Anglo Boer War stories fascinating, particularly on 120th anniversary

David Saks, Johannesburg

The 1999 edition of Jewish Affairs, a journal produced under the auspices of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), brought out a special issue on Jews in the Anglo-Boer War to mark the centenary of that conflict. In my searches through the SAJBD’s archives, I came across a striking photograph of three Jewish members of the Middleton Town Guard, namely Jacob Bergman, his brother Joseph, and one Abraham Perl.

This photo, it turns out, is also on display at Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Diaspora in Tel Aviv. Ultimately, I chose it as the front cover of this historical special issue of the journal, of which I had recently been made editor. Jacob Bergman is the one seated, while Joseph stands to his right.

With 2019 being the 120th anniversary of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, Jewish Affairs will probably feature further material on this tragic but perennially fascinating conflict. Anyone interested in contributing original essays or information relating to Jewish participation in the war can get in touch with me at david@sajbd.org.