Pretoria, South Africa
Pretoria Jewish Archive
Thanks to Juan-Paul Burke for his contribution to the Pretoria KehilaLink
Pretoria Jewish Archive
Rev Jacob Slomovitz
By Juan-Paul (Paysach) Burke
First published in the Pretoria Jewish Chronicle
“Here Jp do you want this book?” said Keith. At the end of his outstretched arm was gently grasped a little black book – did I want it – it looked old – that was criteria enough! “Where did it come from?” “Oh I picked it up from the old Pretorius Street Shul – I actually saved it as it was in such a mess – vagrants had got in. So that’s all I know about it” “Sure – thanks”. I accepted it – pleasantly surprised at the sudden donation to the PHC’s Pretoria Jewish Archive.
I excitedly opened it up the next evening – stayed a bit later after maariv in the Wapnick Centre, just a bit longer thought I, not realizing how quickly the time was to fly – left my cell at home due to corona protocol – apparently cell’s are ‘super spreaders’. So back to the letters – yes amongst the pages I found postcards! Not 1 or 2 but 7!! And what a find! This booklet was soon, after some inspection, to reveal an interesting tale, as I made some connection.
But at first, what were all these names? A handwritten personal phonebook? – no wait – not phone numbers but PO Box numbers… and… lodge numbers, so rather an address book. Lodge numbers? Was this HOD? With a Du Plessis?! Together with Bloch? It appeared to be Masonry, but looking at the lodge names, next to “Israel” and “Zion” was “Rose and Thistle” and “Allenby”. And from around the country – but without any clear organization – not alphabetical nor chronological – seemed an unuseful directory. There was a scattering of dates between 1935-1938. Then I deciphered that scribble near the front – a ‘record book’ and a date on the next page 23/11/36. What could it mean?
Then postcards – which seemed unrelated? Should I separate them? Wait – let’s try work this one out. ‘Dear Rev J Slomovitz of Pietermaritzburg – wishing you a Shana Tova from all of us here in the camp’ ‘Camp:4’ ‘Frankel’ date ‘16/9/1916’ ‘Prisoner of War Camp, Napier’. Jews in a prisoner of War camp writing postcards?! Aha! – these were interned German Jews during WWI who had written to the Reverend nearby!
But still – what connection to the booklet? Could it have been Rev Slomovitz’s?
Then I saw the titles of books Rev Slomovitz wrote. His interest in masonry is immediately evident. So the postcards ‘fitted’ in very nicely as it was his book after all.
But how did Slomovitz material end up in Pretoria Shul? I also found some of his old religious books. Did he live in Pretoria? Did he have descendants/family here? Can you help me solve this puzzle? paysach12@gmail.com / 072 384 1001
Pretoria Jewish Archives
Guide to the Archive
Compiled by archivist Juan-Paul (Paysach) Burke
19/6/2020
A.Collection List
B.Index
A.Collection List
PJA1 Pretoria Jewish Photographic Collection
PJA2 Louis Joel Hack Collection
PJA3 Pretoria Hebrew Congregation
PJA4 Pretoria Jewish Audio/Visual Collection
PJA5 Adath Yisrael
PJA6 Pretoria United Hebrew Congregation
PJA7 Miscellaneous
PJA8 Pretoria Board of Schechita
PJA9 Pretoria Womens Zionist League
PJA10 Carmel School
PJA11 Pretoria Jewish Community Council
PJA12 Miriam Marks Hebrew School
PJA13 UCF
PJA14 Habonim
PJA15 Pretoria Jewish Helping Hand and Burial Society
PJA16 Pretoria Rachel Spero Hebrew Kindergarten
PJA17 Hyman Herzenstein Papers
PJA18 Pretoria Jewish Library
PJA19 Jewish Memorial Hall
PJA20 Pretoria Ozrei Zion Relief Fund (United Jewish Relief, Reconstruction and Orphan Fund)
PJA21 Pretoria Jewish Review
PJA22 Marcel Ginsberg
PJA23 Mimi Weiner
PJA24 Pretoria Zionist Council
PJA25 Combined Jewish Womens Organisations of Pretoria
PJA26 Mick Merwitz (or Mervitz)
PJA27 Periodicals
PJA28 Jewish Music Archive
PJA29 The Shabbos Project
PJA30 Yeshiva Lerabbonus Pretoria
B.Index
Adath Yisrael, PJA5
Carmel School, PJA10
Combined Jewish Womens Organisations of Pretoria, PJA25
Habonim, PJA14
Hyman Herzenstein Papers, PJA17
Jewish Memorial Hall, PJA19
Jewish Music Archive, PJA28
Louis Joel Hack Collection, PJA2
Marcel Ginsberg, PJA22
Mick Merwitz (or Mervitz), PJA26
Mimi Weiner, PJA23
Miriam Marks Hebrew School, PJA12
Miscellaneous, PJA7
Periodicals, PJA27
Pretoria Board of Schechita, PJA8
Pretoria Hebrew Congregation, PJA3
Pretoria Jewish Audio/Visual Collection, PJA4
Pretoria Jewish Community Council, PJA11
Pretoria Jewish Helping Hand and Burial Society, PJA15
Pretoria Jewish Library, PJA18
Pretoria Jewish Photographic Collection, PJA1
Pretoria Jewish Review, PJA21
Pretoria Ozrei Zion Relief Fund (United Jewish Relief, Reconstruction and Orphan Fund), PJA20
Pretoria Rachel Spero Hebrew Kindergarten, PJA16
Pretoria United Hebrew Congregation, PJA6
Pretoria Womens Zionist League, PJA9
Pretoria Zionist Council, PJA24
The Shabbos Project, PJA29
UCF, PJA13
Yeshiva Lerabbonus Pretoria, PJA30