Meet the Jewish Community of

Robertson

Robertson Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish cemetery is one of the oldest surviving Jewish heritage sites in the Breede River Valley. It serves as one of the most important surviving records of Jewish life in Robertson and contains the graves of many pioneering families from Robertson and surrounding farming districts.

The earliest known burials took place in 1885, predating the formal establishment of the congregation. Among these were Leon and David Rosenzweig, infant sons of Lewis Rosenzweig. The congregation later acquired the burial ground, ensuring a permanent Jewish cemetery for the district and an invaluable record of community history.

In 2005 severe flooding caused significant damage to the cemetery. Restoration efforts were led by dedicated community members and supporters, including Becky Saacks and Rabbi Stuart Serwator. Their work ensured the preservation of graves, monuments and historical records. Headstones were stabilised and preserved, ensuring the cemetery's continued survival.

Today the cemetery remains one of the most tangible reminders of the once-thriving Jewish presence in Robertson and remains under the care of organisations associated with the Cape Jewish community.

Photographs, taken in July 2022, generously provided by Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft of the Small Jewish Communities Association of South Africa (SJCA-SA).

Further information:


Surname First Names Maiden Name Hebrew Name Date of Death Age Spouse
? Chai Gitel Chai Gitel b
ABRAMOWITZ Abraham Avraham Tzvi b Yehuda Leib 1930-10-22 82
ABRAMOWITZ Chae Hinde Chaya Hinda b Moshe 1939-05-10 92
ABRAMOWITZ Cissie Sarah Leah b Mordechai 1931-09-29 29
ABRAMOWITZ Harris Heshil b Avraham Tzvi 1958-04-12 72
ABRAMOWITZ Ralph Leonard Reuven Leib b Heshil 1941-12-04 13
BRONSTEIN Yisrael Yisrael b Yehoshua Moshe
BUIRSKI Harry Tzvi Hirsh b Yitzchak 1925-09-08
BUIRSKI Philip Baruch Zeev b Yitzchak 1918-10-16 62
BUIRSKI Rebecca Rivka b Avraham 1905-02-18 49 Philip Buirski
CHAIT Aaron Abraham Aharon Avraham b Shimon David HaCohen 1942-08-26 59
COHEN Woolf Zeev Wolf HaCohen 1915-03-25
CORNICK Bertha Rebecca Batya Rivka b Tzvi Ari 1909-06-01 50
CORNICK Morris Meir b Yitzchak 1937-05-30 85
DVORTZ Pesha Riva Pesia Rivka b Hesil 1933-12-01 56
FLEISHMAN Mina Mina 1913-10-30 38 Moshe Shraga Fleishman
FRIEDLAND Jacob Joel Yacov Yoel b Yehuda Leib 1929-07-07 63
FRIEDLAND Shonia Shaina Nisa Yocheved b David HaLevi 1926-09-11 60
FRIEDMAN Rachel ROSENZWEIG Rachel b Levi Yitzchak 1929-06-29 39
GLUCKMAN Joseph Yosef b Shimon? 1937-08-16 80
GOLDSTONE Fanny Chaye b Yehuda Leib 1936-09-26 79
GOLDSTONE Mourice Menachem Menos b Gedalyahu 1918-10-09
GROLL Hyman Chaim Zalman b Moshe Meir 1937-07-21 64
GROLL Isaac Yitzchak b Chaim Zalman 1947-11-08 42
GROLL Sarah Sara Zisla b Yitzchak 1920-10-04 48 Chaim Zalman Groll
HORWITZ Reuben Reuven Tzvi b 1924-06-21
HUGO Esther MILLIN 1983-07-12
HURWITZ Phillip Shraga b Moshe 1918-07-16 54
JOHANSBERG Joseph 1930-01-25 Kate Johansberg
JOHANSBERG Julie 1911-03-11
JOHANSBERG Kate 1930-01-22 Joseph Johansberg
JOSEFOWITZ Rosie Gittle Raiza Gittel b Yitzchak Aizik HaLevi 1954-05-10
KLEIN Rachel Rachel b Shimon Dov 1907-03-07
KONIGSBERG Michael Michael b Yisrael 1908-07-03 Gertrude Konigsberg
KUSHNER Abraham Avraham b Yitzchak Yehuda HaLevi 1923-04-08
LEVINE Lena Liba 1920-09-04 35 Rev J (Yitzchak Yacov) Levine
LILENSTEIN Mavis 1999-01-03 69
LIPSCHITZ Ruben Moses Reuven Moshe b Yehuda Leib 1970-01-19 79
MANSCHESTER Jeanetta 1914-04-22
MARKS Isaac Yitzchak Mordechai b Avraham 1933-10-01 75
MILLIN Ethel Etel b Zeev 1944-11-01
MILLIN Harry Abraham (Kaiser) Avraham Tzvi b Zeev 1963-07-09
MILLIN Rosie MARKS Roza b Yitzchak Mordechai 1912-12-09 29 Harry Millin
MILLIN Rosie Roza b Yechezkel Zalman 1954-05-17
NATHAN Abraham Avraham b Pesach HaLevi 1952-12-26
PLEHN Isidor Yitzchak b David HaLevi 1921-03-01 39
RABIE Gerson Abraham Gershon Abba b Moshe 1935-03-16
RABIE Muse Musa b Yosef Eliezer 1930-10-18
ROM Moses Moshe b Yehoshua 1907-07-22 50
ROSENZWEIG Asher 1977-12-10 90 Jane Rosenzweig
ROSENZWEIG David David Tzvi b Levi Yitzchak
ROSENZWEIG Esther Ester 1915-08-22 20
ROSENZWEIG Hannah Chana b Avraham 1964-03-07 97
ROSENZWEIG Jane 1986-11-12 89
ROSENZWEIG Leon Yehuda Leib b Levi Yitzchak 1902-05-11
ROSENZWEIG Lewis Levi Yitzchak b Yehuda Leib 1926-06-09 72
ROSENZWEIG Louis Solomon Leib Shlomo b Asher 2015-06-11 85
ROSENZWEIG Rachel Rachel b Levi Yitzchak 1929-06-29 39
SANDLER Aaron Maurice Aharon Meir b Ephraim Mordechai Mendel 1932-09-12 56
SANDLER Deborah Dvora b Menachem Menish 1932-05-12 51
SANDLER Guttel Gutel b Ephraim Mordechai 1944-04-06
SANDLER Rose Raizil b Shefsil 1905-08-07 82
SANDLER Stella Stira b Yosef 1930-11-21 58
SCHACHAT Benzion Jacob Benzion Yacov b Shmuel Moshe 1958-09-25
SCHACHAT Golde Judith Golda Yehudit b Tzvi Melech 1942-12-03 73
SCHACHAT Hyman Elchanan Felka b Shmuel Moshe 1945-02-05 64
SCHACHAT Peretz Peretz b Shmuel Moshe 1929-02-07 54
SCHATZ Isaac Yitzchak b Yehuda Leib 1950-04-24 68
SILBERT Louis Yehuda Leib b Shraga Fivish 1938-07-20 90
THORPE Levi Levi Yitzchak b Nachum Zeev
THORPE Samuel Frederick Shmuel b Nachum Zeev 1948-12-18 68
WOOLF Simon Henry Shimon Aharon b Shlomo Zeev 1930-05-11 64
ZACKS Gershon Gershon b Yisrael Wolf 1938-05-04
ZNEIMER Edward Eliyahu b Shmariyahu 1943-07-02
ZURNAMER Jane FRIEDLAND Chana Nechama b Yoel 1925-04-14 29 Kalmon Zurnamer
ZURNAMER Marcus Mordechai b Yechezkel Zalman 1944-02-17 60
ZURNAMER Meyer 1956-01-15 74
ZURNAMER Rachel Rachel b Yosef 1939-04-18 81
ZURNAMER Solomon 1927-06-26 79