Is there a revival of ‘Jewsenberg’?

TALI FEINBERG

For those who recall Muizenberg of old, there is a sense of déjà vu in the small resurgence of what was commonly nicknamed “Jewsenberg”, where so many South African Jews spent their youth swimming in the warm sea, sun tanning in “the snake pit”, watching movies at The Empire, eating quintessential Jewish food at the hotels and restaurants, and meeting peers – many of whom would end up marrying each other.

“Muizenberg is, for many of us, the centre of the universe,” wrote producer Sir Jeremy Isaacs at the time.

If these memories are foreign to the younger generation, it’s because the colourful Jewish community who lived and holidayed in Muizenberg has dramatically declined over the past few decades.

Now, the famed travelling exhibition Memories of Muizenberg, curated by Joy Kropman, and the book Muizenberg – the Story of the Shtetl by the Sea, by Hedy I. Davis, have done much to record and restore this past. “An age of innocence when it was safe to walk along the beach for miles or sleep on a stoep on a hot summer’s night,” writes Davis. “Everyone knew everyone else and their business. There were no secrets in Muizenberg.”

Describing the heyday of a community that had a thriving shul, school, youth camps, a ladies’ guild, welfare and a plethora of hotels, pharmacies and businesses, Yiddish writer Hersh Shishler wrote: “The Muizenberg beach looks like a marketplace in the old country. Here, people come from the four corners of South Africa… Jews left and right. Here one meets rabbis, chazonim, artisans and Jewish businessmen.”

So, what went wrong and how did this idyllic centre of Jewish life disappear? “From the very beginning, young people who were born and grew up in Muizenberg had a tendency to leave for greener pastures once they had finished their education. Several told me that while growing up in Muizenberg was paradise, there came the day one realised that the outside world was a lot more exciting,” writes Davis.

Then came a time when people had so many more choices of where to holiday. There were direct flights to Israel, along with Plettenberg Bay, Durban and Umhlanga, all of which offered facilities that the Muizenberg hotelier could not possibly match. In Cape Town, Clifton became the “in” place. The visitors stopped coming to Muizenberg and the village soon lost its main source of income.

“The flow of emigration that would gather momentum after the Soweto riots of 1976 would include many Muizenbergers, and sadly, the shul records reflect the dwindling number of members of the community. Still, they had Rabbi Gerald Rockman and a handful of dedicated stalwarts who have been able to keep the shul alive till today,” adds Davis.

Linda Jacobson, the late Rabbi Rockman’s daughter, remembers a congregation that was warm and welcoming – “close-knit, where you were made to feel special and no one was a stranger”.

Jacobson feels that it would be difficult to recapture the carefree life and holidays of Muizenberg, with today’s gated communities and high-stress modern living.

But a small Jewish community remains in Muizenberg, explains Gerald Musikanth, who has lived in the village all his life, owns the Rustenberg Pharmacy filled with Muizenberg memorabilia, and is chairman of the False Bay Tourism and Business Association.

He says that the shul is still an important centre for the community, although it cannot always make a minyan, especially in the winter months. “It’s a transient community now,” says Musikanth. “There is a core group that comes back to re-live their youth. It’s different to other small towns in that Jewish people will always come back to visit. Muizenberg is everlasting – it’s like a home from home, although we can’t turn back the clock. But that connection is always there.”

Could there be a revival on the horizon? Only if money is invested by the Jewish community, surmises Cocky Feldman, who has been visiting Muizenberg for more than 50 years.

Davis agrees: “There are so many young families living in Noordhoek and between Fish Hoek and Wynberg who could take advantage of the beautiful shul and come together to revitalise the congregation. It is all there, waiting for them.”

Beyond the shul, there are other reasons Jewish families and young people are being drawn back to Muizenberg, particularly for those looking for an alternative to the Atlantic Seaboard’s fast-paced and materialistic atmosphere.

Asher Levi, 35, says that although its Jewish community is small, Muizenberg is “a vibrant and happening place to be”.  He is a third-generation Muizenberger, following his grandfather and mother. He explains that Muizenberg is developing at a rapid pace: property prices have increased, the area has been cleaned up and coffee shops and restaurants abound.

Reviva Hasson agrees that the village is “full of personality and spunk”, including wonderful architecture and amenities. She spent her childhood summers visiting her grandparents there, and this summer she took her children for a family holiday in Muizenberg for the first time, where they stayed in the same house.

“It has all the ingredients for a perfect family holiday – not needing to use the car, great activities like putt-putt and water slides, and we even went surfing!”

In addition, she points out that Muizenberg is a great base for exploring the False Bay coastline, and near enough to Cape Town to be able to drive there as needed. While the beach was packed on New Year’s Day and Boxing Day, by the next morning any litter had been cleaned up by the City Council. A neighbourhood watch adds to the safety and security of the village.

As Muizenberg flourishes, perhaps the Jewish community of times past will begin to visit again. “There are some ex-Muizenbergers who tell me that because of the changes in Muizenberg they cannot bring themselves to go back,” writes Davis.

“To them and others I say, drive out one day and take a walk that encompasses the beachfront as it is today, with surfers cresting the waves; children running about, digging sandcastles or playing cricket on the beach; and families enjoying picnics not unlike those our parents and grandparents packed. Have an ice cream in the hot sun, as your eyes feast on that amazing stretch of sand, sea and mountains that will never change.”