History

The entrance to the South African Jewish Museum is on a quiet stretch of Cape Town's Museum Mile.

Many South African Jewish communities have come and gone, but the ones that remain have a truly inspiring story to tell

The early patterns of Jewish South African immigration are almost identical to those of American Jews. However, in many ways the communities are different. Unlike their American counterparts, South African Jews never sought to integrate into South African society. No matter where Jews chose to settle, they lived close to one another, educated their children in Jewish schools, set up Jewish social service programs, and prayed together on a daily basis. The security and insulation that came from being part of a tightly knit community helped to anchor South African Jews against the swirling tides of change around them.

Today, in many places these community bonds remain strong. The following pages describe how these communities were formed.