Jewish roots lost and found in Oudtshoorn

Blake Andrew grew up in Zimbabwe, was raised Christian, and felt strong ties to the Scottish roots of his grandfather. But his grandmother’s story never came to light until six weeks ago, when Andrew found out that she was the daughter of the late Myer Woolfson, a prominent Oudtshoorn rabbi. His world has been turned upside down, but in many ways, it’s finally making sense for him, as he has always felt a connection to the Jewish community.

Now living in Johannesburg with his own family, Andrew (51), told the SA Jewish Report, “This has changed something in me. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. But the close connection I’ve always had to Jewish friends and the Jewish community feels even stronger. It’s difficult to articulate, but it’s very emotional.”

His story began when Andrew’s sister recently had lunch with her cousin in Cape Town. “My cousin said to my sister, ‘Did you know about your dad’s mom – your gran? She was the daughter of a prominent rabbi in Oudtshoorn in the 1880s.’”

“This was a huge shock. My gran, whose name was Dorothy Woolfson, died in a car accident before I was born. All that my dad knew was that there had been some fallout with her family, and she had run away to Zimbabwe where she married his father. Suddenly, it all made more sense. If this rabbi was so respected in the ‘Little Jerusalem’ of the 1880s, then it’s clear that those ties were cut when she fell in love with my Protestant, Scottish grandfather,” he says. “I found out that my great-grandfather, Myer Woolfson, was head of the shul and Hebrew school for 56 years.”

Andrew says his father’s mother never spoke about her past. His father never knew he was Jewish, and was one of five siblings born in Zimbabwe. However, back in South Africa, the Woolfson family continued to grow, and when Andrew started to do his own research, he soon found them and reconnected with long-lost cousins.

“I posted on a Facebook group called Southern Africa Jewish Genealogy, and was quickly put in touch with my second cousin, David Woolfson, in Cape Town. His grandfather, Henry, was my gran’s brother. David and my father were first cousins, but they had never met or even knew of each other’s existence.”

Speaking to the SA Jewish Report from Cape Town, David fills in more of the family history. He says Myer married Pauline Abrahams, whose previous husband had drowned at sea. A widow with one child, she and Myer went on to have seven more children – including Dorothy. But Pauline also died young, and Myer got married twice more. “He was quite a character,” says David. “It was also extremely tragic when Dorothy died in a car crash.” As someone with a deep interest in genealogy, David is grateful to be reconnected with his long-lost cousin.

“Myer came to South Africa from Lithuania, and was supposed to be posted in Barberton,” says Andrew, who learnt this history from his cousin. “However another rabbi asked him to come to Oudtshoorn to head up the shul there, where there was a thriving Jewish community. He decided to do so, and remained there until his death. He died on 17 January 1947, at the age of 86. Ironically, 17 January is my dad’s birthday. He was born in 1938, 11 years to the day since his grandfather passed away.”

Andrew would love to go to Oudtshoorn to see his late great-grandfather’s gravestone, and the place where he lived, worked, and died. “I asked my father if his mother ever reconciled with her parents, and he said no. However, I found my great-grandfather’s will, and he left things to his daughters, including my grandmother. So this suggests she wasn’t totally ex-communicated. People say my gran was an incredibly kind and generous woman, who had a fiery streak in her.”

Strangely enough, Andrew has always felt close to the Jewish community, and over the years, many people have asked him and his father if they were Jewish. His best friend and his sister’s best friend are both Jewish.

“Trevor Jankelow and I have been best friends for 35 years, and I’ve been to so many Shabbat dinners and yom tovs at his house,” says Andrew, totally at home with the Jewish lingo. “I grew up in his house, made sure not to mix the meat and milk cutlery, and felt very close to his family.”

As for Jankelow, he says it’s “astonishing and astounding” that his friend actually has Jewish roots. Over the years, they have joked that Andrew would love to be Jewish, and Jankelow has always included him in all aspects of Jewish life along with sending him a “good Shabbos” message every week. Now, that Shabbat message will resonate even more.

Andrew says that when Jankelow told his sister in Israel that Andrew had Jewish roots, she said, “It all makes sense now. I’m not surprised in the least. There has always been such a connection.”

Jankelow wonders how many similar stories there are out there, and encourages anyone with gaps in their family history to delve further. With technology and social media, a simple search can lead to amazing discoveries.

One sad aspect to the story is that although Andrew’s father (84) is 100% Jewish, he has no interest in learning more about his roots or connecting with long-lost family members. “I think in those days, parents didn’t talk about difficult things with their kids,” says Andrew. As the revelations of the past six weeks have unfolded, it has been a lot for his dad to digest.

Andrew’s parents live in Johannesburg and his mother and brother are both religious Christians. Looking back, he says his mom always told him that his grandmother’s surname was ‘Wilson’, but now he realised it must have got lost in translation from Woolfson.

It’s his mother and siblings who have shown more interest in his discovery. Even though they have their own religious paths, Andrew think they will be open to him exploring this history. “It’s mind blowing,” says Andrew. “I would like to explore it more, and develop a closer relationship with the Jewish community.”