Perel

Message to the families page from Mike Dalrymple

Although born and raised as a gentile I was privileged to have been raised in the home of Dr. Solly Perel who hailed from the Strand but went into partnership with Dr Norman Weinberg after WW2 and worked as a much-loved GP finally with Dr Hilly Portnoi until his death in 1984. He is buried in Kimberley. We lived at 50 Carrington Road. Solly’s wife Sybil had converted to Judaism and in 1949 when her sister Joyce (my mother) divorced my Dad the two of us moved in to seek refuge with the Perels temporarily but ended up staying there all though my childhood.

I had the wonderfully unique experience of a Jewish life while practising a Christian religion and to this day (I am now 72) I identify more culturally as quasi-Jewish than the other. I have a rich yiddishe vocab and had a career working with the Morrie Lubner family ( Plate Glass) in Joburg where what I has assimilated and learnt from being part of the Jewish community in Kimberley stood me in good stead all my working life. I own a yamulke and that says it all.

Random names that swim into my memory are :

The Toubes: I read Trevor’s interesting account of his family history with fascination. I have a singular memory of Violet and Abe being seriously injured in a car accident somewhere away from Kimberley and the long recovery they both endured. I was in awe of Trevor who was a boffin of note.

The Weinbergs: Norman and Stella and their boys, Roger Geoff and Keith. Norman was a leading light in GW rugby. Stella made delectable fudge almost to the day she died.

The Kretzmars: especially Althea and Julius. I wonder where their sons are today. David (Cape Town) and Phillip (Ottawa Canada)? Noel and Beryl lived a block away up Carrington Road. (Their children: Theo lives in Johannesburg and Geraldine in London)

Hilly Portnoi – brought to Kimberley from the cape by my Uncle Sol and I believe that his son does or may have taken over his practise after his death. He married Shirley Melunsky?

Harold and Sadie Sussman

The Rauffs

The Gellers

The Levinsohn brothers Louis and Harold and their families. The gorgeous Stella who was praised by Danny Kaye as having a ‘lovely face’. David and Norma Ann – and Pam , Gail, & Brian. Where are they now? (David and Norma live in Los Angeles Sadly Pam and Brian are deceased and Gail lives near London)

Bert and Evelyn Apter. Winnie and Mendel. Hymie Tockar. Connie and Louis David.

Phil and Tilly Price

Harold and Irene Selman – Geoff was a Retailer of note .

The Sperbers . Ray Dubowitz.

The Jawnos. Milton was my best mate. So sorry to read of Brian’s passing. Joseph Goldenbaum , Rodney Joss. Solly and Sheila Odes.

This is not an exhaustive list but I fling out all these names to demonstrate that this was the community I grew up in . I worked vac jobs at Awerbuck and Brown. Delia and I dated once at UCT. I fancied Brenda Frank ( daughter of Jack and Hannah) and once wrote her a soppy letter. Being a Yok within a community of lovely Jewish girls was a disadvantage. I took Josie Shapiro to a school dance. (Mossie and Sadie’s daughter) .

I don’t know where to go with this as strictly speaking I am not of this community but was certainly part of them. Solly Perel was a foster-father to me and I have absolutely no doubt that I would not be the person I am today and in the circumstances I find myself had it not been for his warm and unselfish support for me throughout his life. If the jingle asks ‘who do you thank…Boland Bank’ then my personal promotor was Solly Perel. Old school GP who made house calls and was totally dedicated to his patients.

You may want to post this small reminiscence on your site. Some visitors may remember me. Notwithstanding my religion , this is the community I grew up in and came across this site while randomly searching for Milton Jawno who shares a birthday date with me - 10th June.

Zei gezundt

Mike Dalrymple

Posted January 2017

The Perels

by Mike Dalrymple

Dr Solly Perel

Mike Dalrymple posted the picture above on ‘Kimberley Calls and Recalls’ Facebook page in October 2016. He said

Dr Solly Perel began serving the community as an old-fashioned GP after WW2 and continued though to 1984 when he died. At various stages he was in partnership with Drs Weinberg, Alexander, Portnoi and McKenzie. He was the sort of Doctor who came to your home to treat you although he had rooms next to Helderzicht in Chapel Street.

It elicited a torrent of over 60 responses, many by members of the Jewish community remembering with pleasure, the sterling work that he did and how much he was loved by all. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1374275302814914/

(There were also comments of how his partner, Hilly Portnoi could not stand the colour yellow, and made people change their clothing and even their wallpaper if they wanted him to attend to them. Eg: Dr Portnoi was our GP back in the day and he didn't like the colour yellow, so my Mom never bought us any yellow clothing in case of an emergency!