The High Holidays in Vryburg: Memories of a Community

For decades, the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were central to Jewish communal life in Vryburg. These occasions brought families together from the town and surrounding districts, strengthening social bonds, religious observance, and a deep sense of belonging. Avi Hechter recalls that, in his time, Jewish businesses shut their doors for the High Holidays, inadvertently highlighting the Jews' prominence in the local economy. The lone apostate was Spider Blumberg, who kept his jewelry store open on Yom Kippur. Len Edelstein, grandson of Louis Edelstein and nephew of Lilly Blumberg, notes, "He [Joseph] was non-practicing in the religion but was very knowledgeable about it and was known for often arguing with the Rabbi and getting the better of him." Rosh Hashanah greetings in the Stellenander also reflect the standing of the community.

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Through shared worship, communal meals, and vivid personal memories, the High Holidays provide a lens through which we can trace both the vitality and gradual decline of the community.

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Early Years and Communal Celebration

Before the synagogue was built, High Holiday services were held in the Masonic Hall, as early as 1916. One can imagine farmers and storekeepers travelling from across the district to town for the Holidays. Over time, the synagogue became a focal point for large and joyous gatherings and communal dinners further enhanced the festive atmosphere.

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Recalling the 1940s, Henry Wald noted, “The atmosphere at yomtov time was always a joyous occasion.” Shelley Skudowitz similarly remembered that the Vryburg Jewish Ladies Society catered for some holidays, with the entire congregation eating together in the Shul Hall. “Those were special evenings,” she recalled. 

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Shared Meals and Social Bonds

By the 1980s, communal Rosh Hashanah dinners and fast-breaking meals were often held in the homes of community members rather than in the synagogue hall. In retrospect, this may reflect a growing awareness of the community’s shrinking size and a desire to avoid the emptiness of a once-bustling space.

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Ruth (Jocum) Tyfield fondly remembered staying at the Grand Hotel during the High Holidays and enjoying communal dinners with many families, including the Rohloffs, Sussmans, Lieberthals, Katzes, Schechters, Rauffs, and others. Everyone contributed dishes, resulting in wonderful food, shared laughter, and lasting memories.

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Participation in Services and Memorable Voices

Active participation in High Holiday services was once a hallmark of the community. In the 1950s, Maurice Joffe recalled Uncle Max Cohen, described as the community maven, whose voice was unforgettable. “I can still hear him singing Kol Nidre and also Adonai, Adonai when the Scrolls were removed from the ark,” Joffe recalled.

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Charlie Toube served as the shamash and blew the shofar for many years, later succeeded by Eddie Shapiro’s father. Toube’s son Phil shared a humorous childhood memory of his father struggling to produce a sound from the shofar, prompting an ill-timed shout from the bimah that sent the congregation into laughter: "I was about ten years old when my dad went up to the bimah to blow the shofar. The kids were all excited to hear it, but on that particular day, he couldn't get a sound out of it. I was getting agitated and shouted, 'For Christ's sake, Dad, take the other one!' since he had two shofars. Suddenly, all the congregants erupted in laughter."

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For children in the community, the shofar blowing was often the highlight of Rosh Hashanah. That sense of excitement persisted across generations. Lorna Toube (Mendelow) remembered how the children would stuff handkerchiefs into their mouths to suppress giggles during the shofar blasts, unsure why it seemed so funny, but finding it irresistible nonetheless.

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Decline of the Community

From the mid-1960s through the early 1970s, the Vryburg Jewish community began a steady decline. Many families left as their children moved to larger cities for education, a pattern mirrored across platteland communities more broadly.

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As numbers dwindled, maintaining a minyan for the High Holidays became increasingly difficult. For several years, Victor Ressman from Bloemhof led the services after Bloemhof itself lost its minyan. His knowledge, voice, and spiritual leadership were deeply valued. His son, Alan Ressman, later recalled that Harold Scheckter referred to Victor as the “Chief Rabbi of the Kalahari.”

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Final Efforts to Sustain a Minyan

After the Ressmans moved to Johannesburg, Vryburg families joined the Mafeking minyan for several years. In the early 1980s, there was a determined but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to re-establish a Vryburg High Holiday minyan. Yeshiva students led the services, and local children returned home to ensure a quorum. Among the students who conducted services were Selwyn Wacks and Larry Brown.

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One year, Yom Kippur coincided with a major Curry Cup rugby match. Janice Scheckter recalled that service times were carefully arranged to allow the men to watch the game. Despite such efforts, community participation continued to wane. Harold Scheckter remained the last maven, with many others no longer confident in their Jewish knowledge.

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Support from families in Delareyville and Jan Kempdorp, including the Joffes and the Sussmans, made this final effort possible. It was a noble attempt and a true case of all hands on deck, but by 1992 there was no longer a minyan for the High Holidays in Vryburg.

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