About
the Book:
My Grandmother, Flora Behrmann (1887–1973) was born in the village of Ladismith in the Cape. Her parents, Sarah and Solomon Gordon, had immigrated to South Africa via England from a small village in Lithuania called Neustadt Sugind. Selina was the eldest of the three children born in England and Flora was the eldest of the five born in the Cape.
Ladismith is a attractive small village in the Little Karoo with the Klein-Swartberge Mountains acting as a backdrop, the tallest peak rising to 3000 feet. An enormous rock sits on top of this peak which has a huge cleft in the middle and is known as ‘Toverkop’ or ‘Witch’s Head’. There is a legend about this rock which says that one night a witch was going home in a storm and the rock barred her way, so she smote the rock and made a cleft in it large enough for her to pass through. Flora originally called her book ‘Toverkop’, as the mountain was ever present in her childhood, but I thought that for those readers who do not speak Afrikaans, I would rename the book “Cleft Mountain”. This is the only change I have made in the book as I regard it as Flora’s book and therefore not mine to alter.
Flora’s matriculation studies were supervised by the poet C. J. Langenhoven (the author of “Die Stem”, South Africa’s national anthem). Her studies were somewhat irregular and unorthodox. Lagenhoven instructed his four pupils in Latin and Mathematics and told them to do the rest of their subjects on their own at home. They all passed. She continued her education at Stellenbosch, specialising in music.
In 1906, Flora married Abraham Behrmann and her sister Selina married Jacob Behrmann who were brothers, repeating a previous family event a generation prior. Abe and Flora went to live in Johannesburg. My grandfather Abe, together with another brother, Louis Harris, opened a firm called ‘LH and A Behrmann’ which became one of the major property firms in South Africa. Flora described Johannesburg as a hive of activity, tin and wooden shacks being pulled down while brick and stone buildings seemed to arise overnight. One favourite spot to take the children for a picnic was Cook’s Farm, now Killarney.
Flora and Abe had four children, two boys and two girls, my father Cecil, being the oldest son. She was a very demanding mother, especially to my father. He told the story that one day he was at school and he got an urgent call to go home. With his heart in his mouth, he ran all the way, thinking the worst. When he arrived, Flora was fiddling with their new radio and couldn’t find the station where King George the Fifth was due to give a speech. He found it for her and went back to school for the rest of his lessons, exhausted!
Once her children were old enough to occupy themselves, Flora took up public work. Her first venture was the Reform Club, which at the time was fighting for women’s suffrage - it was later called the Vanguard Club. Through the Club she visited many exclusive homes and was inspired to start a collection of beautiful antiques, china and glass, from which she derived much pleasure.
In 1929, she started the first South African Hebrew Kindergarten under the auspices of the Berea Hebrew Congregation in Johannesburg. She was one of the founders of the Union of Jewish Women in November 1931. During World War 11 she started the organisation known as the Fireside Cottage in Fordsburg for soldiers‘ children.
Over the years Flora embraced the study of music, art and literature and encouraged others to do the same. I have included her pamphlet on ‘Culture in the Home’ as I think this shows her at her very best.
“There is a range of mountains in Ladismith” said Flora. “The highest peak is called Towerkop. it is always covered with clouds. When I was a child I thought that was the place where God lived. I have since discovered God in Many places.”
Carol Wajnberg
February 2010 |
