Kimberley, South Africa
Many decades of boys celebrated their coming of age in the Kimberley synagogues. In 1955 Rabbi Bloch saw the first Bat Mitzvah ceremony in Kimberley – that of Gwynn Shrire in the Memorial Road Synagogue. (see Robins (nee Schrire), Gwynn) Rabbi Werner after he took office in 1957 continued this tradition. A whole group of girls were thus given a joint ceremony in June 1959 as can be seen in a picture that Delia Benn (née Brown) sent. A few years later Delia’s sister Cherille Brown celebrated her Batmitzvah in Kimberley Memorial Road shul with Rochelle Hotz on 4 June 1962. We invite all celebrants of Bar and Bat Mitzvot to send their pictures for this gallery.
1959, 11 June: Group Batmitzvah
Pearly Goldenbaum, Pam Hotz, Delia Brown, Jose Shapiro, Madeline Hammer, Sharon Werner, Brenda Frank
Seated are Dr Hymie Tockar (President of the shul) and Rabbi and Mrs Werner.
Cherille remembers:
Rachelle and I were the second group of young girls to have a batmitzvah under the guidance of Rabbi Werner. We had been preceded by a much larger group, a few years earlier. I was concerned that since there was only Rachelle and I, that expectations would be higher and was relieved when Rabbi Werner astutely grasped my level of knowledge and decided to limit what I needed to say in front of the community. I recollect standing downstairs, to the right of the ark, reciting the 13 Principles of Faith and the Shema. Instruction by Rebbitzn Leah Werner, to prepare us, may have been gender specific, because I remember emphasis of the laws of kashrut and what we are permitted to eat.
A happy party followed, in the Constance Hall, complete with kichel and the ubiquitous chopped herring decorated in the pattern of a Magen David of grated yolks and egg whites.
1962, 4 June: Rochelle Hotz and Cherille Brown, Batmitzvah
Seated: Mrs Leah Werner, Rabbi Werner and probably Harry Stein, who was the President of the community at that time.
Cherille remembers:
Rachelle and I were the second group of young girls to have a batmitzvah under the guidance of Rabbi Werner. We had been preceded by a much larger group, a few years earlier. I was concerned that since there was only Rachelle and I, that expectations would be higher and was relieved when Rabbi Werner astutely grasped my level of knowledge and decided to limit what I needed to say in front of the community. I recollect standing downstairs, to the right of the ark, reciting the 13 Principles of Faith and the Shema. Instruction by Rebbitzn Leah Werner, to prepare us, may have been gender specific, because I remember emphasis of the laws of kashrut and what we are permitted to eat.
A happy party followed, in the Constance Hall, complete with kichel and the ubiquitous chopped herring decorated in the pattern of a Magen David of grated yolks and egg whites.
Delia Remembers:
At the time of writing this (June 2020) my Bat mitzvah is over 60 years ago and the details are very vague. We girls had been through Hebrew school together for at least 6 years and we were a close-knit group. Up to the point when we started learning content specifically for this occasion, we had always been in a mixed class. Now, we felt privileged to have our own classes, without the boys being present.
My Hebrew name is Devorah Rivka, after my maternal grandmother and, as I had heard that names are auspicious, I was fascinated to learn about the great women in the Torah, the matriarchs, Sara, Rivka, Rochel and Leah and Devorah, the prophetess. In addition, we learned about the Hebrew Calendar, Kashrut, and observance of the festivals.
I remember the excitement building up as the day drew nearer. On the day, the Shul was packed with families and friends. We stood in a row between the Aron Kodesh and the Bimah and recited the passages we had learned.
At the celebration afterwards, in the communal hall, there were speeches and presentations and we all felt so special! (Perhaps some of the other girls might like to add their thoughts)
Geraldine Auerbach MBE
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Bar & Bat Mitzvahs