Rosh Hashanah 2009 - South African Jewish Board of Deputies

JEWISH AFFAIRS ROSH HASHANAH 2009READERS’ LETTERS*How often I come across copies of Jewish Affairs, which indeed is always such a pleasure to read. It is sonostalgic for me because, as it happens, I worked at L E Joseph, at the time a prominent printing firm inFordsburg, as a letterpress Machine Minder in the 1945–1953 period. I was instrumental in printing JewishAffairs, which I so vividly remember, hand feeding the sheets of paper on the big ‘Optimus’ machine (if mymemory serves me right).The magazine then was a more condensed version, more like the ‘Readers’ Digest’ copy. Nowadays, it is ona much larger scale, but remains an interesting, innovative and compelling book to read. You have lasted along time. In these tough times it must be rather pressing economically, but I sincerely trust and hope that JAwill survive and continue serving the community as it has done for nearly 70 years.Below is a brief memoir of my early childhood spent in the great Medina of Bertrams, which I hope you willconsider publishing.I vividly remember the watering hole at the local hotel where, mainly on week-ends, the guys would relax,and partake or a pint or two and enjoy a game of snooker. At the time, there was the popular Quinn’s bakerynext door to Ellis Park, where you could buy a loaf of bread for 6d and a day-old bread for 3d. What aboutthe price of a burger? Two shillings. A newspaper cost you 2d. Those way-back prices were absolutely peanutscompared to today’s staggering figures.A very popular pastime was playing football at the Fuller Park soccer field. Unfortunately, our games wereoften marred by a gang of young African hoodlums who used to terrorise the locals, and rob them of theirsweets and petty cash. I myself was often the victim of their misdemeanors, and had a few of my own soccerballs stolen from me when those guys invaded the pitch. Nevertheless, criminals in those far-off days werea far cry from the modern day bunch of hardened gangsters and cutthroats.A well known spot in Bertrams was Joe’s Tearoom, corner of Derby and Bertrams Roads, which was verypopular with the local inhabitants and where you could buy bread, sweets, cold drinks and general items.Another famous landmark was the Ginsberg’s Hall, a popular venue for socials and wedding receptions.Our parents, being immigrants from Russia and having to start out a new life in a foreign land, battled in theearly days to eke out a living. Nevertheless, life was less stressful and undemanding, unlike the maddeningpressures and turbulence of modern-day living.As I drive through Bertrams these days, it is with a tinge of sadness as I observe the decline and deteriorationof this once lively and colorful suburb. Nevertheless, the fond memories from that memorable era long goneby still linger within me.Barney SegalJohannesburg59