Upington Jewish Community

Bennie Edelstein and Irma Kowen were married in Upington in 1951.

The Edelstein family had its origins in Sassmacken, Latvia. Sascha and Sophie Edelstein had four children: Winnie, Tony, Bennie and Hackey, all of whom were born in Prieska. Bennie, as a young man, moved from Prieska with his father, Sascha, and family in 1947, a few years after Sophie died, and they started the first furniture business in Upington, Modern Furnishers. In later life, Sascha Edelstein retired to Muizenberg.

Left: Sascha Edelstein. Above: Edelstein siblings (L to R): Bennie, Winnie, Hackey, Tony.

The Kowen family origins were in Lithuania. Maurice Kowen was a well-known businessman in Upington, a general dealer who was in business along with his brother Joe. They had a sister, Rosie, who married Bernhard Hummel, and a brother, Tefke, who was married to Martha; all lived in Upington.

Maurice and Dora (née Kangisher) Kowen had four children: Hilda, Queenie, Irma and Sam, all born in Upington. Dora unfortunately died at a very young age and as was done in those days, Maurice married Dora's unmarried sister, Rebecca (Becky). They had one daughter, Dora. After their mother's early death, Irma and her sisters, Queenie Sender and Hilda Shenker, went to boarding school (Good Hope). Irma was the Head Girl of her school and was one of the few women to get a degree (B.Comm. at UCT).

Left: Kowen family (L to R): Irma, Maurice, Queenie, Betty (Kangisher), Sam and Hilda. Above: Kowen Street, Upington.

After Maurice died, Becky lived above Oranje Brug Garage for many years before relocating to Cape Town. Irma's uncle Alec Kangisher (her mother's brother) together with his wife Betty ran the 20th Century cinema in Upington. (Betty was the sister of Annie Chesed, Freda Braude's mother.)

Bennie's sister, Winnie, and her husband, Eric, an attorney, later moved to Upington from Durban as she had asthma and the warmer weather was better for her chest. Winnie and Eric had 3 children; Sharon Leibowitz (Melbourne), Charles (Johannesburg) and Cecile Cotton (Johannesburg).

Winnie Levy, 2008

(L to R) Winnie, Charles, Sharon, Cecile

Other of Bennie's and Irma's relatives living in Upington: Irma's brother Sam(my) Kowen (married to Mickey); Elma Mendelsohn (née Blum), Bennie's cousin, who together with her husband, Frank, owned K. Lenhoff and Co. along with Benno Jacobson, Melville Kurland and Harry Goldberg. Irma's aunt Rosie Kowen married Bernhard Hummel and their children Lyske, Emily, Sylvia, Wolfie, Abe, Hymie and Gertie, also lived in Upington. The Hummel brothers were great sportsmen — Abie and Hymie played rugby for Griquas and Abie was a Junior Springbok.

Bennie and Irma had 3 children; Maurice, Sophelia Myers and Lynette Edelstein. Sophelia met her husband, Ivan Myers, whilst he was doing his army service in Upington and Lynette's husband, Roy Jacobson's, grandfather was buried in Upington. Hilda, Queenie and Irma were also all at school with Roy's mother, Helen Jacobson.

Bennie bought Oranje Brug Garage selling Valiants and later Mazdas and Irma worked in his clothing business, Upington Rejects. Bennie, a businessman for 38 years, was an active member of the community, a member of the Lions' Club, Rate Payers' Association, Round Table, a Freemason, and he had interests in the motor trade, farming and property.

Bennie in his office at Oranje Brug Garage

In 1974 when around 60 Jewish Army boys came to Upington, the Edelsteins hosted many of them on Friday nights, as did all the other Jewish families. Some of these guys became life-long friends. Many Upingtonians later moved to Cape Town, one of whom was Dr Abe Cohen, to whom Bennie remained close, taking him along to Rotary meetings until he died.

Winter holidays were spent hunting springbok (biltong) at Irma's family's farm in Namibia. Summer holidays were spent in Muizenberg, visiting Sascha and getting relief from the hot summer in Upington. Three children at the back of the car, no seat belts and a 12 hour drive on dirt track roads. Family and friends (mostly from Cape Town) loved coming to visit the Edelsteins in Upington over the school holidays when the weather was milder. They loved the experience of being in a small country town, going hunting and generally being closer to nature (like the Augrabies Falls).

In 1985 Irma and Bennie retired to live in Bantry Bay, Cape Town. They have 6 grandchildren. Maurice, living in Cape Town, married Diane Sender and has 4 sons, 2 of whom now live overseas. He has a menswear business in Bellville. Sophelia and Ivan Myers now live in Sydney and have 2 daughters and 1 granddaughter. Sophelia has her own medical advertising agency. Lynette, married to Roy, lives in Melbourne and runs her own recruitment company aimed at the advertising industry and has a stepson.

Edelstein family at Bennie's 80th birthday

Edelstein family, 2016

Irma celebrated her 90th birthday in February 2020 in Cape Town with all her children and most of her grandchildren. Unfortunately 5 months later, in July 2020, Bennie passed away, aged 94. He was the last of his siblings to pass away (Tony, Hacky and Winnie). Irma and all her sisters — Hilda, Queenie and Dora — live in Cape Town.

Edelstein family at Irma's 90th birthday, February 2020. Standing (L to R): Roy, Lynette, Ivan, Sophelia, Diane, Maurice. Sitting: Irma, Bennie.

Kowen sisters (L to R): Irma, Queenie, Dora, Hilda.