In the August edition of the Cape Jewish Chronicle, we asked our readers to share their recollections of “der blinde chazan”, Cantor Abraham (Abe) Immerman, whom our columnist, Professor Philip Lanzkowsky remembered with admiration.

One reader, Freda Tucker, told us:
“I remember well his favourite saying when asked about his birthday. He said, ‘I came forth on the fourth of the fourth.’” Freda always remembers this because she also celebrates her birthday on 4 April. 

Reader Malcolm Lee recalled:
In the early 2000s we attended a Simchat Torah Shachreis Service/Barmitzvah at the Green & Sea Point Shul. Cantor Immerman was not only conducting the service, but also read the Torah portion. Despite his disability, he was
able to give the Art Scroll pagination before the commencement of each section of both the Shachreis and subsequent Musaf services.

We were guests of the Barmitzvah family and, at the subsequent Brocha, found ourselves sitting at the same table as the worthy Cantor. We introduced ourselves to our fellow table guests, and the moment that Cantor heard our surname, replied asking if I was related to the Late Dr Harold Lee. When I indicated that this is so, Cantor immediately told me the exact date of my parents‛ wedding in 1929 and that he had done the Cantorial duty at the wedding in the old Roeland Street Synagogue. What a memory! But this was not all. He went on to tell me that the bridal couple had driven on the then Garden Route for their honeymoon before settling into married life in Beaufort West. A fantastic man, with a wonderful memory!

Avron Buirski remembers:
I have such fond memories of Cantor Immerman. Coming to Herzlia School from the country, the little Hebrew I learned was from Cantor Immerman.

He taught both my brother and me our Barmitzvah portions. My brother and I could be near him and, as soon as he heard one of our voices, he would say, “Buirski – which one?” He had a wonderful memory.

Another reader recalled this amusing incident: 
“My uncle would often give Cantor Immerman a lift home after the shul service. On one occasion, they arrived home in the dark. My uncle took the Cantor to his door, said goodbye and returned to his vehicle. He waited outside, checking to see that the lights were turned on and that the Cantor was thus safely settled inside. But no lights came on, and so, after a while, my uncle went back to the front door, rang the bell, and asked the Cantor if all was okay at home. 

But, as he spoke, he realised his mistake: being blind, Cantor Immerman did not need to turn the lights on at night!”

Cape Town’s Lisa Chait released the only film made about Cantor Immerman, Legacy of Light – A film about Light and Darkness. Click here to watch it on YouTube.

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PROFESSOR PHILIP LANZKOWSKY 

The Cape Jewish Chronicle has brought you a series of articles that reflect the memories of Professor Philip Lanzkowsky of Jewish life in Cape Town during the 1930s and 1940s. In this edition – the last in the series – Philip recalls what it felt like being aware that one’s Jewish brethren were facing huge suffering in Europe, but being unable to do much to assist them.

I often think back to March 1939, when my father’s cousin, Taube, arrived in Cape Town from Poland. She was young, beautiful, clever, and full of life. 

She came only on a visitor’s visa, which meant she was supposed to return to Poland in September – just as the world descended into war.

In those few short months she met and married Max Israel, a naturalised South African. That marriage saved her life. She never had to return to Poland and the fate that awaited so many of our family there. I have always thought of Taube as the living embodiment of the verse from the book of Zechariah: “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

As a child in Cape Town, I remember the war not through bombs and destruction, but through conversations around our kitchen table. My parents worried constantly about the family in Poland. My father sent money to them in September 1939, but the Red Cross returned it marked ‘Undeliverable – the addressee in enemy territory’. We imagined they were hungry, cold, and suffering. What we did not yet understand was the full horror of what they were really enduring.

Most families had maps of Europe pinned up on their walls, and we children marked the relentless advance of the German army with pins. News came to us through the crackling of the wireless or the newspaper. Cape Town itself felt only the faintest echoes of war – small food rationing, windows covered with blackout shades, cars with their headlights painted black. At school, we had practice drills, and volunteers in the civil defence corps were trained in basic first aid and how to put out fires with the most primitive equipment.

The strongest reminders of the war were the people. Men in uniform became a familiar sight on the streets of Cape Town, and even in shul on Shabbat. Many of my cousins enlisted in the South African army – some fighting in North Africa against the Germans and Italians. My female cousins also volunteered, driving lorries or working in clerical posts. When Australian troopships docked in Cape Town on their way to Europe, Jewish soldiers were welcomed into our homes, especially over Shabbat and the festivals.

I have always felt a deep pride that around 10 percent of South African Jews – approximately 10 000 men and women – volunteered for service. 

One of my clearest memories is of June 1940, when France fell to Germany. The despair in Cape Town was overwhelming, as though there was no hope left. I remember a special service at the Great Synagogue. Chief Rabbi Professor Israel Abrahams spoke with great passion, and when the buglers played ‘Taps’ – usually reserved for funerals – it felt as though the whole community was in mourning.

In the period after the War had ended, people exhibited the stress of wondering whether their relatives had survived. I remember the depressing comments that, “If anybody had survived, we would have heard from them.” This moment is seared in my brain.

We were far from the battlefields, but the war shaped us deeply. We lived with fear for our loved ones, pride in those who served, and the haunting knowledge that, while we were safe, our people in Europe were not. Those memories have never left me.  

Read previously published Cape Jewish Chronicle articles from Philip:

A Jewish life in Cape Town: Shtetl memories
Earning a living, religious and communal life, and education in Cape Town
From shtetl to success: Jewish roots in Cape Town

Share your memories of the War years with other readers. 

Perhaps you remember something yourself or you heard about things from a parent or a grandparent. We’d be interested to know, so please send your stories to editor@ctjc.co.za.

EDITOR’S NOTE: My mother recalled regularly going somewhere on the Foreshore with her mother in the months after the end of the War to search through the Red Cross lists for news of family members. They did not, unfortunately, find any such information. On the other hand, my father, a survivor from Lithuania, was identified on such a list by an American family member who had joined the US Army in Europe to fight against the Nazis.

Image credit: The Robert Henry Freedman Collection, Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre Archive.

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When the world’s number one player asks for a photo with you, it’s a moment you never forget. That’s exactly what happened to Sea Point-born Doron Claxton, fresh from his first-ever Backgammon World Championships – and his astonishing runner-up finish in Monte Carlo this August.

A self-described “social, non-professional backgammon enthusiast,” Doron stunned the global backgammon elite by reaching the finals – something no newcomer had managed to win in 35 years.

“Playing against the Giants of the Game had always been a dream,” Doron says. “But actually being there, competing with them, was beyond anything I’d imagined. Honestly, I wasn’t even meant to go – I invited myself to the tournament after a casual conversation during a chouette game.” (Chouette is a type backgammon game.)

“It’s an intellectually thrilling game,” he says. “It’s about skill, yes, but also luck. One roll of the dice can turn everything on its head – that’s the pure magic of the game.”

In the space of one unforgettable week, Doron battled through match after gruelling match – most lasting over three hours – against some of the best players in the world. He earned a standing ovation as he stepped up to receive his silver medal.

“Play backgammon for the fun, the challenge, and the friendships it brings,” he says.

His love for the game began over 30 years ago when his aunt in Israel taught him to play. Back at Herzlia, most of his breaktimes were spent locked in fierce battles over the board. 

Now, with invitations to compete internationally already on the table, Doron has his sights set on returning to Monte Carlo next year – and inspiring a new wave of players around the world. He’s passionate about growing the game not only in South Africa but globally, and getting more young people into the fold.

Alongside fellow Cape Town enthusiast Nick Groll, Doron helps run the South African Backgammon Association, which now connects players both locally and internationally through online and in-person events.  

Interested in playing backgammon? Find Cape Town Backgammon on Instagram and Facebook, or connect with Nick at nick@sabga.co.za / WhatsApp +27 71 121 7022

• For the current edition of the Cape Jewish Chronicle, click here.
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• To book advertising space or discuss a custom package contact Adéle Gradner Mobile: 083 321 5222 | Office: 021 464 6736 | Email advertising@ctjc.co.za