Witbank

A community that's finding new ways to survive

• Location: About 80 miles East of Johannesberg, In the Mpumalanga Province.
• Population: 190,000 Jewish Population: 35
• Witbank Fact: The main chandelier of the new shul was taken from the old shul and was originally transported from the Park Synagogue in Johannesburg in 1913. There was also a time when Witbank's population supported both a Minister and a Hebrew teacher.

Jewish history in Witbank

A few Jews arrived In the area before the Anglo Boer War and the first Jew arrived in Witbank in 1878. After doing some prospecting, he started digging and found coal in what is now known as van Dyksdrift. Due to the cost of transporting the coal and the lack of demand for coal at the time, he didn't continue with the development but he predicted that the best coal fields would be in that area.

Religious history

The Witbank synagogue was built in 1913.

The first recorded High Festival Service was held in 1905 on Main Street. In 1913 the foundation stone of the old synagogue, was laid by a Member of the Legislative Assembly. This synagogue was the first place of worship in Witbank. The second, the Anglican Church, was designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1917.

The business centre

Throughout the history of Witbank, Jews have been involved in all areas of the community. From shoemakers and photographers, to saddle repair shops and bicycle repair shops, we did a little bit of everything in the area. We also made furniture, worked in banks, were blacksmiths and butchers, and ran many other types of shops.

Witbank today

While the city, which used to be a thriving Jewish society, has fallen on difficult times, residents remain strong in their faith. We continue to carry on our traditions and rebuild through faith and resilience. We've faced tougher challenges before. And we will again.