Kupishok Benevolent Society of Cape Town

It is a Sunday night and my brother Don Ozinsky and I are staying up as late as possible to be awake when the card players leave – or, at best, finish eating – so that we can enjoy the snacks they have not partaken of. It is the end of another Kupishok Benevolent Society fundraising meeting that is being held at our home in Vredehoek, South Africa.

It is the 1950s - not long after the war - and the landsleit of Kupishok, a shtetl in northeastern Lithuania, are kept busy fundraising for those Kupishokers who had survived the Holocaust – some in Russia, some in Vilna, Lithuania, and others already in Israel.

The South African Jewish Chronicle of July 25, 1957, reported that at . . "the annual meeting of the Kupisker Benevolent Society held last week at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Zalman Epstein (Bertha Levin). . . a large gathering was addressed by the outgoing chairman Mr. Percy Berger, who stated that parcels had been dispatched on several occasions to Kupishoker landsleit in Vilna."

At the same meeting, the following were elected: Mr. Velve Sachar (Hon. Life President), Mrs. Hilda Meyerowitz Glass (Tevya) (Chairman), Mrs. Dora Esrachovitz Schapiro (Nathan) and Mrs. Hilda Sachar Geffin (Joel) (Vice Chairmen), Messrs. Nathan Kahn and B. Epstein (Treasurers), Mrs. Arnold Meyers (Secretary) and the committee – Mrs. Chana Moskowitz (Joseph), Mrs. Rosie Altman (Solomon), Mrs. Chaya Zieper Sachar (David), Mrs. A. Kagan, Mrs. Paula Resnik Kahn (Nathan), Mrs. Ida Sachar Schaverin (Hymie), Mrs. Bertha Levin Epstein (Zalman), Mrs. A. Jacobs, Mrs. Leah Levin, Mrs. Molly Narwitz, Mrs. Vittel Berman, Mrs. Ida Berger Perkin, Mrs. Becky Myers, Messrs. Percy Berger, A. Kagan, W. Berman, Solomon Altman, Joseph Moskowitz, A. Jacobs.

Mr. Velve Sachar had founded the Kupisker Benevolent Society in the early 1930s to help those fellow Jews in need in Kupishok and Israel. The Society also served as a meeting place for the landsleit to fill in on happenings relating to Kupishok and to reminisce.

In March, 1948, a Cabaret Ball was held in the Cape Town City Hall to raise funds. The ball was a huge success attended by thousands of guests and a substantial sum of money was raised. The convenors of the Ball were Mr. and Mrs. Hymie (Ida Sachar) Schaverin,  Mrs. Dora Esrachovitz Schapiro (Nathan), the then Chairlady of the Society, and her Vice Chair, Mrs. Chana Moskowitz (Joseph). The excellent supper was provided by Mrs. Haide Heller, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Kahn (Paula Resnik), Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Altman (Rosie), Mr. and Mrs. Tevya Glass (Hilda Meyerowitz), Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Myers, Mr. and Mrs. B. Green, Mr. Percy Berger and Mr. I. Berger.

My granny, Bertha Levin Epstein, was born in Kupishok in 1900, but left there in 1915 as many others were forced to do during the War years.  She ended up in Polotsk, Belarus, and then lived in Nevel, Russia.  She married and had a daughter and left Nevel for South Africa in 1929.

Her family had lived in Kupishok for many generations.  In fact, my great grandfather Motte Hessel Jaffe’s headstone is one of the few still standing in what once was the Jewish Cemetery of the shtetl. His father and grandfather had lived there before him.  My granny’s stories of life there continue to engage my imagination even today and eventually fostered my interest in my roots which culminated in my 1994 visit to Kupiskis, as the shtetl is now called.

There were always wonderful and sad memories too of the shtetl that my granny related to me. She was very active in the Kupishok Benevolent Society and often hosted Society meetings at our home – both committee meetings and fundraising meetings. The latter were usually card evenings where the ladies, except my granny, played rummy and the men played poker, clubejas or solo. My granny always played with the men. Tea was usually served early on in the evening with little cakes, taiglach, and other delicacies, but later towards midnight more substantial hot and cold meats were served.

According to Percy Berger, the annual subscription fee to the Society was two and sixpence, but some gave as much as 5 shillings. Before the war, the monies raised by the Kupishok Benevolent Society were sent to a Mr. Dinnerman in London, who acted as their agent. He bought rolls of material, nylon stockings, and underwear and sent these goods to Kupishok. In Kupishok, these items were then sold to raise money for the recipients and their families. After the war, the money was sent to wherever there was a Kupishoker in need – Vilna, Lithuania, Russia, Israel. Mr. Israel Trapido was in charge of distributing the money in Israel.

Not only did the Society make contributions towards Kupishoker charities, but other as well as is seen in the August, 1958, issue of the South African Jewish Chronicle which reported that "... Mrs. Tevya Glass (Hilda), then Chairman of the Society handed a cheque for £50 to the Cape Town branch of the Israel Maritime League. This represented the final installment of a bursary endowment for a cadet-trainee at the Israel Nautical College at Acre. Mrs. Hilda Meyerowitz Glass paid particular tribute to Mrs. Chana Moskowitz (Joseph) and Mrs. Ann Karabus of the Society, who had been instrumental in raising this money."

The Kupishok Benevolent Society kept alive the spirit of the shtetl and memories of a land and a time far off. They continued to play an important role in keeping the Kupishoker landsleit together well into the 1970s. They were always on hand to wish a bride and groom their best for a long life, a couple congratulations on an anniversary and were there for all the various highlights of Jewish family life. In fact, at my brother Don's Bar Mitzvah in 1965, the Society presented him with a silver becher  (a ceremonial wine goblet) inscribed with their best wishes.

A few years later, the Society seems to have disbanded as the members either passed away or left South Africa and as the need for charitable contributions for fellow Kupishokers diminished. The last secretary of the Society, Mrs. Lily Kahn Marcus (Lionel), has no idea what happened to the Society records and all that remains are a few newspaper clippings of Society activities, rare photographs of members and their gatherings and a Society address book of Velve Sachar, the founder of the Society.

Kupishok Benevolent Society Ball

Top Row, Left to Right: Lily Kahn Marcus, Ella Oppenheimer, Hymie Schaverin, Fannie Eisman, Ida Sachar Schaverin, Alfred Oppenheimer

Bottom Row, Left to Right: Velve (Woolf) Sachar, Haide Heller, Rae Gradner, Louis Gradner, Dora Schapiro, Chana Moskowitz, Unknown

As reported in the South African Jewish Chronicle, March 26, 1948 

... On 9^th March, the Kupisker Benevolent Society held a Charity Cabaret Ball in City Hall.

This function was a huge success and amongst the thousand guests present was Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gradner. Mr. Gradner spoke in glowing terms of the good work done by all members of this Society. In particular, he mentioned that although the K.B.S., which was founded by the Hon. Life President and foundation members, Mr. Woolf Sachar, was a small Organization, this Ball was undertaken by a mere handful.

Particular gratitude for their hard work is due to the conveners of the Ball, Mr. and Mrs. H. Schaverin; Mrs. D. Schapiro, the Chairlady of the Society, and Mrs. A. Moskowitz, the Vice-Chairlady. The excellent supper provided for the guests was due to the untiring efforts of Mrs. H. Heller, S. Altman, Mr. and Mrs. T. Glass, Mr. and Mrs. A. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. B. Green, Messrs. Percy and Issy Berger.

A unique Cabaret turn arranged by Vic Davis and his Orchestra presented 7 year-old Jean Olivier, in a selection of South American dances; vocal renderings of popular songs was sung by Miss Anita Zukka. This was greatly appreciated by all.

A substantial sum of money was raised, which will help to send parcels to our unfortunate brethren wherever they can be reached.

Membership List

This information was obtained from the address book of Velve Sachar,  Honorary Life President and Foundation Member, by Ann Rabinowitz.

The following are newspaper clippings from a variety of South African Jewish newspapers

From the Zionist Record, 
April 2, 1955 
(South African Jewish Board of Deputies)

From the South African Jewish Times, 
August 23, 1957 
(South African Jewish Board of Deputies)

From the Jewish Chronicle, 
August 8, 1958 
(South African Jewish Board of Deputies)

The following are memorabilia from the Kupishok Benevolent Society of Cape Town

Kupisker Benevolent Society Letterhead

Kupisker Benevolent Society Raffle Ticket

Kupisker Benevolent Society Receipt

Kupiskis Get-Together in Cape Town, South Africa 

This photo was taken by Cheryl Goldberg, the daughter of Leah Bunn, on the occasion of the screening of the Kupiskis DVD at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, Tuesday, November 14, 2006.  There were a total of forty participants in this event, of which twenty-five are shown in the photo.