Old Shul entrance at South African Jewish Museum to get much-needed makeover

Cape Town - The Old Shul at the South African Jewish Museum (SAJM) is the very first synagogue that opened in South Africa in 1863. The iconic Old Shul became the welcoming entrance to the museum in 2000.

In its history, it has hosted candle-lighting ceremonies, weddings, music and theatre performances, among many others, and like all great religious symbols, after years of use and wear, a renovation is needed.

Museum director, Gavin Morris, said it was important to preserve the symbolism of the Old Shul.

“It is representative of the South African Jewish community’s desire and willingness to put down permanent roots roots in South Africa. The Shul was built a mere 22 years after the first Jewish religious services in South Africa in 1841,” he said.

Thanks to a grant by the US State Department’s Ambassadorial Fund for Cultural Preservation, a makeover was made possible, and the museum said it was grateful for the help.

“We are very grateful to the American Consulate here in Cape Town, who recognised the need to maintain this culturally significant building. The restoration work will restore the Old Shul to its original glory.

“We look forward to the reopening of the building and sharing the history and culture of South Africa’s jewish community,” Morris said.

The donation allows for a complete makeover from top to bottom that will include floors, ceiling, walls, windows and structures that will be completed by August.

matthew.petersen@inl.co.za

Cape Argus