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A Tale of Two Shules - Revisited…………………………………… by Ivor Kosowitz.



I have been reminded by other ex-Cape Townians that there was much more to write down about the Vredehoek and Schoonder Street Shules. As we were members of the later, my recollections relate mostly to that, although I am sure that it applied to the former as well.


At Pesach time, many of us kids went to shul, mainly because our parents said we had to. Once there I doubt that many of us actually went inside. So the big event, outside of course, was to play “marbles” with hazel and walnuts. Who said we were supposed to eat them! The walnuts were the “goonies” and the hazel nuts were the “marbles”. I recall that this was really big at the Vredehoek Shule as it had an enclosed courtyard at the front.


Succot was another special Chag. A large curved succah was built at the back of the “Round” Shule. After every service, large trays of delicious sponge cake was brought out. You could have wine and salty herring in addition to the cake. Some of us kids thought the cake was great, so we stuffed our tallis bags full of the stuff, to take home!


As we became barmitvah, we were invited to attend Gemorah classes after service on Shabbat mornings. The teacher was a Mr. Kooperman. As he mainly spoke Yiddish, and as the Gemorah is mainly in Aramaic and Hebrew, we kids never actually learned much. However we were introduced to “Bob”. No not a person, but a Jewish dish made from broad beans.


Other mainly delicious foods which we grew up with were Taigelach, Imberlach, Pretzelah, Petcha (made from calf’s hooves), Perogen, Kreplach, Henzel, Herring and Chopped Herring, Chopped Liver, Gefilte Fish, Kneidelach – boiled and baked, Bagels, Babkes, Bulkas, Hammantashen and Kichel. Some of these we still enjoy today. Only in South Africa, Challah is called Kitke. No one seems to know the origin and why this unique to SA.


Many maid servants became Kosher Cooking experts, and this was very desirable if they wanted to work in a Jewish home. 


The Saturday night Slichot Service was the highlight of the year especially if you were in the choir. We arrived at about 8pm. A 16mm black and white movie was shown, usually a B-rate western “flick”. We had to hire a projector in those days, and the movie was on large reels of celluloid. After that, a large spread was put on for us by the Ladies Guild.


As Shlichot is at midnight it was an effort to keep the sopranos (boys under 12) awake, and in any event they were tanked up with sugar so it was extremely difficult for the choir master, Jeff Koussevitsky, to keep them under control.


One Slichot service, my friend and I smuggled a cassette tape recorder into shul and put it under the bimah. This way we recorded the service which was full of amazing choral pieces. My friend, in Sydney, and I still have this recording today, about 43 years later. So the only two copies in existence, are in Australia!


When Rosh Hashana came around, the shules were full to overflowing with standing room only. I remember that every year, the Shamash, Mr Rivkin, blew the Shofar. Except for once, when our Rabbi decided to try. Well, he should have thought otherwise.

He could not get one note out properly. We, in the choir loft, above him could not contain ourselves, and just cracked up laughing ….. actually rolling on the floor! What an embarrassment.


The choir was great, not the best though. The best choir was at the Gardens Shul.

We had the best chazzan, Cantor Simcha Koussevitzky. Anyway, we used to get paid for rehearsals and services. Two long serving tenors were Jackie Shwartz and Les Wexler. Mr. Herrison sang bass.


One person I almost forgot to mention, was Cantor Immerman also known as the “Blind Chazan”. He held the position of Chazan Sheini. Sadly, he was blind from a very early age but had an incredible gift. He was able to retain the whole Torah and Siddur in his memory. He also taught many their barmitzvah portions, and could tell your name just by listening to your voice. He truly had a long life having lived to the age of about 95.


It was interesting that in the 50’s, the “Gabbis” all wore top hats. This was a “hangover” from the English roots of Cape Town Jewry. Apparently, such hats are still worn in some of London’s oldest shules, even today. 


Those were the wonderful days that we were privileged to have experienced.




11/04/2008

Kosowitz, Ivor

FamiliesFamilies.html
  1. 1Submission Date
    2015-01-23 04:50:52

  2. 2City/Town/Shtetl Name
    Cape Town

  3. 3Name
    Ivor Kosowitz

  4. 4Email address
    ivkoso@hotmail.com

  5. 5Year I was born
    1950

  6. 63 words that exemplify for me what it was like growing up there
    Wonderful Yiddisher Childhood

  7. 7Date I left
    1975

  8. 8Age when I left
    25

  9. 9Reason for leaving
    Saw no long term future in SA

  10. 10Where I went
    Israel

  11. 11Scholastic achievements, degrees, qualifications and where they are from
    Bachelor of Building Science from University of Cape Town

  12. 12Where I live now
    Perth

  13. 13What I do / did
    Computer & Project Management Software Consultant and Trainer

  14. 14Marital status
    Married

  15. 15Date and place of wedding
    Nahariya, Israel 1979

  16. 16Where my partner was born
    England

  17. 17What my partner does / did
    Receptionist at ICU

  18. 18My children, names, year born, where they live and what they do
    Mark 1987, Perth, IT Support: Simon 1987, Israel, Pharmasist: Suzanne 1991, Perth, Composer.

  19. 19My father, where he was born, when he died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Leo Kosowitz, Poland 1908. Shopkeeper. Died 1996. Burried on kibbutz Tzora, Israel.

  20. 20My mother, where she was born, when she died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Anne Kosowitz, Cape Town. Shopkeeper. Died 2005. Buried on kibbutz Tzora, Israel.

  21. 21My paternal grandfather, where he was born, when he died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Poland. Tailor. Buried in Cape Town.

  22. 22My paternal grandmother, where she was born, when she died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Poland. Housewife. Buried in Cape Town.

  23. 23My maternal grandfather, where he was born, when he died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Lithuania. Smouse (Balegoolah). Buried in Cape Town

  24. 24My maternal grandmother, where she was born, when she died, at what age, where buried and occupation
    Lithuania. Housewife. Buried in Cape Town

A Tale of Two Shules ……………………………………………… by Ivor Kosowitz.


It was the best of times and the worst of times. This was South Africa in the 1950’s and 60’s.


Growing up in Cape Town was for the Jewish community, a Golden Age. For South Africa, it was the height of the Apartheid Era.


Yiddishkeit was all around us. It was like living in a shetl in Poland, in London, and Miami …… all at the same time.


Most Jewish families came from Latvia and Lithuania. My late dad was from Lomza in Poland, which had an important Yeshiva and was a centre of Jewish learning. However, Cape Town Jewry was founded by English Jews in the 1860’s. The main Shule was and still is, the Gardens Shule. This was based on the British services and liturgy. Many rabbis and cantors came from Britain. The choir was the best in the city. One of our most honoured rabbis, was Professor Israel Abrams.


Our summer holidays were spent at Muizenberg (Jewsenberg). Over Xmas, this seaside resort on the Indian Ocean, was invaded by many Jews from Jo’burg. We had Kosher hotels, and we had a “Snake Pit”. Probably, that is where the Scarbrough Beach Snake Pit got its name from! Alas both “pits” are no longer in existence.


You can imagine the scene – 100’s of Jewish families squashed into a triangular  area of about one Km2, all eating Polony Rye bread sandwiches loaded with chicken shmaltz. A favourite cool drink was called “Canada Dry”. Vendors came onto the beach to sell chocolate covered ice cream popsicles as well as peanuts in little bags.


Most functions, weddings, Barmitzvahs etc were held at Rosecourt, or at the Zionist Hall. Later, the more modern Cranston Hall was preferred. Cy Sacks and his band entertained us all with songs of the day as well as klezmer.


We also had one of the best Jewish-Zionist schools in the world, Herzlia. The headmaster was Meir Katz who did so much for Jewish Education. As well, there were all the Youth Movements – Habonim, Bnei, Betar, Hashomer Hatzir.


So with all this, situated in the city bowl, were 2 shules – The Vredehoek Shule, and the Round Shule also known as the Schoonder Street Shule. So this is the tale ………………


Both were founded by Lithuanian Jewry, initially in an area known as District Six. This is similar to North Perth, close to the city. With time, Jewish families moved further up the slopes of Table Mountain, and lived around these shules in roads such as Mill Street, and Maynard Street. District Six became the area were the Cape Coloureds subsequently lived until the Apartheid government rezoned this area, and forced hundreds of families out as part of the “Group Areas” Act.


The Vredehoek Shule was built in the 1930’s. It had an innovative Succah-Hall as the roof could be wound open during Succot. In my time the rabbi was Rabbi Marcus and the Chazan was Cantor Lichterman, a holocaust survivor.


The Round shule was built in the early 1950’s. It was a very modern design, and was completely round. The Chazan there was Simcha Koussevitsky, one of the three famous brothers. This is the shule we belonged to. In time, I joined the choir there, and sang with our famous cantor for 10 years. I counted recently, and about seven of us from that choir live in Australia, three of us sing in Noranda Shule! One of the rabbis there in my time was Rabbi Dushinsky.


The funny thing was that one of my best friends was Joel Lichterman, the son of the Cantor. In fact his dad taught me my barmitvah, and we ended up having my barmy in the Vredehoek shule. My mother’s family were members there. Cantor Litchterman used to dig his elbow into your ribs, and exclaim the word “Grobakop” if you sang the wrong trop! Joel is now Cantor in a Shule in Denver, USA, with Selwyn Franklin as Rabbi.


In the late 60’s and early 70’s, the shules amalgamated but that did not last long. So for a while, we sang in a mega choir, one Shabbat at one shul, and the next at the other. When we were little, we would get our box of chocolates on Simchat Torah, from the Round shule, and run as fast as we could to Vredehoek shule. Once there we slipped a side door to join the line to get our slab of chocolate. The box from the Round shule was carefully packed into our tallis bags!


1976 Saw the start of the decline and exodus of South African Jewry. In time the Vredehoek Shule was sold. It still stands today, painted purple. It houses an antique furniture shop.


Only about 4 years ago, the Round Shule was sadly demolished to make way for a Town House complex.


Nearby, in Maynard Street, was a small shtbel known as the Ponavitch Shule. This was the shule we did not go to.


Herzlia School has thrived with about 90% of Cape Town’s Jewish youth being educated there today. There still is another Shule, known as the Sea Point or Marais Road Shule. At its peak, this was one of the largest communities in the world. In fact, the road we later lived in, London Road, had one of the highest Jewish population in any one street, in the world. Arieh Rand was cantor at this shule, before coming to Perth.


So this was Cape Town of my youth. I am so thankful to have grown up in such a rich Jewish environment. It was a Golden Age!



15/11/2007

More Cape Town Nostalgia ………………………………………….. Ivor Kosowitz


Cape Town, next to Perth, was for many years, the world’s best kept secret. Today, it is internationally known as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit.


The city is situated in the “city bowl”. This means that it is surrounded by mountains. Devil’s Peak on the left, the majestic Table Mountain in the centre, then Lions’ Head on the right which then drops down to Signal Hill. Signal Hill was so named as for about 300 years up till today, the noon day gun is fired. Signal Hill was, in my time, the place where lovers used to go at night, to watch the city lights of course!


In summer, a cloud covers Table Mountain. This is called “The Table Cloth”. Like the Fremantle Doctor, a strong wind accompanies this cloud. This Southeaster is known as the Cape Doctor.


Most visitors ascend to the top of the mountain via a revolving cable car. It is so popular that any visitor must be prepared for a long wait to go up. The view from the top is spectacular. There is an animal called the “Dassie” that lives on the mountain. It is about the same size as our Quagga.


On the Atlantic ocean side, there are many beaches such as Bantry Bay, Graffs Pool (Men only), Milton Pool (for kids), the Pavilion (a commercial swimming pool facility), Rocklands, Saunders Rocks, Clifton’s four beaches, Camps Bay, Sandy Bay (nudist), Hout Bay etc. The scenic drive around the Cape Peninsula is one of the best ocean drives in the world, even better than the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and I have travelled on both.


Depending on one’s age, you went to most of these beaches. In my day, Saunders Rocks and Clifton was the in place to be if you were a Jewish teenager, or in your early twenties. Only problem I had was that the water was so cold, coming up from the frigid Antarctic, that I could never swim in it. So that is why Muzinenberg on the Indian Ocean was so popular.


Then of course, in summer in the evening especially Saturday and Sunday nights, you went for a walk on the Sea Point beach front. A very large number of these strollers were Jewish of course, and always bumped into many familiar faces along the way. If you wanted a special Italian “water” ice cream, you stopped at the “Venetia”. They also were famous for the most mouth watering fish dishes including Sole. Of course, there were many fine café’s and restaurants along the promenade. Nearby, we had the “Blue Train” and mini-golf (Putt Putt) for the kids and the young at heart.


The “main” restaurant in the city was the Waldorf. They always had a band and a comic. The “main” cinema (called bioscope) and theatre, was the Alhambra. It was built to resemble siting in an outdoor space surrounded by trees. Small lights in the ceiling were switched on and off, to resemble twinkling stars.


On a Saturday afternoon, many kids went to the Alhambra. We went early with our comic books and “thrillers” to swap. Then the movies started. First a South African newsreel, then an English newsreel (Movietone News) then a cartoon. This was usually followed by an English “short”, and then a serial. All this before interval. As today, you had popcorn, or ice cream, or even an “Eskimo Pie”. Only then, the feature movie or “flick” started.


We never grew up with TV as it only arrived in 1976, just after I left for good. So everyone listened to the radio. Springbok radio was the favourite. We listened to radio serials such as Superman, Captain Silver and the Seahound, Inspector Carr, and Mark Saxon and Gromyko in No Place to Hide. Later we had Snoek Town Calling, the Loudspeaker Show, Radio Jutebox, Caltex Kaskenades and even an Australian show – Life with Dextor (Dutton). Few will not forget Pick-a-box with another Ozzie, Clark (Clakey) McKay). The Quiz Kids was popular on Friday nights.


The main cricket commentator was Charles Fortune. Bill Prince, Eric Egan, Hugh Rouse, Pip Freedman, Leslie Green, Henry Howell, Adrian Steed, Johnnie Walker, Paddy O’Byrne, Peter Chiswell, Peter Lotis, Don Davis, Douggie Laws, Andre Brink, Mervyn John, Percy Sieff, Gordon Van Rooyen, Bob Courtney and Esme Euvrad were popular radio announcers and newsreaders. Other popular programs included “Tea with Mr. Green”, “Lopis Pets Parade”, “Mr Walker wants to Play” ,“Test the Team” and “So Maak Mens”. Bea Read presented on the English Radio Station.


Every Pesach and Rosh Hashanah, on English Radio, a one hour broadcast was aired from the Garden Shul. Even today, I still have some of these broadcasts on tape ….. probably the only tapes of these airings anywhere in the world!


In later years FM Radio was introduced, and Cape Town had Radio Cape of Good Hope.


If you did not like the SA stations, you tuned into LM radio form Lorenzo Marques, on the East Coast of Africa.


In summer, on Sunday nights, I often went to the Cape Town City Hall to hear the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra. Cost was only 50c for a wonderful evening of light classical music.


In winter, soccer was very popular. So on many Sunday afternoons, we would go to watch popular local international teams such as Hellenic playing Israel. Then on the way home, we would stop to get bagels, bulkas or tagelach from Millies, Reases or Mrs Marcus.


Off course, we all had maid servants. Many became experts at Kosher cooking.


Jewish events such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, special emergeny meetings during the wars and Habonim Play Evenings, were held in the huge Weizman Hall in Seapoint.


In the 1950’s I remember going on holiday to places like Montague, Ceres, Frenchhoek, Hermanus and Onrus. Onrus became the home for the Habonim Summer camps which at its peak had about 1200 kids from all over SA for about a three week period.


A special event, held over Xmas, was the Cape Town Coon Carnival. Competing bands from the Cape Coloured and Cape Malay communities would march through the city to compete for a cup. They were extremely colourful and played unique Cape Town music. One famous song was “Daar kom die Alibama”. This was about an American trading ship coming to visit Cape Town.


Occasionally Israeli naval ships came to visit. The “Misgav” was the first destroyer to visit the Cape. As Jews we were so proud, and we went down to the “Docks” to take “our” Israeli sailors out to see our city.


My parents were “Verbrente Zionists”. From 1958 to 1972, I belonged to Habonim, as a Chanich then onto a Madrich. My brother, Mike, made Aliya in 1965. He settled on Kibbutz Tzora, and is still there today.


During my time with Habonim, I was a member of the “famous” Gedud Tel-Yosef. In 1966 we even won a National Hitcharut (Jamborree) in Bloemfontein, and almost missed the train back home as the final ceremony took too long!


Many of us went to UCT (University of Cape Town). If you were not affiliated to a Jewish Youth Movement, you probably joined AJUS. If you were “thirsty”, you popped in to the “Pig and Whistle” for a pint – Castle or Lion Lager.


An annual highlight was the UCT Rag, when the CBD was overtaken by students collecting for Shawco, a charity for “coloureds” and “blacks”. We built floats which wound its way through the main streets, similar to the Xmas Pageant in Perth.


In the early 1970’s, the Nico Malan Opera House opened. Now Cape Town had a world class theatrical venue.


We are fortunate that in Perth today, there are a number of people who were involved in some of the above organisations and institutions.


So for me, I really never left Cape Town ……. Just transposed it. Our kids too are lucky to have this “Golden Age”. Instead of living a life in Poland, London and Miami, they live in South Africa, London and Miami, all in Perth!



01/12/07



Habonim in the Old Days from Across the Seas ………


Jewish life in Cape Town in the 60’s and early 70’s was not only about which shule one went to (or did not go to) but also about the Habonim Zionist Youth Movement. To a lesser degree there were others, namely, Beitar (Revionist), Bnei Akiva (Religious), and Ha’Shomer Ha’tzair (Communist). The latter of course could hardly function in Apartheid South Africa!


So, as my parents were “verbrente” Zionists, my brother and I joined Habonim at an early age - I was 8. From 1958 to 1972, I was deeply involved with Habonim, going through the various age groups – Shtilim (Saplings), Bonim (Builders), Solellim (Pavers), and Shomrim (Watchmen).


In those days, Habo was still a Jewish Scouting Movement. The ideaology was based on encouraging Jewish youth to make Aliya but within the umbrella of the Socialist Kibbutz Movement. In fact a number of groups, called Garinim, were formed and went to Israel mainly to kibbutz Tzora near Beit Shemesh, and to kibbutz Yizrael in the Galil. My brother, Mike, went to Tzora in 1965, and is still there today. There was also a garin which went to the development town of Carmiel.


The scouting aspect was quite strong. We attended many camps (machaneh), and were taught all about camping, cooking on an open fire, rope knotting and building “gadgets” with sticks and rope, map reading etc.


We even had Hitcharut (Jamboree). I belonged to Gedud Tel-Yosef, and this troop was famous (or infamous). In 1966, because we won the Cape Province Hitcharut …… we even entered 2 teams, the wining team went all the way to Bloemfontein my train, to compete in the South African National Hitcharut. The tests we had included camping/scouting skills but also knowledge of Israel, and performing a mini-play, or “skiet”. We also got to visit Rabbi Coleman’s old shul in the city.


Well we were really well prepared. We took a crate with all our gear, as well as some pre-fabricated gadgets. In the end, our team won the cup and were the overall winners in SA. I still have a small cup which each member received. After more than 35 years, I met up with another team member last year. He now lives in Sydney.


Wining was really great. However, I recall that the final ceremony took so long that when we got to the station, the train back to Cape Town had started leaving the platform. It was a mad rush to throw all the gear and ourselves on to the train!


In the winter holidays, we went to Jo’burg again via the “Trans Karoo Express”. Once there we were bussed to Magaliesberg for the Habo Seminar. It was always freezing in these mountains but this time we were housed in Chalets rather than tents.


These seminars were all about Zionist ideology. However we used to have a shule service on Shabbat especially as some of my close mates were religious. I don’t know why they did not go to Bnei instead! It is really a small world as another person who I met at these seminars, also lives in Noranda.


When summer arrived, most of us attended camp at Onrus. This was the largest Jewish camp in the southern hemisphere with 1200 kids from 8 to about 25 spending almost three weeks away from home. The infrastructure was huge to cater for everyone. They built two permanent kitchens, ablution blocks, a store and even a hospital with a resident doctor. As the campsite was on the coast, life guards were employed for the duration.


We had a fantastic time, living in the old style canvas bell tents. At night some of the kids would go on “raids” to annoy the others, armed with shaving cream! We built “gadgets” to make our lives more “comfortable”. We also went on hikes. The older you were, the more kms you walked. One year it rained, so we ended up sleeping in the rain the open. Most of us became ill after that!


When we finished school, after the usual year in the SA Army or Air Force (as in my case), you either left the movement, or became a “madrich” (leader), until you made aliyah, or got married, or simply left.


During the Apartheid years, we had to be very careful not to make our feelings known to the wider community although we all had strong feelings against it. If you were game enough, you could express your feelings under the auspices of the University of Cape Town. One of my mates did this once at a student demonstration, and got attacked by a police Alsatian!


Once a year, the Habonim Concert was held in the huge Weizman Hall in Seapoint. There was a choir, which I participated in and, an Israeli Dance group, which I did not. Various groups staged short plays, and there were solo singers etc. One year, I was in a play about Shalach Manot during Purim. Well we had to learn to speak English with a Yiddish accent. This took time and much practice until we perfected it. Then, after the concert, one of the audience came up to me and asked why we did it with a Yiddish accent. He insisted that we should have spoken normally! You can’t win can you!


One year I was the sound-man as I had started my collection of Jewish music way back then. I put together music and sound effects for the plays. The caretaker let us use his “Brunell” Reel-To-Reel Tape Recorder. Now this man was a “wilde-chaia”, and had a very very short fuse. Now this is what happened. I plugged in my stereo headphones into this tape recorder which was mono. This caused a short circuit, and smoke started coming out of the damn thing with the caretaker, Mr. Ruben, in the hall at the time. Very luckily for me, he did not see the smoke, and I switched the machine off in great haste as I realised what was going on, praying that Mr. Ruben would not turn around. I then switched the recorder on again. No smoke, and it continued to work, and Mr. Ruben had no idea of what had happened to his very expensive tape recorder.



Folk singing was big in those days. Some will remember Don McLean, Arlo Guthrie, The Weavers, Joan Baez, Donovan, Miriam Mecebba, Jeremy Taylor (Ag Pleez Daddy), Bob Dylan, Pete Seager (We shall Overcome) etc. One of our madrichim, Stephen Schulman, composed “Kugelcuffs” to the tune of Greensleeves, in 1967. This song became very popular. Here is the chorus which I found buried deep in the internet recently:


“Kugelcuffs was my delight
              Kugelcuffs was my kneidel, my joy
              Till she ran off with a goyishe boy
              On the eve of my barmitzva”.

These were special times for us, just as Habo and Bnei is in Perth today.


Ivor Kosowitz

Perth, Western Australia.

11th June 2008.