Kimberley, South Africa

Jewish Weddings In Kimberley

Volume 2: 1953 - 1969

This is the second volume of the Kimberley Jewish wedding picture gallery. Volume 1 starts with the Levinsohn /Gluckman wedding in 1914, sent in by their daughter Monica Harris in Sydney. Volume 1 goes up to Rina Cvi marrying Shim Maresky in 1952.

 

Volume 2 starts with the weddings of those born in the 1930s onwards. We hope to receive the wedding records from the Kimberley community, but, in the meantime we welcome pictures and stories of your wedding in Kimberley. 

1956: Toube / Gillis

Daphne Rose Toube, daughter of Violet and Abe Toube of Kimberley married Harry Gillis of Oudtshoorn on 29 July 1956. Rabbi Bloch officiated. Pictures courtesy of the Bride and scans from their son Glenn Gillis – posted September 2017

On the steps of the shul: The people in the photo: On the left, cousins Rosemary Epstein and Theodore Klewansky
On the right cousin Barbara Horn, Jackie and Sadie Sussman (friends of Toubes)

The person standing next to Barbara on the right, partly concealed is brides brother, Trevor. 

At the reception Left to Right: Violet Toube, mother of the bride. Harry Gillis, Daphne Toube/Gillis, Abe Toube, father of the bride, Lily Gillis, mother of the groom. Rabbi and Mrs Bloch.

Daphne writes:  Harry and I have just celebrated our 60th Wedding Anniversary. It is so interesting to read all the stories and look at the pictures.  You and others are doing a wonderful job of collecting this material and posting it here. See Daphne’s family page

1956: Cohen / Cohen

Fay Cohen to Nathan Cohen both of Kimberley, 22nd July 1956  

Picture courtesy of brides’ sister Sarah (Goodman) Cohen. Posted January 2017

Retinue: Back row: Lennie (Webby) Cohen (brides brother), Norman Jawno and Leon Maresky (pole-holders)

Front Row: Nathan (Natie) Cohen’s brother Leon Cohen, and parents Sam Cohen, Fanny Cohen, Hannah (Honeybee) Feinberg, Nathan and Fay, (the groom and bride), Sarah Cohen Goodman, (bride’s sister) and bride’s parents Solomon Cohen, Thelma Cohen.

 

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1958: Levisohn / Gifter

David, son of Louis and Betty Levinsohn of Kimberley, married Jennifer Gifter of Johannesburg, formerly Pietersberg in January 1958.

David sent this photograph of the couple at their wedding in Johannesburg in 1958 and again in 2018 in Los Angeles when they celebrated the Diamond Anniversary of their Wedding. Posted January 2020

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1958: Kroll / Clingman

Estella Kroll of Kimberley to Norman Clingman of Johannesburg  2 March 1958

Picture courtesy of bride Estella Clingman (nee Kroll) of Sydney Australia posted 2013

Retinue: Back Row from left: Phil Gershater (poleholder, grooms friend from Johannesburg) Natalie Sussman (my older sister – Kimberley then Cape Town) Charles Clingman (Norman’s father Yeoville Johannesburg)

Middle row: Bernice Stoller (brides friend Kimberley then London) Moses and Esther Kroll (bride’s uncle and aunt from Cape Town), Norman Clingman (groom Johannesburg) Stella Kroll (bride, Kimberley) Joey Kroll (bride’s mother Kimberley), Vivien Clingman groom’s mother (Yeoville, Johannesburg), Maureen Kroll my younger sister (Kimberley then Chicago), Marcia Frank bride’s cousin (Kimberley then London)

Front, Sandra Sussman (bride’s niece Kimberley then Johannesburg)

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1958: Isaacs / Allen    

Shirley Isaacs of Kimberley to David Allen of Kimberley 1 August 1958

Picture courtesy of groom, David Allen of Kimberley. Posted April 2016  

Retinue: Left to right: Hyman Cohen Shirley's maternal grandpa, Fanny Isaacs bride’s mom, Issy Isaacs brides dad, Rosalie Brown maid of honour, Tony Isaacs, Annette Isaacs, pole holders: Ivor Haberfeld, Elly Shles, Leslie Isaacs, and bridesmaid Dianne Sussman. Right of the bride Shirley and groom David are the groom’s parents Ray and Mark Allen    

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1960: Frank / Grant

Sheila Frank of Kimberley to John Grant of London 20 March 1960    

Picture courtesy of the bride October 2018

Retinue: Left to right:  Marilyn Frank (now Shalkoff), the bride’s sister, Anita Frank, Masel Frank (bride’s parents), Sheila Frank (bride), John Grant (groom), Barbara Woolf née Broude (bride’s cousin), Polly Grant (groom’s mother).

 

In the foreground (right) is my aunt, Renee Frank.

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1961: Datnow / Hendler 

1961: Jennifer Datnow of Kimberley to Herbert Hendler of Kimberley 17 December 1961

Picture courtesy of the bride, Jennifer of Cape Town posted April 2016

Retinue: Left to right: Herbert’s dad Nate Hendler and next to him his mom Hilda Hendler (nee Bergman) Denise Datnow my sister. Owen Hendler Herbert’s brother – unfortunately mostly hidden. Tony Datnow my cousin (son of Mike Datnow), my mom and dad Betsy and Levine Datnow.

The three flower girls are L to R: Benice Datnow my cousin (daughter of Mike and Marie Datnow) my sister Beverley Datnow (Both of Kimberley) and Herbert’s sister Lola’s daughter Karilyn Waks (of Carletonville).

Jennifer writes: These are the names and places at the time......their dresses were not well liked putting it mildly.  The Rabbi came over from Bloemfontein as our Rabbi was away......   

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1962: Kretzmar / Auerbach

4 February 1962 Geraldine Kretzmar, daughter of Beryl and Noel Kretzmar of Kimberley, married Ronnie Auerbach of Johannesburg. Rabbi Werner officiated. 

In this picture taken when getting into the car in front of the synagogue we see the iconic silver perimeter railings and the palm trees of the synagogue.

Pictures supplied by bride Geraldine from London UK. Posted August 2018

Retinue: Back Row: three unidentified men pole-holders then bridesmaids: Ronnie’s sister Bertha Friedman then obscured by Ronnie’s hat, Geraldine’s cousin Alma Frank, then maid of honour bride’s friend Anita Klein and best man groom’s friend Gerald Shulman.

Front Row: brides brother Theo Kretzmar, Brides mother Beryl Kretzmar (nee Bergman), bride’s father Noel Kretzmar, Groom Ronnie Auerbach, groom’s mother Bobbie Friedman and groom’s uncle Sydney Berg

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1962 Levinsohn / Friedman

Norma Levinsohn of Kimberley to Milton Friedman of Kimberley, 17 February 1962.

Picture supplied by bride Norma from California. Posted April 2018

Back Row: Lynn Berman (now Kalmin) bride’s cousin from Bloem, behind the bride is Milton’s sister Lucille Friedman and behind Milton slightly obscured with the hat is one of the pole holders, a Kimberley friend Effie Pick. The others were cousins of Milton from out of town.

Front Row:  Louis and Betty Levinsohn, bride’s parents, Bride, Norma, Groom Milton, Ethyl and Saul (Solly) Ginsberg, Milton’s mother and step-father

Norma writes: For me personally, reading your diary Geraldine from 1953 about our social life and my attraction to Milton in our teenage years was so accurate and such fun. I would probably have had a fit at the time knowing you were diarizing/ documenting (in today’s jargon) my feelings! (see Kimberley Ex-Pat’s Newsletter # 15 on this site under ‘News’)

Read our family story under Friedman, Norma (nee Levinsohn) and Milton on the family pages.

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1962 Capon / Weinberg

Victoria Capon of Kimberley to Geoffrey Weinberg of Kimberley, 4 March 1962, Kimberley synagogue

Photo courtesy of the bride Victoria Capon Weinberg, posted October 2017

The people in the picture: Behind Geoff, Keith Weinberg – Best Man. Behind him a cousin, I think his name was Arnold Bayer, who lived out of Kimberley – Taung?  Behind my right shoulder is Val Levisohn (nee Steyn). She is smiling and chatting to my sister in law Winnie Weinberg, Keith’s wife. The little girl who was busy straightening my veil, is Linda Jacobson, daughter of Solly and Julie. Now a grown woman with children and grandchildren. The flower girl in the photo is Linda Capon, my cousin.

Read my story here

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1963: Benjamin / Baitz 

24th March 1963, Bernard Benjamin, son of Ychiel and Freda Benjamin of Kimberley, married Hellen Baitz of Johannesburg. They were married at the Pine Street shul in Johannesburg. Many of his Kimberley friends were in the retinue as best man and pole holders – see below. Pictures sent by Bernard Benjamin, Toronto: Posted January 2020

Here we see Bernard’s parents on the left Freda and Ychiel Benjamin and on the right, Hellen’s parents Abe and Ray Baitz.

Bernard’s Best man was Leon Maresky standing to the left of Hellen. Pole Holders were Arnold Rauff, (back right) and Bobby Benn (front right). The other one at the back is Hellen’s brother Cecil Baitz. The bridesmaids were Hellen’s cousin Rosalind Gaitelband, now in Israel. Joan Gersh her friend now in Australia and Bernard’s cousin Melanie Ginsberg now in London.

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1963: Cohen / Goodman 

Sarah Cohen of Kimberley to Jack Goodman b. Bethlehem from Potchefstroom 10 November 1963 Photo courtesy of the bride Sarah Goodman, posted April 2016

Retinue: From left to right: Issy and Beatty Kotzen (Jack's sister and brother-in-law), my brother Lennie (Webby) Cohen, my mom Thelma Cohen in front of him, then Groom Jack and Bride Sarah, Bertha Goodman (Jack's mother), Nathan and Fay Cohen, (my sister and brother-in-law) Arnold Goodman (Jack's father).

In Front: Sam and Sandy (Fay and Natie’s son and daughter, Sam now a senior advocate in Johannesburg) and Avril (Jack's niece). (Picture taken in the lobby of the Savoy Hotel.)

Sarah writes: Jack and I got married in Kimberley on 10 November 1963.  All my life I had been looking forward to getting married in our beautiful shul but, hard to believe, the shul was being renovated when we got married and so we had to have our ceremony in the ‘minor hall’ next to the shul which was performed by Rabbi Oscar Werner.  We only invited family to the wedding but, true to the warmth and compassion of the Kimberley Jewish community, many people came to the shul to see us getting married.  Fay and Nathan gave us a small reception luncheon at the Savoy Hotel.  We made Aliyah in September 1973 three weeks before the Yom Kippur War with our 3 children aged 7, 5 and 2. We have now had 52 years of wonderful married life and boast 9 grandchildren.

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1963: Cvi / Teper 

1963 December 29: Anna Cvi of Kimberley to Wilfred Teper of Cape Town Pictures courtesy of the bride and groom. Posted April 2016

At the Shul Entrance:   Front Row main participants L to R: Rita Burton (Nee Teper), David Burton, Wilfred Teper, Anna Teper (Nee Cvi), flower-girl Oriane Burton, Isak Cvi, Hinda Cvi

Wilfred Teper, Anna Cvi

Shul Lobby: L to R:  Rina Maresky (Bride’s sister, nee Cvi) and brides parents Isak Cvi, Anna Cvi, Hinda Cvi (Nee Rosenthal)

Anna writes: Rabbi Oscar Werner of Kimberley was on vacation in Muizenberg, so, a locum Reverend Kimmel from Johannesburg, was sent to perform the religious ceremony. The legal marriage was performed by a magistrate two days prior, December 27, 1963 at the Magistrates Court in Kimberley. 

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1965: Brown / Benn

Delia Brown of Kimberley married Robert (Bobby) Benn of Kimberley in the Kimberley shul on 5 December 1965

(Picture sent by Delia Benn Baltimore, July 2020

 

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1966: Frank / Steinberg

Alma Frank, daughter of Hannah and Jack, to Arnold Steinberg of Johannesburg in the Kimberley shul on 18 December 1966, officiated by Rabbi O M Werner.

Alma (daughter of Hannah and Jack Frank) sent another photo taken in the Kimberley Shul foyer after the service with Rabbi Werner and Cantor Moshe Kraus from the Oxford Synagogue in Johannesburg. Alma says: ‘Arnold was choir master of Oxford Shul at the time and the much revered and famous Cantor Kraus offered to come to Kimberley to sing at our wedding. He made the ceremony very special with his wonderful tenor voice’. Posted January 2020.

After living in Johannesburg for 50 years, Alma writes in Spring 2017, ‘Sadly Arnold died last year aged 80, just short of our 50th. I am now making my way to live in New Zealand near my son Mark and his family.  

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