Jeweller’s senseless murder leaves community reeling

The hearts of a Johannesburg family have been ripped apart after the senseless murder this week of well-known jeweller Mark Kopelowitz, who was shot in cold blood during an armed robbery outside his store.

Kopelowitz’s tragic death on Monday, 11 October, has sent shock waves through the community. Hundreds of people are struggling to come to terms with the untimely passing of this much-loved father of four who “lived for his family”.

“He was my everything, the absolute love of my life,” said his devastated wife, Linda, who told the SA Jewish Report she was “battling to make sense of it all”.

“I cannot believe it. I’m still waiting for him to come home,” she said.

The couple were childhood sweethearts and soulmates from the moment they met in their teens. “We went out for ten years and have been happily married for 25. How am I going to get through this?” asked Linda, who said their young son and three older daughters, one of whom writes her matric finals in two weeks, were heartbroken.

When Kopelowitz, 54, left home on that fateful Monday morning he was filled with renewed optimism about work. Earlier that morning after attending shul, he and his son, Cole, 13, made coffee for all the congregants present at the minyan. The third wave of the pandemic was over, and retail business was picking up. Tragically, Kopelowitz arrived at his Kays Family Jewellers in Centurion Mall while the armed robbery was in progress. He was fatally shot while robbers were fleeing the shop with stolen goods.

Linda received an urgent and dreaded phone call from Michael Phillips, Kopelowitz’s cousin, who was there to meet him at the store. The rest is a blur as Linda frantically hurried to be by her husband’s side.

“I got there after they had already covered his body. It was a crime scene,” she said in disbelief.

Police arrested two suspects that night in Hillbrow in connection with the robbery, and are on the hunt for a further four suspects who are still at large.

As news of Kopelowitz’ passing rippled through the community, heartfelt tributes come pouring in from close friends and family who described Mark as a “true mensch”.

He was a devoted and committed son, husband, father, and brother, described by all who knew him as “thoughtful, kind, caring, and generous to a fault”, someone who would literally give the shirt off his back.

The family are stalwarts of the Linksfield Senderwood Hebrew Congregation, with just about the entire shul present at Tuesday’s funeral. Rabbi Levi Avtzon described the family as “royalty in the community”, being one of the oldest members of the shul.

A religious and observant man, Kopelowitz attended morning and evening prayers with his son every day, and the two had recently started wearing black hats.

“Every one of us standing here felt like somebody had stuck a hand into our hearts and removed a part of it,” said Avtzon, describing Kopelowitz as “one of a kind in so many ways”.

He recalled a day when Kopelowitz stripped off his clothes to hand to a beggar who was without trousers and shoes.

“In good Mark style, he doesn’t give him money, he takes off his pants, takes off his shoes, hands it to the beggar and goes home early without pants. And it happened more than once,” he said.

There were no half measures with him, said the rabbi.

“I have never seen a father so obsessed with his kids. Each night he would come home, talk to each one of them individually, lie down with them, ask them how their day was. His biggest dream was to have naches from his children.”

Addressing Linda, he said, “He was obsessed with you, and you were obsessed with him. Everybody knew it, it was no secret, and he did whatever he could to bring joy to his family.”

To the four Kopelowitz children, Amber, Ruby, Aurah, and Cole, he said, “The biggest way to honour your father is by living life to the fullest. I can only imagine Mark saying, ‘Please don’t sacrifice your happiness and dreams for me.’”

Kopelowitz was born and raised in Witbank. He matriculated from King David Linksfield, and attended the University of the Witwatersrand, where he completed his LLB degree.

“He was a qualified lawyer, but business was his passion,” said Linda.

According to friends, Kopelowitz was a natural entrepreneur and retailer. He sold jewellery in flea markets in his early twenties before going on to make a name for himself in the mainstream retail sector as MK Jewellers, with a handful of stores in upmarket shopping malls.

Friends this week said Kopelowitz had a great sense of humour and was a sociable person who was exceptionally goal driven and ambitious. He loved beautiful things like décor, spending time with his family, and hiking when time allowed.

His two older sisters, Maxine Jaffit and Robyn Sher, said their brother was “a deep thinker who was the embodiment of compassion and kindness”.

“Mark loved business and always wanted to do well. He was an extremely hard worker and never stopped trying. He did everything for us,” said Linda.

Police said the arrested suspects were found in possession of the vehicle which was allegedly used to flee the scene of the robbery. Both suspects are expected to appear in court shortly.

The police are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that can assist with the investigation on the Crime Stop line 08600 10 111.

CAP update

Subsequent to the murder on 11 October of Mark Kopelowitz during a robbery of a jewellery store in Centurion he owned, the SAPS Gauteng Provincial Head Office Serious and Violent Crimes Unit (PHO SVC), mobilised a multi-dimensional team, including CAP security departments, to collect information and assist in identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

While these operations are ongoing, CAP can report that team of which it is a part has been responsible for apprehending four suspects believed to be involved in Mark’s murder. Two firearms have also been recovered with other exhibits used in the commission of the crime. Additional suspects are being traced. CAP will not stop until all those responsible are located and brought to justice.

The arrests were all processed by the PHO SVC team, and CAP’s legal division will be following through on the prosecution of these suspects. While these acts will never compensate for this loss, we are hopeful that they bring some closure to Mark’s family, and pray for them to find solace and peace.

Baruch Dayan Haemet