MARKING 175 years of Jewish life in South Africa, the Jewish Museum in Gardens opened the new exhibition, the Goldene Medina, or golden land.
The local Jewish population, the largest in Africa, traces its roots to the year 1841, when a quorum of 17 Jewish men met in Cape Town to perform a religious service.
At the exhibition’s opening this week, Minister of Women in the Presidency Susan Shabangu said South African Jews had “contributed in many fields to the well-being and progress of our country”.
Speaking in the historic Gardens Shul, Shabangu said she hoped the community would still be thriving 175 years from now.
Museum director Gavin Morris said the exhibition aimed to provide insight into everyday Jewish life through the use of anecdotes.
He said the museum chose not to focus on important dates or famous people, but rather on everyday experiences.
The exhibit includes snippets of text taken from interviews, journals, newspapers, books and other historical documents.
Short texts have been interspersed with photos, postcards and memorabilia and grouped into broad themes such as family, arrivals and departures.
The fragments combine to create a grand collage, giving visitors a feel of everyday Jewish life, from sunbathing at Muizenberg beach to the food of bobba’s (grandmother’s) kitchen.
The exhibition includes a series of photographs of modern Jewish life by Jenny Altshuler and several videos.
The museum’s new exhibit forms part of the 175th anniversary events planned by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, which also include lectures, historical walks, concerts and shabbat dinners.
Morris told Weekend Argus the local Jewish population stands at roughly 70 000.
Johannesburg has the biggest population, in excess of 50 000, followed by Cape Town with approximately 16 000 and smaller numbers in Durban and Pretoria.
While hundreds of small towns had Jewish residents early last century, this dwindled and died as people flocked to the cities for work and education.
The small village populations that remain are today served by the “travelling rabbi”, Moshe Silberhaft, who presides over everything from births and funerals to the deconsecration of synagogues.
The South African Jewish Museum is at 88 Hatfield Street in Cape Town. It is open from Sunday to Thursday between 10am and 5pm and on Fridays from 10am to 2pm. Entrance costs R50 for adults, R30 for pensioners and is free for under-12s.