Welcome to the website of the
Jewish Community of Rustenburg
Rustenburg is a city in South Africa's North West province, nestling at the foot of the Magaliesberg Mountains, about 112 km northwest of Johannesburg and Pretoria. Founded in 1850 by Voortrekkers, one of the early farmers in the area was Paul Kruger, who later became President of the Transvaal Republic. The area is famous for its platinum mines. It is also a rich agricultural area for tobacco, citrus, fruit and maize.
Jews from Germany first settled in the town from 1880. As the community grew, in 1924 they consecrated a beautiful Eastern European style synagogue. The community, like so many others, reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Jews played a prominent role in the commercial, professional and agricultural life of the city. In the 1970s, the community started to decline.
On these pages, you can read the timeline of the Jewish community and about the history of the town and the Jewish families who lived there between about 1880 and 2020.
This website was created by Naomi Schamroth Rapeport in July 2026. She urges any descendants of the Rustenburg community to contribute to preserving their ancestors' heritage. Post any contributions to the CHOL Facebook Group or send directly to her at nrapeport@global.co.za.
Click here for further information about the development of Rustenburg.
To join the CHOL email list email info@chol.website.
The statue of Paul Kruger in the iconic banner picture of Rustenburg was sculpted in Paris by Jean-Georges Archard in 1900 when Kruger was in exile. It was erected in Rustenburg in 1920 after the Government bought it. It faces the historic Dutch Reformed Church and the building behind the statue is the New Town Hall, which was opened in 1933 after the original Town Hall was destroyed in a fire in 1931.
Click here for a map.
Website of the Rustenburg Jewish Community
Compiled by Naomi Schamroth Rapeport
Hosted by CHOL – Community History On-Line
Edited by Geraldine Auerbach MBE, London
Formatted and uploaded by Bramie Lenhoff, Delaware, USA
July 2026
