The Windhoek Hebrew Congregation Jewish community is a cultural and religious organization dedicated to the study, development and dissemination of Jewish culture and Judaism in Namibia [1] .
| Jewish community of Windhoek | |
|---|---|
| Type of | religious organization social organization |
| Year of foundation | 1917 year |
| Location |  Namibia , Windhoek , corner of Manddum Nddfufayo Street and Postal Road |
| Key figures | Chief Rabbi of Windhoek Zvi Gorelik Community Chair: Lawrence Peters |
| Site | africanjewishcongress.com/... |
Content
History
The first Jews moved to Namibia in 1861 . After the territory of Namibia was included in the German South West Africa colony in 1884 , the number of Jews in Namibia increased significantly. This was due to the beginning of economic growth in the region. However, according to German laws of that time, more than 100 Jews could not live in the colony. Most Jews lived in Swakopmund at the beginning of the 20th century. However, in 1917, a quarter was built for them in the center of Windhoek. In the same year, the Jewish community of Windhoek was officially established. Initially, it included only 20 families [2] . In 1923, the construction of a synagogue [3] began in Windhoek, which was built in 1924 and officially opened in 1925 [2] . Since then, the synagogue has become a gathering place for the Jewish community of Windhoek. It regularly hosts Saturday and holiday events. The South African Jewish Council of Deputies provides a Khazan for festivals [4] . For a long time, the renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Harold Pupkevits was the honorary vice-president of the community. In 1965, there were already about 500 Jews in Namibia (mainly Windhoek), which at that time was about one percent of the total white population in Namibia [5] . At that time, 130 families were members of the Jewish Windhoek community [2] . After Namibia became an independent country on March 21, 1990, the white population declined sharply. Currently, about 100 Jews live in Namibia [6] . Of these, 45 are members of the Jewish community of Windhoek [7] .
See also
- Jews in Namibia
- Judaism in Namibia
Notes
- ↑ Jewish community of Windhoek .
- ↑ 1 2 3 Windhoek synagogue might shut down , The Namibian . Date of treatment February 9, 2018.
- ↑ Namibia Jewish Community - Halachic Adventures (English) , Halachic Adventures (February 5, 2013). Date of treatment February 9, 2018.
- ↑ [ http://www.kosherdelight.com/Namibia.htm JEWISH AND KOSHER NAMIBIA הקהילה היהודית בנמיביה] unopened . www.kosherdelight.com. Date of treatment February 9, 2018.
- ↑ Namibia Virtual Jewish History Tour (English) . www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Date of treatment February 9, 2018.
- ↑ Dan Slater. A Bar Mitzvah in Namibia: Checking In On Kobi Alexander . WSJ (June 12, 2008). Date of treatment February 9, 2018.
- ↑ New Page 1 . www.africanjewishcongress.com. Date of treatment February 9, 2018.