Johannesburg, South Africa
Arcadia
Chapter 101 – FREDDIE LICHTIGFELD - PSYCHIA TRIST LEADING COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIST DIES
News Article Sent in by Ros Kupferberg
A pioneer in his field and a man who took psychiatry deep into the Southern Kwa-Zulu Natal rural areas, Dr Fred Lichtigfeld, who died recently, will be sorely missed. Dr Lichtigfeld was still a practising psychiatrist when he died in Port Shepstone at the age of 71. He was on his way home from a rural clinic when he was killed in a motor accident.
His colleagues believe that he never earned the acknowledgement he deserved for the ground-breaking work he did in his field. A humble man who never sought money and fame, he lived abstemiously, drove battered old vehicles and was known to dress shabbily. However, he always maintained a lively interest in his work, keeping abreast with any new developments in psychiatric medicine. For many years he was the only psychiatrist to attend to patients in the many rural clinics of Southern Kwa-Zulu Natal and he also consulted on the north coast. Twice a month he held consultations at Port Shepstone Hospital, as well.
Born in Dusseldorf, Germany, Dr Lichtigfeld left his country of birth as a child, in 1935, after his Jewish father was warned to leave Germany. The family settled in England then moved to South Africa after the war. Dr Lichtigfeld attended Germiston High School then studied psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand.
After qualifying, he spent four years in the USA, where he pioneered the use of Lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder. He was also one of the first psychiatrists to treat patients with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) a substance that was later banned. However, he always believed that it could have a place in medicine.
In the 1970's he worked at Sterkfontein Mental Hospital in Krugersdorp before moving to Kwa-Zulu Natal in the early 1980s where he set up community psychiatric services in the rural areas. He also teamed up with Dr Mark Gillman, researching the use of nitrous oxide as a psychotropic agent. They developed the hypothesis that nitrous oxide interacted directly at neurotransmitter receptor sites and could be used to treat alcohol addiction. Although they published their findings in The Lancet, their groundbreaking work received little notice.
In 1989 academics at John Hopkins University in the USA found that nitric acid as opposed to nitrous oxide was involved in neurotransmission. No mention was made about the work the two South Africans had already done in this area.
In 1982 he became a founding director, with Dr Gillman, of the SA Brain Research Institute.
Freddie Lichtigfeld
Freddie the son of Doc (Adolf Lichtigfeld) and Ma (Renia), lived in Arcadia in the early to mid 1950s while he was a medical student at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Like Doc, Freddie was completely devoted to his work far beyond the call of duty and I imagine like Doc he had a different understanding of the world and was not too concerned about some everyday things that would be of concern to you or I.
"How sad it was to read of the tragic death of Freddie Lichtigfeld. He was a lovely person, and a truly devoted practitioner of the art of Medicine, keeping out of the limelight and preferring to work amongst the poor and less fortunate." Dr Mannie Osrin
"Very sad to hear about the tragic death of Freddie Lichtigfeld. I remember him very well from my Arc days, and he came across as a "gentle giant" because of his good nature and elusiveness and being very tall. MHDSRIP." Hymie Pearlman
Fred Lichtigfeld was a decent person, a natural born scientist and was passionate about his profession. Doc too would have studied medicine if he hadn't been put off by the blood - so he was proud of his Fred.
Basil Sepel from France
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Chapter 102 – SIDNEY KLEVANSKY- EDUCATOR AND CARER
A LETTER TO OLD PARKTONIANS
Perhaps the most enduring memory we have of our years at Parktown Boys' High is that of a diminutive, but hugely inspiring figure: Sidney Klevansky - Latin master extraordinaire, one time Sergeant Major in the SADF and a greatly loved superintendent at Arcadia, the Jewish orphanage. It is no exaggeration to state that Sidney was Parktown's 'Mr. Chips', not merely because of his long years of service (he taught from 1950 to 1983) but also because of the quality of his lessons, his supremely logical navigations through the labyrinth of Latin grammar, and his sense of profound dedication towards his pupils. Sidney was the one who took the decision to care about us - as individuals - and to invest very personally in our hopes and dreams for the future. Apart from the official curriculum, 'Mr. Klev' strove to provide us with lessons in life - a subject which is, after all, considerably more complex than Latin. 'Face up to your frustrations, boys' is a phrase which I remember, I'm sure you can recall many other 'Klevian' maxims and dicta!
Possibly you may not know that Sidney was himself an orphan at Arcadia, having entered the institution at the tender age of seven. He attended Parktown from 1930 to 1934 - and then went on to Wits University where he completed a brilliant degree in Classics (majoring in Latin and Greek). On the strength of his degree he could have done just about anything he turned his mind to - but instead he decided to dedicate his life to our education. All things considered, I believe Sidney Klevansky knocks Mr. Chips into a cocked hat. Tell me if I'm wrong, boys!
On Saturday the 7th of April, 2007 Sidney Klevansky's life of service finally came to an end. He was frail during his last days, but still mentally sharp - and had recently celebrated his 90th birthday. With the passing of Mr. Klev, the school has lost its most illustrious teacher, and, in a sense, its greatest champion.
A TRIBUTE FROM KEITH LANG - LAWYER
When I was first asked to say a few words in honour of Ficky, I stopped for a moment to give some thought to the matter, and an array of personal memories of my days at Arcadia flooded through my mind. This awoke in me what I can only term, on reflection, as happy and satisfying times, and to a large extent Ficky played a major influencing role throughout my years in Arcadia. Ficky’s support at crucial stages of my life in Arcadia enabled me to go forward and to achieve my ultimate goals in life.
I intend through my association with Ficky to honour his memory where he personally influenced my life and I am sure that by doing so people here today will have memories of their own and they will, I am sure, quietly recall how Ficky, this unique person, positively influenced their lives and that you too in your thoughts at this gathering will also honour Ficky’s memory and that his influence as a fatherly figure, a friend, an educator and above all a kind and sincere person will remain on as an influence and memory in your lives.
My association with Ficky goes back approximately 52 years when I first arrived in Arcadia with my brother at the age of seven or eight and after a stint in the hospital, I was moved to the Babies’ Section where I remained until the age of ten whereafter I was transferred to the Junior Boys. In the Babies I found myself as a young, insecure, lost soul with a lot of children who were strangers to me. It was then that I met Ficky for the first time. His friendly caring nature when I first met him still resonates today when I think back on those times where he would pay visits to the Babies’ Section and I would so look forward, from time to time, to his friendly and kind presence.
In the early years when I was still at the Babies’, Ficky used to call me “his baby lamb” and in doing so he would warmly put his arm around me and although I would sort of wriggle free for fear of being accused of “schlupping”, a sense of belonging and having somebody care for you warmed the cold and insecure days of my integration and acceptance of life in Arcadia. It was with this warmth, and thanks to Ficky, that I developed a love for Arcadia and to this day look back on Arcadia with appreciation for what I have achieved in life. I think we were all initially Ficky’s “baby lambs”. He would watch over us as a shepherd tends to his flock, with concern and care for our wellbeing.
Ficky’s concern and care throughout the years took on various forms as our life progressed in Arcadia. The attention he showed us while in the Babies’ developed to that of a friend and an educator with a strict sense of discipline. I remember so clearly today how I used to clean his badges for him on his uniform every Thursday for cadets on Friday and be rewarded with pocket money for the week. His reference to me changed to the latin words mi fili – my son. Over the years Ficky had many sons and many daughters in Arcardia.
With Ficky there was a time to play and, when he did so, his enthusiasm knew no bounds. In fact when the Arcs went on holiday to Durban through the Durban HOD, Ficky was often found on the beach front having a “joll” with a long string of Arcs and Parktown pupils following him around – hanging on to his every word, and while they got up to a lot of mischief with Ficky as the ring leader, apple-pieing beds etc, these boys looked up to Ficky with respect and fondness and understood that when the school term started again, it would be back to work with uncompromising discipline. Ficky had a way with words, his discipline was sharp and sometimes
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painful. However a day or so later, like a parent, he would warm to you with words of comfort and explain the need for discipline and everything would be forgiven and forgotten.
As an educator Ficky was always encouraging us in Arcadia to put every effort into our studies for as he put it “the effort which you put into today will reap the rewards of tomorrow.”
Of Ficky’s many sayings, I recall in particular the one where he stated that each of us Arcs were millionaires and this for an Arc boy in those days was something incomprehensible – but he would explain it as thus – he would ask us if we were prepared to sell our lives for a R1 million and obviously no one was prepared to dispose of his or her life for all the money in the world and Ficky would go on to say – well you see your greatest asset is your life and if you are not prepared to sell it for R1 million then each and every one of you are millionaires. He encouraged us to make the best of our lives and instilled in us the concept that knowledge and effort were the key to success.
I remember when I was in form two, I had had a particularly poor year academically when through illness I missed most of my final exams, it was Ficky who took it upon himself without my knowledge to make representations on my behalf to the form master lauding my better qualities and character and finally persuading him to put me up to form three with an assurance from Ficky that I would prove myself the following year. It was only after I learnt of my promotion that I became aware of Ficky’s deep sense of trust in me. With his trust and his ever present encouragement I strove to reward his efforts on my behalf. In fact on many occasions since my having left Arcadia along the path of life I have met ex-Arcadians who came after me, old Parktonians who were taught by Ficky and when they learnt of who I was, they told how proud Ficky was of my achievements and that he would often use me as an example to Arcs who came after me with the same form of encouragement, care and affection for them to succeed as I had done.
After having left Arcadia my contact with Ficky dropped off to the extent that I saw him mostly on Yomtavim at the Arc Shul and when we served together on the Old Arcadian Association and then on the Committee of Arcadia Jewish Children's Home. I recall that when Arcadia was in the process of moving, initially to Sydenham and thereafter to Sandringham Gardens, Ficky wanted to move and be with the children, he wanted to be with his flock but as life has it, accommodation was not available. I remember Jeff Esekow and I visiting Ficky to console him in his utmost despair because what he had given his whole life for had now come to an end. I think Ficky knew it was on the cards that he would not be moving with the children and for the first time in all the years I could see the aging of Ficky.
Ficky eventually arranged accommodation at the Courtleigh Hotel where I had on the odd occasion the pleasure of visiting him until his transfer to the hospital section at Sandringham Gardens.
I remember on one occasion visiting him at Sandringham Gardens when I reluctantly, but felt it necessary, to raise the question of his affairs and to ascertain whether I could be of any assistance to him while he was indisposed. When I arrived Ficky was sleeping and as I touched his arm he opened his eyes and looked up at me and a faint smile developed on his face.
Portrait of Ficky by Shani Krebs
After some small talk I asked him whether I could do anything for him and whether he had someone to handle certain of his affairs while he was not in a position to do so himself. He mentioned to me the names of some ex-Arcs who were helping him. Persons whose names I had heard of but whom I had not yet met. They came after me. And when I think Ficky saw the concern on my face he said to me “Keith I trust them implicitly as if they were my own children”. This was the person, the man that was Ficky to the Arcs, Klev to the Parktonians and Sidney and Uncle Sid to his family. It was at that time that I looked down and saw this frail man and my thoughts went back to the years when he was taking cadets at Parktown in his Sergeant Major uniform with the badges that I had cleaned for him the night before – shining brightly in the sunlight. I wonder how many of the pupils then knew that I had been responsible for the “ship shape” manner in which Ficky turned out on the parade ground every Friday morning. A man of small stature whose voice used to bellow out across the fields at Parktown Boys. What then came to my mind at that stage was the adage that “old soldiers never die, they just fade away” which brings me to what my brother, that is my brother by a different mother, Max Goldman had said in the obituary column after Ficky’s demise. The words he used were those sent by Caesar to Rome after he had conquered Gaul veni vidi vici – I came, I saw, I conquered – and that he truly did.
A unique man, small of stature but great of heart. A heart filled with compassion and care. A man for whom material things in life meant very little. A man whose passion for Arcadia and its children knew no bounds and a man whose love for Parktown Boys’ High School was boundless.
And with this I bid farewell to Ficky and may his influence upon our lives live on with us and may we pass on to our children those important lessons that we learnt from Ficky, a wonderful man who I was privileged to know and honour.
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Chapter 103 – BARNEY MEYERS AND MEYER RUBINOWITZ-KING DAVID HEADMASTERS
BARNEY MEYERS
Barney was born on 9th August 1926 and came to Arcadia in April 1933 as a six year old following the death of his mother. He spent almost 12 years in Arcadia and left in December 1944.
From all accounts Barney was an excellent sportsman both in Arcadia and after he left the Arc.
For more than 40 years Barney served on the Arcadian Committee and was in charge of the Education sub-committee. He is an honorary life member of Arcadia and a trustee. He also served as secretary of the Old Arc Association for five years in the 1950s
Barney is very well known in the Jewish community in Johannesburg as he was the Principal of the King David Primary in Victory Park for 24 years. He would also be known for the handwritten calligraphy invitations he does as a hobby in his spare time.
Barney Meyer's graduation 1948 at Jhb City Hall
"After I qualified as a teacher I taught at Benoni West Primary School for just one year I was seconded to the Germiston High School in 1951 where I taught for five years. In 1956 I was made Vice Principal at the King David Primary in Linksfield where I was for ten years under two wonderful headmasters, Abe Lipschitz and Dr Beron."
"In 1966 I was appointed headmaster of the King David Primary in Victory Park where I spent 24 years until I retired in 1990."
MEYER (MIKE) RUBINOWITZ, A NEW HEAD- MASTER FOR KING DAVID VICTORY PARK From SA Jewish Times, 1969
Mr Mike Rubinowitz, Principal of Herzlia Primary School and Deputy Headmaster of the Herzlia High School, Cape Town, has been appointed to the post of Headmaster of King David School, Victory Park, Johannesburg.
Meyer Rubinowiz – The Headmaster
Mr Rubinowitz, an Arcadian old boy from 1935 to 1944, matriculated at Parktown Boys’ High School and graduated at Witwatersrand University and the Johannesburg Teachers’ Training College.
During the years 1955 to 1961 he was Principal of the Sydenham/Highlands North Talmud Torah. For the past eight years Mr Rubinowitz has been Deputy Headmaster and Principal of the Primary School of Herzlia, Cape Town. In 1964 and 1965 he was appointed examiner in Hebrew for the Cape Senior Certificate.
At the third Maccabiah, Tel Aviv, in 1950, Mr Rubinowitz won the 5 000 and 10 000 metres track titles and repeated this success in 1953.
Mr Rubinowitz is married and has three daughters.
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Chapter 104 –SOLL Y FARBER- GYNAECOLOGIST By Selwyn Milner and Jeff Esekow
SOLLY FARBER
Shalom Abe Farber was born in Vryburg in the Free State on 11 March 1937 and died in Johannesburg on the 24 July 2002. After matriculating from Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg, Solly obtained his MBBCh at Wits University in 1961.
While working at the Queen Victoria Hospital as registrar, he met and married Heather McComb and in 1966 they moved to London. Upon his return to South Africa, he headed the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Natalspruit Hospital. After commencing his private practice in Johannesburg, he continued as consultant and teacher at the Natalspruit and Coronation Hospitals. In 1982 he was elected Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Solly was an active and committed member of the Medical Association. In 1986 he was elected to the Gauteng Branch Council and served as Treasurer for six years and was Chairperson from 1999-2001. He was the Editor of the Gauteng Branch Newsletter. In 1993 he was elected Federal Councillor, and became known for his feisty deliberations. At national level, he served on South African Medical Association’s (SAMA) Committee for Science and Education for two years, and more recently on the Committee for Human Rights, Ethics, and Legal Affairs. Solly was a good debater who would often take an opposite view merely to establish a point, thus playing devil’s advocate.
The above description of his life is in itself quite unusual, but it does not convey the real essence of the brilliant and wonderful person that was Solly Farber. Few people know of the difficult circumstances that beset him in his early life which moulded his personality, character, and sense of fair play. At the age of two, he and his two sisters were placed in the care of the Arcadia Jewish Children’s Home. There he made lifelong friends and mentors who influenced him in a most profound manner. He was literally thrown into the mainstream of life after his matric year when he had to leave the children’s home to become independent. He struck a good balance between that and his studies.
His hobbies included reading, writing, and working with computers. He loved jazz, jogging, swimming and walking. He was passionate about education, both learning and teaching. The incredible diversity of the courses he took tells something of the breadth of his interests and achievements. He obtained the highest marks in a radio-ham course. He completed the Management Advancement Program at the Wits Business School in 1991 and obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Tertiary Education from UNISA in 1994 cum laude. Solly also completed a course in creative writing, one of his passions, and was one of the first to complete SAMA’s course on Medical Ethics. The book Know the Seasons of your Womanhood was written by him, and he co-authored Know your Risks – the STDs
Solly Farber
with Ron Ballard. He was well known for his contributions to local SAMA publications and his column Borgorygmi was greatly appreciated as much for its medico-political content as for its tongue-in-cheek style. His sense of humour was legendary, and he could always be relied upon for witty comment.
He never forgot his roots and devoted many hours to supporting charitable organisations. After growing up in Arcadia Children’s home, he returned to serve on its Committee for many decades. He was elected Chair of the Arcadia Committee for a record of four terms and became Honorary Life President of Arcadia. In addition he acted as a ‘chazzan’ in the Arcadia synagogue services where he enjoyed leading in singing and prayer for more than 30 years.
Despite his remarkably full life, he was a committed family man. He was devoted to his wonderful and supportive wife, Heather, and his adoring daughters, Lisa, Yael and Tanya. One could always sense the enjoyment his family brought to him.
Solly was a man of great inner strength, even when his illness and treatment were starting to affect him adversely. He tried not to impart a feeling of distress to anyone around him. He was so dedicated that he attended Branch council and Exco meetings until his health precluded this. It was this spirit of fortitude that allowed him to celebrate his daughter Tanya’s wedding only a short while before his final admission to hospital.
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Chapter 105 –THE ROSENKOWITZ SEXTUPLETS THE ROSENKOWITZ SEXTUPLETS
The first surviving sextuplets in the world, the children of Colin Rosenkowitz
Colin Rosenkowitz was born in 1934 Mossel Bay. His father was a bespoke tailor and his mother a dressmaker. His mother passed away, at age 43, and the family moved to Johannesburg and stayed with family. In December 1942 Colin, and two of his older sisters Edith and Marcia were placed in the care of Arcadia. Colin left Arcadia in 1951.
MY EIGHT
BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN by Colin Rosenkowitz
When I returned to the UK in 1964 and was running the two restaurants in partnership with Zummy Isenburg and two other dentists I met a girl, Susan Scoons. I ended up marrying her in 1966 and having the first of my children, a girl whom we named Samantha.
In 1969 we had a son Anthony and were happy to just have a pigeon pair as a complete family.
Susan fell pregnant again and on 11
January 1974 the six history making
babies were born by Caesarean
section, delivered by a team of two
surgeons, and two anaesthetists. Six
child specialists were waiting to take
over the care of the beautifully formed babies the moment they were born.
They were born boy, girl, boy, girl, boy girl. David came first (2020kg) then Nicolette the smallest (1.260kg), Jason (2.080kg), Emma (1.260kg), Grant (1.880kg) and last came Elizabeth (1.980kg). They were all born in less than two minutes.
The babies were all put immediately into incubators in the intensive care unit where I saw them all for the first time. I just couldn’t believe that they were in such marvellous condition. When I told Susan she had six beautiful babies she didn’t believe me, but she was convinced once she saw the news headlines, “Sextuplets all doing well”.
While the x-ray photo showed the children like six sardines in a tin they were born in six placentas. They
The first picture of the sextuplets when they were all out of their incubators
are not identical but easily identifiable and had different personalities and likes and dislikes.
They were all perfect. Sextuplets had never ever survived! Five children, the Dionne Quintuplets, had survived in Canada. It was world headline news.
I was inundated with telephone calls from all around the world. The Press was hounding me and snapping photos of me even in the maternity wing.
Telegrams arrived from the Queen of England, Prime Minister Vorster of S A, the State President and the Minister of Health. I received 20 to 30 letters a day letters from all around the world for five years and most from the USA and South Africa.
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COMPILED BY DAVID SANDLER
EMAIL sedsand@ca.com.au
COMPILED BY DAVID SANDLER
EMAIL sedsand@ca.com.au