WELL-KNOWN former businessman and ostrich farmer, Jack Klass, and his wife, Rosalie, recently visited Oudtshoorn, accompanied by his two sisters Bertie Miller (94) and Sally Schapiro (91). Jack (84) and Bertie travelled from Sydney, Australia while Sally joined them from Cape Town.
A highlight of their visit to their former and much loved hometown was the special time they spent at the graves of their parents, Benjamin and Gladys Klass, in the local Jewish cemetery.
Benjamin and his father arrived in South Africa from Waigeva, Lithuania in the early 1900’s, but his father soon returned to Europe. Benjamin became involved in the ostrich feather trade as a speculator and merchant.
He joined Julius Lazarus to form the firm Lazarus & Klass, one of a few feather-dealers to survive the dramatic and devastating fall of the ostrich feather market just after World War I.
In the 1920’s Gladys Freidland arrived from Rustain, Lithuania and stayed with her aunt and uncle, Abraham and Rivkah Lichtenstein, at Hazenjacht.
Soon Benjamin and Gladys were married and raised their family of three in Oudtshoorn which by then had a large Jewish community with two synagogues.
Bertie, Sally and Jack all attended the Hebrew School at the Queen Street Synagogue which today does duty as Little Bo-Peep Nursery School. This was the second Hebrew School in South Africa and later became the first to be state-sponsored. It closed in the late 1940’s. The girls attended the Girls’ High School situated where the SAP Offices are today while Jack went to the Boys’ High School, now the CP Nel Museum.
Bertie married Dr Harry Miller, Sally married Schappy Schapiro, who is fondly remembered by the Oudtshoorn community, while Jack married Rosalie from Kirkwood. Sally and Jack’s children all attended the local schools.
Returning to their place of birth last week, was a memorable occasion.
They all have fond memories of growing up in Oudtshoorn, and the town and its community has a special place in their hearts. (By Hazel Jonker)
