Summary in English. / Bibliography: pages 199-208. / This dissertation examines the manner in which Orthodox Judaism developed in South Africa from the foundation of the first congregation in 1841 up to about 1935, and considers what distinctive features, if any, characterised South African Judaism. Locating the emergence of South African Judaism within the context of Western and European Judaism, the dissertation examines the interaction which developed between those Jews who derived from Anglo-Jewry and, to a lesser extent, from German-Jewish stock, on the one hand, and those who came from Eastern Europe, particularly after 1880, on the other hand. At all times, the impact of the wider South African context on the nature of South African Judaism is considered. The harsh realities of the need to make a living in what was at, first an alien environment led to South African Jews having to abate, if not entirely abandon, the canons of strict religious observance. The dissertation examines in greater detail the main centres where the Jewish communities established themselves. Particular attention is given to Cape Town and Johannesburg where the larger communities had set themselves up, but the opportunity is also taken to examine smaller communities such as Durban, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Kimberley. There were also particular features of the so called "three digit communities", i.e. those having no more than a thousand souls, which constituted an important section of the South African Jewish community, those who settled in the smaller country towns and whose religious life took on a certain character. The dissertation then proceeds to examine the principal influences which determined how the South African Jewish community took shape. Amongst these influences were the authority of the Chief Rabbinate of the United Kingdom, which was particularly important whilst the community consisted primarily of Jews of Anglo-Jewish origin; and the way in which this influence gradually lessened as the community became more independent and as the Eastern European section began to predominate. The background and mind-sets of the Jews from Eastern Europe played a very important part in the way the community shaped itself. Other influences which were brought to bear included the Zionist movement, the internal authority of the important religious figures and institutions such, as the Ecclesiastical Courts, Batei Din, and the influence of particularly important charismatic and influential lay leaders. A fairly close examination is conducted of the most important religious leaders during the period under review. A special chapter is devoted to the issue of proselytism and the way in which it presented itself and was perceived and encountered by the South African Jewish community. The dissertation concludes with some general arguments contending for the homogeneity of the South African Jewish community; with some indication as to what identifiable characteristics it assumed and how its future would have been viewed in 1935; the comments bringing the matter up to the modern day.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/16096 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Simon, John Ian |
| Contributors | Shain, Milton |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, MA |
| Format | application/pdf |
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