Kimberley Communities Home Page
Kimberley grew after the discovery of diamonds on farms in the area in 1869–71. By the 1880s Jewish immigrants from Britain, Germany and Eastern Europe were well represented in the digger community and nearly half the brokers and buyers were Jewish. There were also those who ran transport to the fields and who traded goods and services. They also took a prominent role in boxing, racing, theatre, and other entertainments as well as in journalism. The town was established in 1878 and named after the British colonial secretary, the Earl of Kimberley. City status was granted in 1912. By the 1890s there were more than 1000 Jews in the town. Some built opulent homes and a magnificent synagogue. By the 1940s there were fewer than 200 families. In the 2020s only a handful remain.
On this page are links to various aspects of Jewish life in Kimberley:
| Title | Driver | Description | Created or uploaded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberley Jewish Community website | Geraldine Auerbach MBE, London, and Eli Rabinowitz, Perth, Australia | Kehilalinks website featuring over 100 family stories, numerous articles, including on business and farming life, youth activity and involvement in diamonds as well as more than 60 newsletters | 2014 |
| 2 | Kimberley Virtual Cemetery | Created by Larry Galansky for the Kimberley Jewish Heritage group | Interactive website where one can search for graves, leave a stone, buy a leaf, upload a picture or memorial message and read further family information | 2024 |
| 3 | Memorial Road Synagogue | Geraldine Auerbach | History and pictorial tour of the beautiful Kimberley synagogue (consecrated 1902) | 2022 |
| 4 | Baronial Street Synagogue | Geraldine Auerbach | History and pictorial tour of the 'greener synagogue' (consecrated 1911) | 2022 |