Meet the Jewish Community of

Woodstock and Salt River

Woodstock and Salt River People page

The tightknit community of Jews of Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation were inextricably bound into the commercial fabric of the suburb. The Katzeff family were butchers. The Shells ran the dairy. (Their son Ronnie Shell became a Springbok table tennis player.) The Munitz family owned car showrooms and garages. The Galloons owned the jewellery store. The Marks family owned Duchess Overalls. There were five Jewish doctors in the community - and more to come, three becoming professors. By 1947 the community had grown to 200 Jewish families with more than 50 children in the cheder. By 1957 there were only 50 families left. By the 1980s it was all over.

Read Mike Getz's article on the generations of Woodstockers in the 30s and 40s and where they lived.

Here are some of the Woodstock and Salt River Congregation people we remember. Please send any additional information to info@chol.website.

  1. Baran, Rev L: Followed Rev Kassel as minister of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation from 1944 to 1947, when he was succeeded by Rev Isaac Gulis.
  2. Basker, AJ: Was vice Chair of the Talmud Torah School committee in 1945.
  3. Blum, H.
  4. Derman, Chaim: Founding father of the community.
  5. Dragon Mr and Mrs L: Were the first members of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation to go on Aliyah. As he was the honorary Bal-Shachris, a committee member, the shul supervisor, chairman of the Chevra Tilim, and worker for the Magen David Adom, Mr Dragon was going to be difficult to replace.
  6. Ehrlich, Louis and Maddie.
  7. Ehrlich, Rodney: Became head boy of SACS and professor of public health.
  8. Fligel, Max and Sheba: Stalwarts of the community.
  9. Furman, AL: Was on the Talmud Torah school committee in 1945.
  10. Galloon, Maish: Later became the gabbai of the Marais Road Synagogue in Sea Point.
  11. Galloon, Z: Was on the Talmud Torah school committee in 1945.
  12. Ganz, Dr AJ: Welcomed Rev Baran on behalf of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation in August 1944. His son became a doctor too.
  13. Gatz, Joe: Spoke at the 2004 Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation reunion.
  14. Gavish, Simcha.
  15. Gelbart, Abraham: Was born in Shubitz (Subate), Latvia in the late 1800s. He first came to Cape Town in about 1914 and arrived in Woodstock. While at the Cape, his wife sadly died of typhus, leaving baby Mike and two older siblings. He returned to Europe after the war and in 1928 returned to South Africa with his new wife and the three children from his first wife: Mike Gelbart and his sisters Hodel (Getz) and Chaike (Rosenthal).
  16. Gelbart, Cecil (Herschel's cousin): Executive Consultant at ENS in the Dispute Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation practice, and is admitted as a notary public. He specialises in contractual disputes, company law, shareholder issues, international trade, and administrative law.
  17. Gelbart, Herschel: Son of Mike and Grandson of Abraham.
  18. Gelbart, Meyer: Chief executive of Alliance Pharmaceuticals, Johannesburg.
  19. Gelbart, Mike: Born in Shubitz, was the chairman of the Woodstock and Salt River congregation for nearly 30 years, until he died in 1982. With his death the shul finally closed. Mike Gelbart was admired for his beautiful renderings of the prayers, particular in the trop, nusach and tunes which he had been taught as a child in Shubitz (Subate). We are pleased to link to the YouTube channel, where you'll find the almost hauntingly uplifting traditional chants from that immigrant generation, sung by Mike Gelbart, a baal tefila/baal kore. There are 15 audio recordings covering a variety of tunes, or nusach, sung throughout the Jewish year. He arrived in Woodstock as a child in 1927. In 1992 the 18 cousins of the Gelbart family returned to their village, Subate, and discovered all the tragic details of the fate of their families and fellow Jews of a most vibrant community before the Second World War.
  20. Getz, Hodel (née Gelbart): Married Yeshayahu Getz. They had a shop, located across the road from the shul, selling assorted clothing to the African market. Children Mike and Hilda.
  21. Getz Mike (Hodel's son and Herschel's cousin): Initiated a trip back to Shubitz in 1992 for 18 Gelbart cousins that brought forth so many stories of how their families had perished. Mike Getz took a great interest in genealogy and was the first editor of the JewishGen SA-SIG Newsletter. Mike was a natural leader of the younger Woodstock kids, who followed his example. He was Rosh of Beitar Camps that were held at the Cape. He had a great voice and sang in Claremont shul choir and later moved to Marais Road, Sea Point, shul. Became the managing director of Seardel, the largest clothing group in South Africa. Left South Africa for the USA once his two children had settled there in the DC area. Mike passed away several years ago in Washington, DC.
  22. Gordon, Mr P: Chairman of the Woodstock-Salt River community in 1935.
  23. Grawitzky, Rabbi Solomon: Was a great Talmudic Scholar. He took a position as minister of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation in 1930. He was the treasurer of the Talmudic college and chairman of the ministers' association in the Cape and a member of the Beth Din. When he died at the age of 58 his funeral was attended by many. Rabbi E Kirzner delivered a hesped in the Woodstock and Salt River synagogue and Rev Kassel spoke in the courtyard of the synagogue. Others spoke at the cemetery. He was later re-buried in Jerusalem.
  24. Gulis, Rev Isaac: Served the community with distinction from 1947, for 17 years. He was loved and admired by the community. Read his biography by his son Abe Gulis and also a tribute from his cheder pupils Herschel Gelbart and Wilf Levin, written in 2021.
  25. Guttman, Solly: Later became a gabbai of a shul in Sea Point.
  26. Idesis, Harold (Herschel’s cousin): Director of Rosebank Progress Private College in Cape Town.
  27. Kassel, Rev S: Long serving and much admired and respected minister of the congregation from 1914 for over 25 years. He was a fine teacher and cantor and carried out all his duties to the satisfaction of every member of the Congregation. He maintained harmony in the Congregation and deserved the thanks of every member. He was given a gold watch from the congregation in 1935 marking 21 years of his ministry. He served as a Jewish chaplain to the army in 1941 (see pictures).
  28. Katzeff family: Were butchers and furniture retailers whose son became a lawyer.
  29. Konvisser, Cantor in Woodstock in 1935.
  30. Lederman, H: Was principal of the Talmud Torah School in 1945.
  31. Lee: Dr Lee was one of the doctors in the area, joined later by his son.
  32. Levin, Archie and Sadie: Had a son Wilfred who became an oncologist and settled in Toronto.
  33. Levin, Wilfred: Became a respected oncologist and settled in Toronto.
  34. Losman
  35. Marks, F: The Marks family owned the Duchess Overalls company. They were founding leaders of the community until 1941. They then left for Sea Point and donated to the Marais Road Shul Hall.
  36. Marks, MN: Was on the Talmud Torah school committee in 1945.
  37. Marks, Professors Isaac and Shula (London).
  38. Marks, P: Was Chairman of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation for 13 years from 1931 to 1944. Mrs Marks was Chairlady of the Ladies' Society in 1935.
  39. Marks, Professor Solly: Was a top gastro doctor in Cape Town.
  40. Merkel, Isaac: Also from Shubitz, became Chairman of the congregation in 1944.
  41. Miller, B.
  42. Mordukhowitz, Isaac: Founding father of the community.
  43. Munitz, M and Norman and Milton Munitz: The family owned car showrooms and garages.
  44. Mushnick: The shammes of the shul for many years.
  45. Oblowitz, Raphael: Was the first chairman of the Congregation.
  46. Peres, Dr: Was a GP in the area.
  47. Politsky, Harris: Founding father of the community.
  48. Resnick, D: Chairman of the Woodstock Talmud Torah 1935.
  49. Richman, H: Life member of the Talmud Torah School committee in 1945.
  50. Rogoff, Miss F.
  51. Rosenthal, Chaike (née Gelbart) and Pinkus: Had daughter Hannah (Helman) and son Issy.
  52. Rubin, Alex: Was the treasurer of the Woodstock and Salt River Hebrew Congregation in August 1944 and Secretary of the Talmud Torah School committee in 1945. He recorded faithfully the history of the community from 1929 until his death.
  53. Sklar, Solly.
  54. Shell: The Shell family owned the dairy and their son Ronnie became a Springbok table tennis champion.
  55. Stone, Solomon: Was the founder of the Airflex Mattress company in Woodstock. He later moved to Claremont shul where he was a founder member.
  56. Stone, Willy: Solomon's son.
  57. Turest, Mr: A former Hon Sec of the congregation.