Jewish Life in Calitzdorp
Der Yiddishe Gass
Jewish emigrants who settled in Calitzdorp lived in the town and on the nearby farms of Goedverwachting, Langerwacht, Nooitgedacht, Warmwater and Welbedacht. The main street of Calitzdorp, Queen Street, joined up with the 'Road to Little Jerusalem', as Oudtshoorn was referred to due to the large number of Jews who resided there. Between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn was a 30-mile stretch of road known as Der Yiddishe Gass, owing to the fact that all the shops and one hotel along the road were Jewish owned. The inhabitants were pious and Shabbat was strictly observed. The Gass resembled a Litvak shtetl. Not all the shops had doors, so the customers used to enter through the windows.
No synagogue in Calitzdorp – but two Jewish communities!
There was no synagogue in Calitzdorp and religious services were held in private homes. Abraham Moses Kaplan possessed a Sefer Torah and daily services were held in his home. He ran a boarding house and employed a Schochet for his boarders. As the community grew, there was discord, resulting in a split with the formation of two congregations.
Aron Saul Israel, a merchant, who resided in Calitzdorp from 1908 to 1910, served as Reverend and shochet of the one congregation. Mr Meir Isserman was president of the other congregation. Known butchers who served the community were David Daneman, Isaac Olinsky and one of the Katz brothers.
Chaim Manaschewitz was permitted to slaughter poultry.
Jewish marriages
As there was no resident Reverend, couples had to travel to Oudtshoorn, where they were married. A number were married by Reverend Myer Woolfson of the Queen Street Synagogue, which was known as 'Der Englishe Shul'. In 1908 the first Jewish marriages to be officiated by the resident magistrate in Calitzdorp were the twin daughters of Meir Isserman, Bertha and Rebecca. Further Jewish marriages were officiated in Calitzdorp. In 1909 the Katz – Maltinksy marriage took place, followed by the Kamener – Isserman marriage in 1910, the Herman – Kaplan and Benjamin – Kaplan marriages in 1911 and in 1912 the Hackner – Mart marriage.
Children of the Jewish merchants were often sent to Oudtshoorn where they could attend synagogue and have lessons in Hebrew. It is stated that they often were only reunited with their families during the High Holy Days.
Burials
The Jews of Calitzdorp were buried in the Oudtshoorn Jewish Cemetery as no cemetery was consecrated in the town. The first member of the Calitzdorp community to demise was Yetta Rapeport, wife of Louis Rapeport. She died in 1894 in Calitzdorp and was buried in the Oudtshoorn cemetery. Her grave was unmarked. Most of the Katz family, the shopkeepers, in Calitzdorp are buried in Oudtshoorn except for Philip Sidney Katz, who is buried next to his wife in the Calitzdorp New Cemetery. The other Jew to be buried in Calitzdorp is Elliah (Ellie) Louis Herring, a farmer, who at the age of 16, took over the running of the family farm. When Ellie died in 2018, he requested to be buried on the family farm, Moses Hope, and a Jewish cemetery was consecrated, 130 years after the arrival of the first Jews in Calitzdorp. The cemetery is listed as one of the sites which acknowledges the Jewish presence in towns of the Great Karoo.
References:
- Calitzdorp, The Little Karoo. Jewish Life in the South African Country Communities, Volume II, The South African Friends of Beth Hatefutsoth, 2004, pp. 234-236.
- Bridgette Pacy-Tootell. The Footsteps of Time. Some Snips of Calitzdorp's Jewish History. 2003.
- The Great Karoo: Jewish Presence in Towns.
- Paul Boshoff, Calitzdorp Museum.
- Oudtshoorn KehilaLinks site.
- Oudtshoorn Jewish Cemetery, eGGSA.
