The Queen Street Synagogue
- Address
- 83 Baron van Reede Street
- Date
- 1888
- Walk
- Baron van Reede Street
- Photographs
- 1
From the heritage walk's own records for this marker
The foundation-stone of this synagogue was laid on 26 January 1888 and it was consecrated in 1889. It was built of local sandstone and the eastern façade has Eastern European features indicating the origin of the Jewish immigrants. At that stage the Jewish community consisted of approximately 250 persons. They came from Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Latvia and Estonia and immediately became involved in the local booming ostrich feather industry. The early immigrants entered the trade as peddlers in the district and later became wealthy feather merchants. Their use of Yiddish was akin to Afrikaans which opened the door to trade between the local ostrich farmers and these “smouse”.
The Rabbi’s dwelling is to the left of the “shul” while the school was accommodated in the building behind the synagogue. This was the second Jewish school founded in South Africa.
The Jewish community grew rapidly and by 1896 a group of Orthodox members mainly from the town of Kelm, broke away and the St John’s Street Synagogue was erected. Today the interior of this shul can be seen in the C P Nel Museum where it was placed after demolition of the building in 1978.
By the fall of the ostrich feather market in 1914, the Jewish population had grown and Oudtshoorn became known as the Little Jerusalem of Africa. Today the Jewish community consists of a few families only, but they still maintain their traditions and have regular services in this delightful Victorian place of worship.