1940's, a time of stability:

The 1940s saw the arrival in Vryburg of the likes of: Zara and Jack Katz (1943), Chubbie Rauff (1945), Rose and Max Brodovcky (1944), Minnie and Mike Allen (1944), Victor Zwarenstein (1944), Hymie and Leah Arenson (1946), Harry and Sally Stein (1948), Gittel (Gertie) and Benjamin (Benno) Sussman (1948), Jack and Fay Cohen and Morris and Ruth Rohloff reached in 1946. Based on donations to the shul in 1944, we see the following names reflected: L. Goodwin, L. Goldenbaum, P. Green, Morris and Sarah Immerman, Sidney and Katie Immerman (owner of the Handy House store), Ben Perel, Anne and Percy (Piet) Leibowitz, Joseph and Shoshana Shapiro, S. Sher and Israel Shakow (who passed away in 1953). Fifty one individuals and or families donated towards the shul that year. Some contributions came from visitors. These include Louis Goldenbaum (who was from Kimberley and married to Annie Alufovitz) and Perel (visiting Jack) and likely others.

 

1950's - stagnation:

Harold Scheckter came to Vryburg in 1950 for a vacation. A relation of Max and Leah Cohen, he ended up buying Kalahari Motors. Eight years later he married Zelda Shapiro. Victor Harry and Helen Hersch (nee Pecker) who lived in Vryburg were married in Johannesburg and Victor was listed as living in Vryburg. He worked at Solomons Stores but the couple left after a few months. In 1954 Myer Jacob Shapiro and his wife Myriam (Davidovitz) came to Vryburg to manage his father in-law, Zalman Davidovtz’s store, Headermans. Zalman, who left the town in 1949 also to returned to Vryburg in 1954 and was very active in the community. Optometrist Julius Grauman was living at the Grand when he married Celia Ruth Eppel on 7 July 1957. Like Victor Hersch he was married in Johannesburg and did not seem to stay for too long. 

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A list of the Hebrew names of those eligible to be called up for Torah readings from 1950/1951 - provided by Graham Brodovcky - suggests a substantial community, but the outflow of families now outpaced the influx of new ones. I estimate the community now numbered 30 families at this point. Some new names at this time include; Harry Stein (Vryburg Wholesalers), Basil Frank (Boerehelpmekaar), Sam Horwitz (Die Boerehelpmekaar), Benny Kaerstad (pharmacist) and Seymour Hoffman (a GP). The Horwitz family has a Taung-Dry Harts connection. Sam Horwitz grew up in Dry Harts and in Vryburg and was joined by his mother Shaila Annie Horwitz (nee Bayer) joined the family from Kimberley. Also on the list are Leo Galgut, brother of Anne Joffe, visiting from Joburg and Basil Goldman, visiting from Wepenaar. His wife Mickey was a Silbert. In the late 1950's Lea and Simon Lieberthal passed away. The patriarch and matriarch of the community were no more. At the end of 1959 Harry and Anne Joffe left Vryburg - the loss of other central figures. The ensuing decades witnessed a steady decline. 

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1960-2000: Steady decline:

A 1968 note prepared by Advocate I. Isaacs QC - on behalf of Jack Katz - pertaining to the Joss Smollan legacy captures the demographic state of the community. According to the Isaacs brief and Board of Deputies documents, there were 35 families in 1963 and 25 families in 1968. By 1973 were 12 families left.  The 1960s commenced with some additions. Norman and Kit Lazarus and family arrived in 1961 and 1964 saw the arrival of Julian and Marion (Rohloff) Gordon and the Gittelson (Cassel and Doreen) family. Cassel Jacob Gittelson (1934-2008) served on the Shul Committee. He worked for Headermans and was married to Doreen Sieff. Anthony S. Kaye, a Kiwi was also briefly with Headermans in 1966. He did not stay long. 1965 saw the Jocums of Reivilo and Satills (Hymie and Sarah, sister of Lilly Kay) join the community. Rebbetzen Kay was a Satill. The Gordon, Gittelson and Satill families did not however stay long. In two years alone, four key members of the community had passed away: Charlie Toube, Jack Hummel, Max Muskat, and Sally Lieberthal. In 1963, Max and Leah Cohen left for Johannesburg. Max was the maven and a central part of the community. In 1964 the Allen and Brodovcky families sold their hotel and left. Hence, by 1965 membership ebbed to 21 town members and 5 country members (presumably out of town members, who had left but still paid subs) and 2 non-paying members.

 

These membership numbers sharply contrast with the 1940s when there were over 50 members. At the 1966 AGM, Chairman Jack Katz announced his intention to step down and not assume any executive role. In deleted notes, explaining his decision, he points to the "apathetic attitude taken by our good folk." Running a dwindling community could not have been an easy task.

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From the minute book of the Shul committee that David Rauff we seem that at the AGM of 31 October 1968 t the community welcomes the Frank family (from Kimberley) who never stayed long. There is also mention of John Grant and family. 

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In the late 1960's departures picked up pace. Joe and Leila Joffe left at the end of 1969. In 1970, Sam and Anita Lieberthal decamped. That same year, the Rosenberg family left. With the sale of Solomons Stores in 1973 the Katz, Arenson and Leibovitz families left. Rhita Muskat and her children left in 1974. Each departure and each passing was a huge blow to the community. Based on Rabbi Engel's visit and notes there were in the early 1970's 30 Jews. Growing up I recall Joe Joffe and his then son-in-law Arthur Kaplan come to the farm to visit. On these occasions, my parents and the remaining families would have had animated discussions about the families who had left Vryburg. This research exercise has not only made me understand who these families were but also realize that those who remained deeply lamented the contraction of the once vibrant community.

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The waning of the community was linked to wider economic and social dynamics. The children of Vryburg Hebrew Congregation members went to university in the larger metros and studied professions. Post-graduate job opportunities were most likely in the cities. Beyond the economic aspects, younger people felt that the city offered them better quality of life, both culturally and Jewishly. The parents who were approaching retirement age sold their businesses and followed their children.

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Felecia Perel succinctly captures the dynamics when her family left:

 

Dad decides to sell everything these being the bottle store, the farms (both farms being ranches for cattle and maize production) and the house and in 1940 we left for Cape Town. Anyone who left Vryburg and had a choice made as the lemmings do and headed for the sea.

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In 1980 OK Bazaars was briefly managed by an Israeli - Gadi Davidowitz. I presume he was one of the many Israelis who came to work in the Homelands. It seems to have been a brief stay. In 1982 we were briefly joined by Selwyn and Andrea Schiff who made a major impact on our small community in their 16 months in town. With hindsight, I now understand why the community were so giddy when they arrived. It was however all over. The last few families stubbornly held on. The so-called bitter einders (bitter enders, in the Boer War parlance) included the Scheckter's, Jocum's, Rohloff's, Rauff's and Sussman's - of Jan Kemp Dorp and Vryburg. In 1983 Joe Joffe captured the community as follows to Eva Horwitz: "the togetherness is still there and I think they are to be admired. I love them, that’s all I can tell you." With the passing of the patriarchs of these families, Chubby Rauff, Isaac Sussman and Harold Scheckter - communal life had come to an end. 

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The end:

​In 2000 Boytjie Rohloff and Esme Rauff sold the synagogue and the proceeds reportedly were given to the Hevra Kadisha in order to maintain the cemetery (need to double check). The Aharon Kodesh, donated in memory of Oupa Lewin Friendmn and Isidor Lieberthal, found a new home at the Chofetz Chaim Bet Midrash situated at 10 Elray Street in Johannesburg. See the article on this. The Torah scrolls were given to a synagogue in Israel. Some of the furniture was donated to the Somerset West Shul in the Western Cape. Sandra Goldberg (nee Kay) the daughter of the last Rabbi shared this lovely reminiscence: 

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"You may be interested to hear an anecdote which seems to prove that we may  remember more than we think we do. We have a cousin who lives in Somerset West,  near to Cape Town. About 12-15  years ago when we were visiting them they took us to see their newly-built, downscaled shul. In a focal point in the men’s section was a large wooden chair which I suddenly remembered knowing well from my early years in Vryburg. I could even remember exactly where it had stood,  next to the Aron Kodesh area  in the Vryburg shul. The inscription on the chair confirmed it was indeed the special chair of the old Mr. Lieberthal, a very distinctive shape. I afterwards found out that it was given to the Somerset West shul by a former Vryburger, Rohloff, who had moved to Somerset West."

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