Newsletter No. 10 2004/5 The Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for he Kaplan Centre was established in 1980 under the terms of a gift to Jewish Studies and Research celebrates Tthe University of Cape Town by the Kaplan Kushlick Foundation and is its 25th anniversary named in honour of the parents of Mendel and Robert Kaplan. Vice Dean: The Centre, the only one of its kind in Chancellor: Professor Paula South Africa, seeks to stimulate and Professor Ensor Njabulo promote the whole field of Jewish studies “It gives me very and research at the University with a Ndebele great pleasure, on special focus on the South African Jewish Community. The Centre is multi- “The Kaplan behalf of the staff disciplinary in scope and encourages the Centre, as the only and students of the participation of scholars in a range of one of its kind in Faculty of fields including history, political science, South Africa, has Humanities, to education, sociology, comparative established a fine extend our warm literature and the broad spectrum of reputation over its congratulations to Hebrew and Judaic studies. twenty-five years the Kaplan Centre The Centre is engaged in both research of existence. It has on the occasion of and teaching and functions as a co- made significant contributions through its its 25th anniversary. ordinating unit in the university. Its teaching, research activities, seminar UCT is honoured to house the only resources are used to invite distinguished programmes and summer school teaching Centre of its kind in SouthAfrica – a Centre scholars to teach Jewish-content courses programme. The Centre has done much to of Jewish Studies and research, which has within established University depart- enhance the development of Jewish Studies as its special focus the Jewish community ments, to initiate and sponsor research at UCT, nationally and internationally. I am in SouthAfrica. projects, and to strengthen the univer- confident that the Centre will continue to The Centre houses a fine library, and has sity’s library holding of books, micro- sustain its fine reputation.” over the years attracted important inter- films and archival sources. These research materials are made available to members of the University and to accredited visitors from the wider academic community. The Centre reached an The Centre awards a limited number of important milestone with undergraduate and graduate scholarships the celebration of its as well as a limited number of research 25th anniversary. grants. A special function was The Centre has a publications held to celebrate the programme which brings out monographs occasion, including a and occasional papers. Lectures symposia dinner followed by a and conferences are arranged under the public lecture by auspices of the Centre. In some cases Professor Yehuda these are organised with the University’s Bauer. Department of Adult Education and Extra Mural Studies, thereby serving the wider community. Celebratory Publication. national scholars to research and teach GOVERNING BODY alongside our own scholars of Jewish Chair: Prof Henning Snyman Studies. Regular colloquia and conferences Director: Prof Milton Shain organised by the Kaplan Centre have Management Committee: attracted a broad range of academics to comment on aspects of the South African Prof C Firer Mr J Simon Prof F Horwitz Jewish experience, as well as those of Mr M Kaplan Prof R Becker Prof S B Burman Jewish communities elsewhere. These Mr R Kaplan Prof D Chidester Ms Romi Kaplan Mr E Osrin Dr A Reisenberger Continued on following page Continued from page 1 scholars have garnered a robust record of l-r Milton Shain, Yehuda Bauer, publication over the years, producing Elana Bauer and monographs and articles which have made Mendel Kaplan a significant contribution to scholarship both within SouthAfrica and beyond. The Kaplan Centre contributes to vigorous intellectual activity at UCT, but also within the city of Cape Town. Close links with the South African Jewish Museum have enabled the Kaplan Centre to mount a number of important exhibitions, the most recent being the critically acclaimed Helen Suzman exhibition at the SouthAfrican Jewish Museum. We congratulate all of those who have contributed to the success of the Kaplan Centre, and wish it well for the future. In particular we wish to congratulate, and thank, Mr Mendel Kaplan and his family Michelle and Tony Leon with for their generosity and continued support Mendel Kaplan for the Centre since its inception in 1980.” Helen Suzman: Speech at the Opening Function of the ‘Helen Suzman Exhibition’, 21 March 2005 olin Eglin and Milton Shain have who have travelled quite far within South already thanked all those directly Africa. I thank them all for coming. I feel Cinvolved in the exhibition, and I rather awkward about all this – I’ve become want to join them in expressing gratitude to a very expensive friend! Millie Pimstone in particular who was There are people whom I specially would responsible for the supervision and im- have loved to be here, but who can’t be, plementation of all the details for this because they’re no longer with us. Of the 12 exhibition, and to the designer of the exhi- original progressive party members, 11 bition, Linda Bester. I must also thank from the United Party, and Walter Stanford Mendel and Robert Kaplan, whose brain- from the Liberal Party, who took their child this exhibition is, the Kaplan political futures in their hands in 1959 to Kushlick Foundation for its generous form the Progressive Party, only 4 have support, and Milton Shain, the Director of survived – Clive van Ryneveld, Colin the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at Eglin, Ray Swart and myself. UCT, who convened this exhibition and Ray, unfortunately cannot be here, owing made himself available to assist whenever to a previous commitment he could not needed. I must also express appreciation to cancel. He sends his regrets and his love. the South African Jewish Museum which When I mentioned MPs risking their will house the exhibition for the rest of the political futures in 1959, that was no year. exaggeration because, as you know, I was I know I’m beginning to sounds like a The Helen Suzman exhibition was the only one of the original 12 Progressive Batmitzvah girl, or an Oscar winner, but I opened on Human Rights Day 2005. Party MPs to retain a seat at the snap- must also thank all the people who’ve been election called by Dr Verwoerd when he so involved in my erstwhile political career. knee. He attended all my annual report- took South Africa out of the Common- Firstly, my family, my late husband Mosie back meetings to my Houghton consti- wealth in 1961. I survived mainly through and the girls, who took the brunt of it and tuents. In those days, there was account- the efforts of my campaign manager, Max without whose support and encouragement ability between MP’s and their consti- Borkum. Unfortunately, Max is indisposed, I could never have embarked on a political tuents. Unlike today, when you don’t even cannot be here and sends his regrets. His career. The concern of my late stepmother, know who your MP is, because you don’t son Humphrey is here. Max organised the Debbie, about the wellbeing of my young have one! Under Proportional Represen- dozens of enthusiastic ‘young Progs’, who daughters was a source of great reassurance tation, MPs are chosen at the party bosses’ plastered Houghton with posters, like my to me, who was absent for six months every pleasure. I’m very glad that my daughters, nephew Stephen who lives in San Francisco year attending Parliament in Cape Town, Francie, and Patty, are able to be here. Patty and is here tonight. Max marshalled all though I did go home as often as possible at comes from Boston and Francie, together those Houghton ladies, more familiar with the weekends (not, I might add, as part of a with her husband, Prof Jeffrey Jowell, and bridge parties than political parties, with travel scam!). Had Mosie been here today, my grand-daughter, Josie Jowell, have military precision and turned them into an he would be sitting in the front row, eyes come from London. Spread around here absolutely first class election team – as tightly closed – very disconcerting, until I this evening are a lot of relatives – thank canvassers, prepared to brave the growling realised that he had his tape-recorder on his you for coming. Many people are present rottweilers and the hostile reception they 2 got from the many “staunch U.P.” residents in Houghton. They became Bushmen trackers when it came to finding absentee voters – people who had moved and required postal votes. On election day they dragged reluctant voters to the polling stations. We had a more than 80 percent turnout of our supporters. Had Max not been such an excellent campaign manager, I certainly would have gone the way of all the other ‘Prog’ candidates; I would have lost my seat in ’61. That would have been the end of my political career, and very probably of the Progressive Party too. Max’s talents were also used to elect Selma Browde, the lone Prog City Councillor, for 10 years, and later our Provincial Councillor. He also helped to elect Houghton’s Constituency Chairman, Irene Menell, as our Provincial Councillor. Both Selma and Irene are here this evening, and l-r Colin Eglin, Helen Suzman and Mendel Kaplan deserve special recognition. They took all the burdens at the coal-face off my shoulders – all those bothersome issues at There are 3 people whose absence I Colin Eglin and painted by Fleur Ferri) to local and provincial level that constituents especially regret this evening – 2 Harrys – be hung in the corridor which linked the used to bring me.