Meaningful activity in one’s later years can contribute so much to a person’s well-being. That’s certainly been the case for Dr Cedric Nainkin, who embarked on a significant task after he turned 80: researching the history of Jewish Riversdale.
“I have a stockpile of memories and realised that nothing is as precious as the memories we live with,” Cedric explains. “I intended to preserve our heritage and traced all our family wherever they may be.”
Cedric explains that his family – which includes the family of another local medical man, the orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Jason Sagor – traces its origins to Eastern Europe. “My grandparents came to South Africa from Eastern Europe in about 1880, settling in the town of Riversdale, which is a rural town along the Garden Route,” he says. “My quest to trace the family’s history has led to the unravelling of 170 years of history, and it’s a quest that took me to other parts of the world, including America, as I made contact with members of the extended family. Reconnecting with other family members has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”
The outcome of the copious and detailed research has been two books, one that records the history of the Nainkin and Sagor families, and the other a history of Riversdale’s Jewish community. While the books are not available to purchase, Cedric has provided copies to the Jacob Gitlin Library and the Julius Gordon Museum in Riversdale.
So, next time you’re on your way to Plett, stop in at Riversdale and let your mind go back a few decades to imagine what it was like to be Jewish in a town like that. And a visit to the local cemetery – looked after by the two doctors – may just reveal some interesting Jewish tombstones.
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