SA migration stories the focus of leading Jewish filmmakers

JULIE LEIBOWITZ

Thal’s parents left their home in Harare with nothing, and created an empire in South Africa. At first, his father worked as a shop assistant and in a bakery before opening his own factory making bags. His company, Jodam Manufacturers, now employs 130 people.

Thal has another amazing story on his mother’s side of the family. His grandfather, Solly Jossel, was one of the 200 Ochberg orphans rescued from civil war in Eastern Europe by Isaac Ochberg in 1921, and brought to South Africa with no family or possessions.

These tales of family fleeing their home for a better life in another country, and surviving and succeeding against the odds reflect many other stories of Jewish immigration, particularly from Eastern Europe to South Africa in the late 19th and early 20th century. Indeed, they are still being told in the current emigration of Jews from South Africa to other countries across the globe.

Of course, the particular qualities of toughness, resilience, and enterprise that Jewish emigres demonstrate is not limited to South Africa. Jews have successfully migrated all over the world, often against huge financial, social, and political odds.

But, it is the tales of South African Jewish success – not just financial, but social and spiritual – that Thal wants to record for posterity. He and his friend and co-worker, Greg Hack, a corporate videographer and photographer, intend to capture the incredible stories of migration to South Africa, and the creation of the community we have today.

The two, who describe themselves as “proud South African Jews”, plan to interview “anyone and everyone” with an immigration story. “We aim to document first-hand success stories from arrival in South Africa. We are interested in first generations from anywhere,” they say, pointing out that their project isn’t “a Holocaust thing, but about a journey from leaving to arrival”.

Stage one is to document and capture the stories. Thereafter, they will be distilled into 20-minute clips, including archival B-roll footage, interviews with relatives, and animation, which can be shared with the rest of the world.

Thal was inspired to do the project partly by a recent documentary on the Ochberg orphans by Lee-Anne Dance. Titled My Dear Children, it tells the story of Feiga Shamis, who gave up two of her children for adoption to save them from Russian pogroms. These children subsequently became part of the Ochberg evacuation of small children to South Africa.

“The successful self-creation of Jews around the world is a phenomenon. It’s incredible that in every age group, generation after generation, there are these stories,” he says.

“We are privileged today – I’ve met youngsters who believe that there is nothing they can’t do. But this wasn’t always the case. Our forebears had it tough. Millennials should know the incredible path wrought by their forebears.”

Says Hack, “It’s about finding the ‘secret source’. What is it in our DNA that we constantly reproduce this in every area?”

A possible answer, they say, is South African Jews’ cultural affiliation and sense of community, which creates opportunities for mentorship and other forms of support.

“Our culture is about celebrating life,” Hack says. “We are forced to celebrate the good things – in fact we have a strict schedule for doing this. We are also one of the strongest communities outside of Israel. This creates many opportunities for discussion and mentorship between the generations. There is always a story at a Shabbos dinner, and a lesson to learn.”

Says Thal, “We are proud of our heritage. We want to capture the incredible stories of migration to South Africa – though we are probably coming five to 10 years too late for some stories.

“It’s not just about the hard work, discipline, and success of our forebears, it’s also about communal success, the fact that we developed organisations like the Chevrah Kadisha to have each other’s back, that we built a strong spiritual edifice.”

“Storytelling is a great way to communicate,” he says. Thal knows a thing or two about this. His company, The Star Film Company, which produces TV commercials and digital content, was recently ranked second best in the country in the official Loerie rankings.

Hack, the founder of Hack Films, is currently documenting first-hand immigration stories for private families. He shares premises with Thal, and their idea was born out of these projects.

“I keep asking what my grandpa would do,” Thal says. “These stories will hopefully steer us in a positive direction, rather than being caught in the fluff of today. We must stick to the secret source.”

• If you have a first-hand account, or know of someone who can tell a unique story of immigration and success in SA, email Thal and Hack at jewishjourneysa@gmail.com.