Based on his wedding and death certificates, Woolf Friedman (son of Aaron Yehudd and Sara Dina) was born between 1884 and 1886. His naturalization papers, submitted on 28 September 1907 in Uitenhage, state that he arrived in South Africa on 10 October 1899. After spending one year in Port Elizabeth, he lived in Uitenhage for a further seven years. A reference letter from this period identifies him as a general dealer and property owner, and records show that in 1906 he took out a mortgage.

​

Woolf’s name appears as both “Woolf” and “Wolf” in various records. His birthplace is clearly given as Vieksniai, although it is spelled “Woeksne” on his naturalization application. It remains uncertain when he left Uitenhage, or whether he moved directly to Vryburg or spent time elsewhere beforehand. During his years in Vryburg, he is described as a produce dealer and speculator. In another legal matter, he is listed as a feather buyer, suggesting that he may also have spent time in Oudtshoorn before ultimately settling in Vryburg.

​

Woolf’s brother, Michael Friedman, also emigrated to South Africa and began his career in Vryburg. Together, the brothers established a business known as Friedman Brothers, and in January 1911 they jointly petitioned the Cape Supreme Court. This places both Woolf and Michael in Vryburg by 1910. Woolf later moved to Takoon, on the road to Kuruman, where he was in business with a Meltzer—presumably Solomon Meltzer—until June 1916. An advertisement discovered by Anney Garnet from the same year shows an “M. Friedman” purchasing hides, further indicating the family’s involvement in the skins and hides trade.

​

The Friedman brothers were later joined in Vryburg by their brother Samuel, whose Hebrew name appears in the Vryburg shul records as Shmuel ben Aaron Yehuda. They were also joined, likely a few years later, by their cousin Louis Sher.

​

After leaving Vryburg, Michael Friedman moved on to Mafikeng, where he worked as a hotelier, and later settled in Stellenbosch. There, he owned the Grand Hotel and remained until his death in 1939. He is buried in the Stellenbosch Jewish cemetery. Michael was married to Gertie Gottschalk, and they had three children: twins Joel and Lorna (born in 1918) and Diana Sonia. Gertie was the daughter of Jacob Benjamin Gottschalk and Ida (née Schatz). The Gottschalk family originated in Goldinge (Kuldīga), Latvia. Jacob and Ida had four children—Gertie, Anne, Max, and Harry, who died young—and the family eventually settled in Stellenbosch.

​

Through marriage, the Friedman brothers were connected to the Poliak, Lax, and Wald families from Mazaik, near Vieksniai. The mother of Abe Lax (Lubavitch), as well as his sisters Pessa and Tzira, was a Friedman and may have been a sister of the three brothers. Research conducted in collaboration with Raymond Ravinsky has confirmed that the brothers did indeed have a sister named Rosa (Reisa), who married Nahum Stires and lived in Riga. Both Rosa and her husband were murdered in the Riga Ghetto during the Holocaust.

​

Woolf Friedman himself was active as a farmer and speculator. In 1927 he married Sonia Savell. It is likely that Woolf played a significant role in drawing other families from the Mazaik/Vieksniai area to Vryburg. He died in 1951 and was buried at West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg. His residential address is recorded as 42 Vry Street. In 1919 he was living the Central Hotel.

​

Sonia (nee Savell) Friedman was remembered as a cultured, well-read, and well-liked woman. After Woolf’s death, she remained in Vryburg but reportedly lost much of her capital after being defrauded—along with others—by her nephew, the son of her brother Arthur. She died in 1974 and was also buried in West Park Cemetery. 

​

Samuel Friedman and their cousin Louis Sher are both buried in Vryburg. The two farmed and lived at Bankspoort before moving to the Central Hotel in the early 1950s. Samuel had several children with his wife, Lena Titus, while Louis Sher had children with his wife, Regina Abt. As a result of this research project, contact has now been established with their descendants.