Hermanus not just for holidays as community grows

Leaders in Hermanus are praising the community’s revival, saying that its numbers, spirit, and communal involvement are much improved compared to 10 years ago.

A constant concern for South Africa’s Jewish community is the number of people leaving the country in pursuit of greener pastures. But that’s not the only story to be told. In the wake of the 2022 Western Cape “semigration project” spearheaded by the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, hundreds of Johannesburg residents have moved to Cape Town and its surrounds.

Among those is a couple who moved to Hermanus after meeting Dave Rade and Victor Fish, a duo dedicated to growing the Hermanus Hebrew Congregation (HHC), at a semigration expo. Others have followed suit. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, five families have also come from KwaZulu-Natal and various couples have come to live in Hermanus, most of whom have become part of the shul,” says Fish.

Rade says the community’s average age has decreased to about 68, where it was 75 a decade ago. Though young Jewish families with kids aren’t part of the area’s permanent demographic owing to the lack of Jewish schools, many visit over the holidays.

Offering everything from whale watching to mountain biking to golfing, Hermanus is no longer just for holidaymakers. It’s steadily becoming a popular retirement hub for high-net-worth individuals of various faiths. Relatively speaking, the town’s Jewish community may still be small in number – with 55 shul members and about 30 other Jewish residents – but there’s a definite sense of growth. What’s more, those who move to the quaint, safe, and breathtaking coastal town rarely leave its shores, say Rade and Fish.

That has much to do with the welcoming nature of the congregation, which has undergone multiple changes since its beginnings in 1906. It faced a number of challenges including being shut down for 19 years until its doors were reopened in 1997. In 2008, a new shul was consecrated. Today the HHC comprises a shul and Jewish centre including a fully functional kosher kitchen as well as a three-bedroom house for a visiting rabbi.

Hermanus also has a fully functional Jewish cemetery. Last year, the community invested in a project to lay stones flat due to vandalism across the Jewish and non-Jewish sections.

Ultimately, the community’s true value lies in its welcoming nature. This was the case for Louise and Rob Sinclair who moved from La Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, to Hermanus in 2022. “Hermanus has always held a special place in our hearts as we met in Onrus on Habonim camp about 50 years ago,” Louise says. “I was a channie, Rob was a life guard, and the rest is history. When we decided to relocate from KwaZulu-Natal, this was where we decided to put down roots.”

Once the couple had made their decision, they contacted the HHC and were welcomed from the moment they arrived in spite of Rob’s Reform background. “We both know that we could never have settled this easily and well if not for the support of the Jewish community here,” Louise says.

“We arrived erev Pesach 2022, went to shul on Friday night, and had invitations to seders the next day. I think that says it all. We’ve witnessed many other new arrivals in Hermanus, and the warmth and welcoming spirit of this community is truly something special.”

Originally from Johannesburg, Rade lived in Cape Town for 20 years before moving to Hermanus in 2002. He immediately became involved with the shul, and remains integral to its operations.

“I’ve been a holiday member for the past 23 years,” says Fish, who now serves as the shul’s vice-chairperson. “We moved down here four and a half years ago, and I’ve been actively involved ever since.”

Fish, who regularly attended Great Park Shul in Johannesburg, says that although they had a holiday home in Hermanus, he and his wife never planned to live there. “We came down just before COVID-19, and we landed up staying here forever,” he laughs. “It’s an incredible town. I’ve just gained in my quality of life here.

“Together, David and I helped grow Friday night services every week, Wednesday Shacharit services and yom tavim, and it’s been wonderful. We’re trying to attract more and more people to come to shul and to put on tefillin. We work hard at bringing people into the community.” There’s no permanent rabbi, with services conducted by the members themselves.

A visiting rabbi from Israel takes services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Over the December and January summer holidays, local and international visitors ensure a packed house, with attendees raving about services. The shul also hosts regular functions including Lag B’Omer braais and communal chaggim celebrations.

“We all know each other, and we’re supportive of one another,” say Rade and Fish. When community members lose loved ones or are going through trying times, everyone rallies around them and provides assistance, they say. People also step up when it comes to giving back to those less fortunate in Hermanus, with a recent blanket drive yielding over more than 100 blankets for the poor.

The community has also been embraced by the broader Hermanus population. “A number of years ago we had one of our regular mountain fires. This one came very close to the shul,” Rade says. “People stopped and helped. They ran inside the shul, and helped us carry out chumashim and Torahs and so on. There were coloured people, Christian people, people from many backgrounds. They were just happy that they could help.”

In the wake of the 7 October massacre in Israel, the community was also heartened by the support it received from members of the Evangelical church. “We planned a candle lighting on the following Friday night, and they came in and brought us flowers and messages,” says Fish. “They have remained supportive and kept in contact with us. It’s special.”