bar Chaim Schmuel HaLevi and on the same day, the doors
of the synagogue were opened by Shraga .... from the Zeidel family - Sunday
29th August 1954 .... Elul 5714.
THIS SCROLL WAS WRITTEN FOR THE
MEMORY OF THE COMING GENERATION.