18 - 25 June 2010 Sports Mad!SA JEWISH REPORT I JJews,ews, SSocceroccer & SSportport

A supplementsupplement compiledcompiled by tthehe SA JewisJewishh Report Tracing the Jewish footprint in SA football

Soccer has always been seen as the ‘people’s game’ and this hhasas Hymie Kloner, who became a prominent football player soon after the Second World War, and went on to an illustrious career, even playing not bypassed the Jewish community. Throughout the yearsars for a time for Birmingham City in the UK. Jews have made a substantial impact on the sport in Southuth Africa, both on and off the fi eld. With the 2010 Fifa Worldrld Cup now under way, the Jewish Report takes a look at a few ooff the names that have infl uenced football in this country.ry.

JACK MILNER soccer committees, but preceding them proved a great breakthrough and saw was Raymond Hack, who would have Jomo in emphatic form, scoring four WHEN SUPERSPORT United won the led the country into the World Cup as goals in the encounter. South African Safa chief executive had he not become Martin played for Highlands Park, for the third consecutive year, it was a a victim of faction fi ghting within the or- along with another famous Jewish play- proud moment for Stan Matthews. The ganisation. er, Julie Kaplan. The pair both played surname was obviously a given but it is Raymond was seen as an “Irwin through the heyday of the club’s suc- no coincidence that he carries the same Khoza man” and when the Danny Jor- cess. However, Martin later decided to name as the great English soccer player, daan bloc came out on top at the last ply his trade in the US and joined the Los Sir Stanley Matthews. election, Raymond’s career at Safa was Angeles Aztecs where he played along- “My father was a great fan of his and in the balance. In January this year he side one of the legends of the game - I was named after him,” confi rms our “resigned” his position at Safa. the great . Stan. Raymond was involved with the Wits According to the Highlands Park The reason for his pride is that Stan Football Club for many years before website, Julie was such a keen mem- is the director of football for Supersport stretching his wings into the national ber of the club, that as a youngster he United and also runs their youth acade- administration. He was also one of the would daily hitch a lift down Louis Botha my. His involvement does not end there. people who went out of his way to en- Avenue in to watch them He heads up Supersport Africa and is on courage interracial football in South Af- train. both the Premier Soccer League (PSL) rica. By the age of 16, Julie was part of that and South African Football Association That was also true of Martin Cohen, training session, having played for Bal- (Safa) executive committees. In addition who played for Highlands Park in the four Park and then Highlands’ reserves. he also does work for world body Fifa on 1970s. Martin was involved specifi cally In September 1966 he made his full a consultancy basis. in two remarkable events in South Af- Highlands Park debut against Arcadia But one of the most exciting aspects rica. On April 20, 1974, Martin was part and within fi ve minutes won a penalty for Stan is the support Supersport Unit- of the White XI who played their black which Walter Da Silva duly converted. before Joe Frickleton broubroughtght him bacbackk ClubClub,, which had a number of Jewish ed has been getting from the Jewish counterparts in a racially charged match From 1966 through to 1971, Julie to the the clubclub in 11974.974 plplayersayers and and adadministrators.ministrators community. “Rabbi Yossy Goldman from at Rand Stadium in Johannesburg. After regularly featured on the left side of the In 1984 Julie coached the Wits soccer Among the latter was Dave Snaier Sydenham Highlands North Shul and initially going down 1-0 to the black side Highlands midfi eld - playing a part in team and in that season they won the who went on to become chairman of the his sons are among our biggest fans. In (the goal was called off-side by referee some of the most memorable games of BP Top Eight Competition. In 2000, Julie Southern Transvaal Football Association fact, we even brought Irwin Khoza to the Wally Turner), Martin scored a crucial that time. He scored in each leg of the and his family emigrated to Perth and he and vice president of the Football Asso- shul. It was a huge success and he was goal before Neil Roberts put the game Champions of Champions clash with is now involved with Western Australia ciation Of (Fasa). warmly received,” said Stan away. Durban City which Highlands won 5-3 Maccabi in a managerial/coaching ca- Ben Machanik played right-back and Supersport is also closely associated In 1978 Martin was a member of the on aggregate. pacity, referees the occasional game captained the South African team. Mor- with Tottenham Hotspur, always known fi rst racially mixed South African team Julie represented South Africa in a and watches the blossoming talent of rie Jacobson was a fullback while Hymie as the Jewish club, in London. Chair- that played an International against Ar- memorable match against a British All his youngest son, Terence. Kloner played at right half. man of Spurs is Daniel Levy. gentina in South Africa. Jomo Sono Star team in 1973 which South Africa Many Jewish players were involved in Hymie was born on May 23, 1929 in Stan is just one of many South African was also a member of that team and in won and again against a Portuguese In- club soccer after the Second World War, Johannesburg, the son of Lithuanian im- Jews who have had a major infl uence on a rather strange move, although never vitation team which resulted in a 3-1 win but perhaps the most prominent three migrants, while Morrie was actually born soccer in this country. Ronnie Schloss sanctioned by the South African govern- for South Africa. were Ben Machanik, Morrie Jacobson in Lithuania and came to South Africa as and Stan remain the few “white”, let ment, they actually turned a blind eye Julie was transferred to Jewish Guild and Hymie Kloner. Both Ben and Hymie a child. alone “Jewish faces”, on the mainstream to the game, allowing it to go ahead. It in 1971, playing two seasons for them were members of the Marists Football Continued on page II II SA JEWISH REPORT 18 - 25 June 2010 SPORTS MAD! Jewish community catches ...Tracing the Jewish ‘bad dose’ of soccer fever footprint in SA football Continued from page I

Although Hymie’s parents were not keen on his playing football, the principal of the Jewish Gov- ernment School encouraged him, and he eventually played for the Marist Brothers club. In June and July 1950, the 21-year-old Kloner represented South Africa. Later that year he went to Eng- land on trial and was taken on by Birmingham City. He later returned to South Africa to continue his playing career and during that period represented Southern Trans- vaal. In 1954 all three played In 1976, Martin Cohen spent a succes- against a touring Israeli team ful season in North America playing for at the Rand Stadium. Morrie, the Los Angeles Aztecs with George Best who passed away in 2005, had as a team mate and was fi nally able to Prematch crowds show their support in Sandton last week Thursday with fl ags and vuvuzelas, prior to the opening a copy of the Rand Daily Mail compete against top class international game last Friday between Bafana Bafana and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg. PHOTO: ILAN OSSENDRYVER which on the front page, had a players such as Pele. photograph of himself, the Is- DAVID SAKS ChaiFM’s programming. One can tune be back in the country for the tourna- rael and Danny Kaye, Hymie, fondly known as “Fish” became into Jews across the board earnestly ment as expats. Also taking advan- who was performing in South Africa a legend in the world of journalism. A WEEK or two ago, the strictly Ortho- discussing and evaluating the national tage of the émigrés’ visit, are the Jew- and was given the honour of kicking On the subject of soccer journalists, dox Beth Jacob girls’ high school took team’s prospects in the competition. ish day schools. Among other things, off the game. one would have to mention Sy Ler- the unusual step of inviting a former The interest has spread into the the King David Schools’ Foundation is Morrie went on to play for Rangers, man, who this year will be celebrating Orlando Pirates star, Warren Lewis, to Jewish day schools, regardless of hosting fetes, day trips, and accom- which was owned by Syd Chaitowitz, his 50th year as a soccer scribe. When speak to the learners. their degrees of religiosity or even of modation for former Davidians. and found himself caught up in the he wrote his fi rst few lines last weekend Today fully Shomer Mitzvot, Lewis gender. The youth are generally scep- Individuals and organisations are tangled web of professionalism, which about Bafana Bafana, it was the start of used the opportunity to recount how, tical about Bafana Bafana’s chances further taking advantage of the out- was eroding the amateur status of the his ninth World Cup. for all the excitement of playing top- - but for the fi rst time in a long time, at reach, cultural and tourism opportu- game at the time. Dave Snaier was the “My fi rst World Cup was in 1974 in level football, none of it compared with least they actually care. nities on offer. The Jewish National man, like King Canute, who was at- West Germany. The only one I have the fulfi lment he experienced on keep- Fears that Jewish South Africans Fund’s “One Tree One Goal” project tempting to hold back the professional missed since then was in 2002 when it ing Shabbat for the fi rst time. would prove to be inward-looking and invites locals and visitors to “replace wave. was staged in Japan and South Korea,” Within the most sternly religious ele- dismissive of the greater national in- their carbon footprint” by purchasing On the other side of the coin was said Sy. ments of the Jewish community, there volvement in the Fifa World Cup, have a tree. Syd Chaitowitz, who was spurred on As we move in to 2010 the number is certainly a concern that their mem- been shown to be unfounded. In partnership with other organisa- by his team coach and manager, Lub- of Jewish players in professional South bers should keep things in perspec- Certainly Raymond Hack and tions, the JNF is also raising funds be Snoyman, and Viv Grainger, push- African soccer clubs has dwindled tive and not get carried away by all the Mervyn Tankelowitz, respectively the for the Twinned Peace Sport Schools ing the pedal of professionalism. markedly. Martin Cohen’s son, Larry, is excitement. past and current chairmen of Maccabi project run by the Peres Centre and For just a couple of 100 rands, Mor- one of the few still around. That rabbonim and educators within SA, have no doubt that South African Al Quds Association in Israel and the rie became the fi rst player to be trans- Until his recent retirement from the the haredi establishment are taking so Jewry has fully bought into the 2010 Palestinian Authority. ferred for a fee, and from then on the sport, Warren Lewis, was another. He unusual an interest in a sporting tour- phenomenon, identifying with it to no For sightseeing with a difference, fl ood gates opened. was born in Durban and played for Dur- nament, is nevertheless evidence of lesser extent than their fellow South former CNN and current South Afri- ban City between 1991 and 1994. He how even within this sector, there is no Africans. SAJBD National Director can sports journalist Graeme Joffe, earned his fi rst cap for Bafana Bafana in getting away from the ever-escalating Wendy Kahn agrees: is co-ordinating visits of a township a 2000 COSAFA Cup semifi nal match World Cup buzz that has gripped the “Jewish South Africans have caught development programme; Country against Zimbabwe and his only other country. soccer fever and are fully embracing Communities Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft appearance for South Africa came in an By contrast, other religious leaders the excitement of the World Cup,” is on hand for those wanting to trace Africa Cup of Nations qualifi er against and groupings have no problems in she says, commenting further on their family roots. the Congo in Pointe Noire in September harnessing World Cup enthusiasm how many community members were A few hundred metres away from of that same year. for “kosher” purposes. Chabad SA, joining their fellow South Africans on Ellis Park, the central World Cup sta- During his career he played for Wits for one, is partnering with the SA “Soccer Fridays” in wearing with pride dium, the century-old Lions Syna- University, Southern New Hampshire Jewish Board of Deputies in the com- their green and yellow shirts as they gogue is hosting services, a tour and University, AmaZulu, Orlando Pirates prehensive Jewish 2010 information went about preparing for Shabbat. pre-game lechaims. All these are just and Moroka Swallows. However, after and outreach project, centring on the Kahn has very much been the driv- a few of the World Cup initiatives ema- a few seasons playing for The Birds, website jewish2010.com. It is further ing force behind the jewish2010.com nating from the ranks of South African Warren became shomrei Shabbat and offering a range of religious services, project, which has generated interest Jewry. would no longer play on a Saturday. including minyanim and Shabbat throughout the Jewish world as well Beyond all the individual projects, Last year he coached the Maccabi hospitality. as fulfi lling the Board’s aim of drum- a renewed spirit of enthusiasm about South Africa side at the Maccabiah in World Cup themes are being cre- ming up excitement and encouraging South Africa, and in being South Afri- Israel. atively incorporated into Shabbat the local Jewish community to be a can, is in welcome evidence through- There is also Cape Town-born Dean droshas on the weekly parshiot. For part of it. out the Jewish community. For six Furman, who is currently playing for Old- example Rabbi Asher Deren (Chabad SAJBD National Chairman Zev heady weeks, the country will once ham Athletic in the UK. The 21-year-old Gerry Ostrofsky, the well-known of the West Coast) has used the Krengel is passionately patriotic and again be the focus of international at- has shown interest in playing for Bafana Jewish soccer referee, coming onto ubiquitous vuvuzela to write about wants his fellow Jews to be so too. tention, this time for reasons that are Bafana as well as Israel. He did receive the fi eld to offi ciate at the Castle the two silver chatzotzrot (trumpets) In a recent “Above Board” column, entirely positive. a South Africa call-up for a friendly in Cup semi-fi nal match between that were used to gather the com- he described the thrill of sharing Bafa- 2010 Fifa World Cup is providing August 2008 against Australia, but he Cape Town City and Durban City munity and signal the new journeys na Bafana’s victory over Colombia a welcome antidote to the cynicism, ended up as an unused substitute in in Cape Town, 1968. The linesman in the desert, as described in Parshat with the huge crowd at Soccer City pessimism and general disengage- that match. behind him is Mo Levin. Behaíalotcha. in Soweto (Bafana Bafana won the ment that has regrettably character- On the journalistic front there are Another rabbi found the plethora of friendly 2 - 1) and urged South Afri- ised what have been a diffi cult few Of course, the Snoymans were prob- three Jewish media men whose voic- fl ags now adorning innumerable mo- can Jewry to rally behind the national years for the country as a whole. Dare ably the most famous Jewish football es we will hear during the World Cup tor-vehicles in South African streets to side as they prepared to challenge the one hope that this spirit will continue family in South Africa. There were 10 - Trevor Cramer, who is the sports be a useful lead-in to speaking about world’s best. after the fi nal whistle has blown? boys and a girl, and the standing joke editor for Jacaranda FM, radio and the degalim (banners) that each tribal Many Jewish families are looking Whatever the future holds, South Afri- was that she would be the goalkeeper. television commentator Michael Abra- encampment displayed. forward to poignant reunions with their cans are for the time being thoroughly Both Lubbe and Phil were goalkeep- hamson, and Gary Boruchowitz, who Football talk is now a staple part of relatives who have emigrated, but will enjoying the ride. ers for Rangers and another brother, is with e.tv. 18 - 25 June 2010 SA JEWISH REPORT III SPORTS MAD! Jewish owners of SA soccer clubs

Stanley Lucke Raymond Ronnie Matthews Matus Hack Schloss

Abe and Solly Krok

JACK MILNER Abe Krok and Motsepe always had a great shortened to Silver Stars. refl ect the historic association of both the North- relationship and Abe remains honorary life presi- In 2006, the club, then still known as Silver west Province and the RBN with platinum mining IT IS ironic that in Britain right now so many dent of Sundowns. Stars, and the Royal Bafokeng nation, agreed in South Africa. Premier League teams are owned by Jew- More recently, Silver Stars was bought by Larry on a sponsorship deal with the team, moving its As of 2009, the club is fully owned by the Royal ish businessmen. That, until quite recently at Brookstone who was a long-time fan of the club. home games from Polokwane (formerly Pieters- Bafokeng tribe, who had previously only owned least, was also true of South Africa. He bought it out of receivership and re-estab- burg) to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace near a majority. The new club owners replaced Larry Syd Chaitowitz owned Rangers Football lished it as an amateur club. Within a few years Rustenburg in Northwest Province. Brookstone and moved the club from Moruleng Club in its heyday, when it could be called they had won all the amateur silverware and were In May 2007, the investment vehicle of the Stadium in Modderfontein to the Royal Bafokeng the United of South Africa. It was again eligible to play in the professional league. Royal Bafokeng nation, Royal Bafokeng Hold- Stadium in Phokeng, a move that made Platinum the club that indirectly led South African soc- The club merged with Silver Stars, and be- ings, bought a 51 per cent stake in Silver Stars. Stars the only Premier League club in the North- cer into the professional world and brought came known as HP Silver Stars, subsequently The club was later renamed Platinum Stars, to west. out some top international people, such as Sir Stanley Matthews, to play for the team. Lucke Matus was the man who formed Highlands Park, which was the professional arm of Balfour Park. Although his roots were developed with the amateur structure, Lucke had the vision to realise that professional football was both inevitable and desirable. In 1959, he formed Highlands Park (Pty) Ltd and immediately started to assemble his playing staff with hand-picked players, while at the same time working hard on the con- struction of Balfour Park stadium. Eventually it was a group of the old Bal- four Park offi cials who got together and put in some of the money. Years later it was taken over by Rex Evans, who although not Jewish himself, had mar- ried into the Miller family from OK Bazaars fame. In 1982, Highlands Park Football Club was sold to Jomo Sono for R80 000. Two years later, the club’s name was changed to Jomo Midas Cosmos. The decision to sell the club both perplexed and angered many of the club’s former players, many of whom be- lieved alternatives could have been found. In the early 1990s , then an NPSL fi rst division team, bought the Highlands Park franchise and changed its name to Highlands Park. Phillip Ephron and Brian Pincus initi- ated the move in the hope of incorporating Balfour Park Juniors with the newly-formed Highlands Park FC. But when the team was relegated to the second division a year later, the sponsors pulled out and the franchise was sold for the second time - to Welkom Eagles FC. Dudley Zagnoev was one of the owners of the Wits University team before he became general secretary of the now defunct Football Association of South Africa. When he moved out, Raymond Hack and Ronnie Schloss joined the Wits board. They too moved into the world of soccer administration and as such, moved on from the club. In 1988 Abe and Solly Krok decided to en- ter the world of soccer and they bought Sun- downs off Standard Bank, who had picked up the club when taking over the assets of Zola Mahobe. The Krok brothers engaged Mario Tuani to coach the team and he brought in Angelo Tsichlas as his assistant, while his wife, Nas- tasia, joined as secretary. When Tuani left, Nastasia ran the club and she and Angelo became shareholders in the club, taking over 49 per cent. In the early 1990s Patrice Motsepe, who was an ar- dent Sundowns fan, bought the 51 per cent owned by the Krok brothers and eventually bought out the Tsichlases as well. IV SA JEWISH REPORT 18 - 25 June 2010 SPORTS MAD! In Memoriam: The Club

LIONEL SLIER Corlett Drive in Illovo. A trivia note: The longest six ever THE ORIGINAL Wanderers Club was recorded in a match was hit at originally situated just north of the Jo- the old Wanderers ground in 1902 by hannesburg CBD, past Platform 12 of South African against the (then) Park Station and surrounded by Australians. The bowling was from the Noord, Wanderers, Wolmarans and Ris- south railway end. Sinclair cleared the sik Streets. boundary with a mighty hit and the ball In March 1890 a lease was granted sailed out of the ground and landed in an to the residents of Johannesburg to open truck of a goods train. establish a sports ground in the area of The ball was found in Cape Town. For , known as Kruger’s Park many years the ball was on display at (named after President Paul Kruger of the new Wanderers Club. It might still be the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) The there for all I know. lease was to run for 99 years. The war years (1939-’45) and one As most of the people living in Jo- year later (1946) were the golden years hannesburg at that time were new- of the old Wanderers. As a schoolboy, comers, “Wanderers” the name cho- still pre-teen, I used to go every Sat- sen for the club was most appropriate. urday in winter to watch the Transvaal An aerial view of the old Wanderers grounds with the railway track in the foreground at the south side of the ground. (Johannesburg had only been founded League Football matches, with my three On the left is the main pavilion and the hall. Behind that - at the west side - is the old Pirates rugby ground. Behind the in 1886). cousins. north stand is Wolmarans Street. To the right is Wanderers Street, with fl ats overlooking the grounds. The club became the social centre of The oldest brother, whom we called PHOTOGRAPH MUSEUMAFRICA the town. Not only did it cater for sport- “Big”, used to dictate what we did. For He would carry a large iron container probably not paying much attention to boys and a sister who came, I believe, ing events such as cricket, football and example, we had to sit in one of the on one shoulder and whistle as he ap- the football. from Mayfair. (The Rangers Club indeed rugby, but also for gymnastics, boxing, southern stands, in the same place eve- proached a stand. People would order There would be a disturbance and did.). The story was that the Snoyman , bowls, cycling, athletics, hockey ry time, and as we went early enough we either Eskimo pies or wafers and he people would rush to watch the alcohol- family had a soccer team and the sister and baseball. Dances were held in the could always get to those seats on hard would throw, with his left hand, up to fuelled fi ght, almost always involving a was the goalie. hall, as well as concerts by the Orches- wooden splinter-giving slats. six at a time to the top of the stand, if soldier and a civilian. There was Eddie Kassel and the leg- tral Society. Anyone who was anybody We used to watch the curtain-raisers, necessary, and they travelled in a per- Mostly it was pushing and shov- endary Charlie Segell, both from JSAR, had to be seen at Wanderers Club af- which were usually under-18 teams, fol- fect parabola, to land in the buyer’s lap. ing and occasionally a blow with a fi st although Segell later played for Marist fairs. lowed by (usually) two senior matches. The buyer, in return, would throw the would result in a bleeding nose. There Brothers. The shouts around the ground In 1932 greyhound racing was held I can remember the names of all the small coins down to Shorty who would were never any police around or if were: “Give it to Charlie!” He had a ter- on Friday nights but this was banned in teams that formed the (amateur) league. never miss a coin and would then stuff there were, they remained out of sight. rifi c foot on him and mostly sent the ball the late 1940s. As the war was on, there was no pro- the coins into his pocket and get on After a while the fi ght would end and sailing over the crossbar. In 1935 the club secretary, Victor motion or relegation as many teams had with the next sale. often the pugilists would repair to the I simply cannot recall any others, al- Kent, was responsible for the purchase players serving “up North” in Africa and There was a problem, though. Shorty bar, sometimes with their arms around though there may have been some, but of a large piece of land in the Illovo area, later in Italy. was an epileptic and sometimes he each other. we are talking about 60 years ago. In the north Johannesburg proper, where a The teams were Marist Brothers, would have a fi t and fall writhing to the The odd thing about Marist Brothers a number of Jewish players made golf course was laid out. Rangers and JSAR (Johannesburg ground. People would whistle to attract Football team was that the “big chees- their mark, but by that time the original But the days of the Club were South African Railways) from Johannes- the attention of the St John’s Ambulance es” in the club were Jewish. Odd, as Wanderers ground had been absorbed doomed in the 1940s; the Railways burg, Benoni, Benoni Callies and Delfos crews who were in the ground and they Marist was a Catholic order who came into Johannesburg station. wanted the land just north of Noord from Benoni, Germiston Callies and GRI would come and attend to him. As far to South Africa from France to teach in In 1947 a Springbok team was cho- Street for the expansion of the station (Germiston Railway Institute) and from as I could tell, Shorty would recover and Catholic schools. sen to tour Australia and the trials were and the Club lost a court case which Pretoria, there were Municipals, Berea continue with his sales. We were very supportive of any Jew- held at the Wanderers and players from found in favour of the Railways and Park and Arcadia. Then there were the regular fi ghts that ish players but there were not many of all over the country were seen in these sport came to an end there in 1946 One of the highlights of the Sat- inevitably took place. There were numer- them. Some names that come to mind matches. This was the swansong of as the Club moved to its (present) urday afternoon was the ice cream ous bars around the ground with men are Lubbe Snoyman the Rangers goal- the Grand Old Lady. Golden years in- grounds - then called Kent Park - on seller. He was simply called “Shorty”. standing there having a drink or fi ve and keeper. He was one of 10 Snoyman deed. With World Cup here, it’s time to recall some football stories

LIONEL SLIER south) and built the Rand Stadium in 1951 at a was at one match watching them playing South cost of £6 000. Africa. WITHW THE arrival of the The three Johannesburg fi rst league teams - A man sitting in front of me bought a card- 20102 Fifa World Cup, eve- Rangers, Marists and Ramblers - used it as their board cup of ice-cream and just then a New- ryoner is talking, eating and home ground. Ramblers - The old JSAR (Jo- castle player received the ball, in a possible drinkingd football. Moreover, hannesburg South African Railways) team, had off-side position and scored a goal. The man everyone has become an ex- once been a club for railway employees but it with the ice-cream was furious and hurled his pert on the off-side rule, tac- was years since this relic of old Johannesburg unopened ice-cream at the linesman and hit tics, central defenders, added had a railwayman playing for them - so Ramblers him on his back. The linesman glowered at the time, penalty kicks, dives, yel- it was. crowd but the now ice-cream-less man cow- low cards, red cards, section The Rand Stadium could seat 15 000 spec- ered down. winners etc, etc. We have virtu- tators but with the arrival of professional foot- One year Port Elizabeth City arrived for a ally all become soccer meshu- ball in about 1966, it increased its capacity to match against Boksburg, but there was no ac- ganers. 25 000, installed fl oodlighting and entered the commodation anywhere on the East Rand. Jo- When the Old Wanderers in modern age with Moroka Swallows later having hannesburg, too, was chock-a-block for some the Johannesburg CBD was it at some stage as its home venue. reason. The only hotel that had place was the taken over by the railways in In 1954, an Israeli national team came to Wynton Joy in Berea on the Friday night before 1948, local football had to fi nd South Africa and suddenly many Jews, par- the match. a new home. The best available ticularly among the women, suddenly became The manager of the team was given these in- ground at the time was Wembley football fans. In the match against South Africa, structions: There must be no noise as most of Stadium south of the city and a Danny Kaye, the great American actor/come- the residents are elderly and no smoking and for short walk away from Turffontein dian was present and before the kick-off he was breakfast tomorrow they must not ask for bacon Racecourse. introduced to the crowd. with their eggs. The Wynton Joy was a kosher Meanwhile the STFA (Southern Of course, everyone expected a joke but sadly residential hotel! Transvaal Football Association) ac- the best he could do was to say: “I hope both Now the Rand Stadium has become very quired ground in Rosettenville (in the teams win.” much the poor relation of soccer in Johannes- Many well-known overseas club sides came burg. With the upgrading of the Soweto Stadium Article by Sports writer Eric to the Rand Stadium, including Newcastle Unit- and the launching of Soccer City as the top Litchfi eld from the Rand Daily Mail, ed, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and others. ground for Fifa 2010, the Rand Stadium has be- Friday May 14, 1954 For some reason Newcastle were disliked and I come a practice ground only. 18 - 25 June 2010 SA JEWISH REPORT V SPORTS MAD! World Cup could become a rally point of pride LIONEL SLIER no doubt that the hype generated by this commentator, asks: ‘What is the shortest (Fifa) World Cup will motivate many young book in the world? Some would argue that SOUTH AFRICAN Jewish children had the men and women to seek out a career in it is the book about Jewish sports stars.’ immense benefi t of growing up in a coun- sports. It’s a quip but there may be an element of try blessed with excellent weather which “Non-governmental organisations will truth in it. Seriously though, South Africa’s bred an ethos of outdoor activities. establish soccer clinics for underprivileged sporting history is characterised by some Tennis and swimming were the most children with two purposes in mind: to successes of Jewish achievers. popular, but team sports particularly foot- uplift the previously disadvantaged, but “The Jewish doctor and Talmudic lumi- ball and cricket, were also widely played also to fi nd the talent that is hidden in the nary, Maimonides, wrote quite extensively and often in pick-up informal games. shacks and slums of South Africa.” about a need for people to maintain a Rugby, however, had to be played in more Rabbi Liebenberg said of course many healthy physique and in this regard sport structured circumstances. would fall by the wayside. Not everyone serves as an outlet for the spiritual objec- Running and cycling became late fa- could become a great sportsman. tive. vourites among the Jewish population. “The Midrash says the same thing “If one believes that Jews strive to be As people grew older, bowls became the about Torah scholarship (Kohellet Rab- a moral example and not just a competi- sport of choice. bah 7:28): ‘A thousand people go to study tor in the fi eld, perhaps it is in this area However, were there differing percep- Scripture and one hundred emerge to where Jews can add the most to sport. tions among the various sections of the study Mishnah. Of those one hundred, ten When Jews have been involved in sport, community to sporting activities? emerge to study Talmud and of those ten, they have often excelled as captains and Rabbi Matthew Liebenberg of the one emerges who will be qualifi ed to rule leaders out of proportion to their numbers Claremont Wynberg Hebrew Congrega- on matters of Jewish law.’ on the fi eld and this extends to roles as tion in Cape Town, says: “Good health is “But even those who will not become administrators. not the only benefi t of sport for our youth. great sportsmen, will fi nd their way out of “(Cricketer) not only cap- For many the dream of becoming national poverty and a life of crime through an at- tained South Africa to a 4-0 whitewash of or even international soccer players is the tachment to a more wholesome lifestyle. Bobby Simpsons’ 1970 Australians, but goal of a lifetime (excuse the pun!) “There is an almost inestimably positive then went on to lead South Africa out of “When your average slum-dwelling aspect of the World Cup. Hosting a global cricket isolation. young man or woman takes a keen in- sports event has the ability to unite a na- “Many members of the community, in- terest in sport and notices that many top tion. This is not some pipedream or fan- deed most, are traditional Orthodox; they athletes had humble beginnings, they be- tasy. We in South Africa have experienced are reasonably frum at home, go fairly gin to picture themselves as the sports- this before when we hosted the Rugby regularly to synagogue, always one of the men and women of the next generation. World Cup in 1995, just one year after the major chagim, fast on Yom Kippur and are “I have lost count of the number of fi rst democratic elections. more than just three-times-a- year Jews. soccer players, runners, rugby players “Rugby was still very much an Afrikaner’s Yet Saturdays are spent either playing and cricket players who started life in the game and yet (former President) Nelson sport, or watching it on television. They townships and became national and inter- Mandela seized the opportunity to back have no confl ict about this. national sensations. Sports can lift people the Springboks and unite South Africans “In the years at Balfour Park, which later out of their surrounds and place them in of all colours behind the national team. in the professional era became Highlands new lives of hope, pride and fi nancial in- “South Africans could use the World Park, the support of the community for dependence and even wealth. Cup as a way of refocusing their attention the team was massive.” Their attitude was “This benefi t cannot be underestimated. and fostering national pride and patriotism. that there was a place for Yiddishkeit and The ability to make someone fi nancially The feeling in the streets is already one of there was a place for sport. independent is one of the greatest mitz- great pride in the country. “This can be confi rmed by the corpo- voth of the Torah. The Rambam (Hilchot “Hundreds of cars are fl ying the national rate involvement of major Jewish com- Matanot Aniim 10:7-14), in his formulation fl ag on their mirrors and everywhere you panies in sponsoring sport, such as Pick of the laws of charity, notes that there are look South Africans across the colour n Pay with the Argus Cycle Tour, Bidvest eight levels in the fulfi lment of this mitz- spectrum are coming together to cel- backing the Wits soccer team, Discovery vah. ebrate the fact that their country is host- in various fi elds and others... “The highest and most noble of all is to ing such a prestigious event. G-d looks “Let us pray that the World Cup will be set someone up on their own two feet by favourably upon such unity, even if other the unifying factor that we have been pray- giving them an [interest-free] loan, enter- problems exist. ing for and that South Africa will emerge ing into a partnership with them or fi nd- “Marc Freedman, a practising religious from it a better and more mature nation ing them gainful employment. There is person and a sports broadcaster and and an example to the rest of the world.” From ‘Der Heim’ to sport rough and tumble LIONEL SLIER her son out. but the essence is the same. Ali Bacher Then there is the story of the mother was captain of the Transvaal Cricket TRADITIONALLY Jewish parents from who, with a little more understanding, team and his mother was at a match in “Der Heim” had not grown up in a milieu said: “The bottom of a scrum is no place which Transvaal was playing. of sporting activities. There are virtually no for a Jewish boy.” Transvaal was batting and people stories of them being involved in sporting Perhaps she was right, because of around her were complaining that Trans- events. the 10 Jews who have played rugby for vaal had enough runs and should de- Certainly cricket and rugby were un- South Africa, only one - Okey Geffi n - was clare. Mrs Bacher got up and went to heard of and football was probably some a tight forward, always in a scrum. the players’ dressing room to speak to foreign ritual indulged in by those not of There is the story of the mama whose her son. Soon afterwards, Ali Bacher de- the Hebrew persuasion. son was hit on the nose while batting in clared Transvaal’s innings closed. When the newly-arrived Litvaks settled a cricket match and it was broken. “To He explained: “My mother said that I into domestic life here, say in Doornfon- tink,” she lamented, “dat I gave dat ingele must declare.” tein in Joburg and had families, there were such a beautiful nose!”. There is the story of a nice Jewish boy, problems from an unexpected quarter. Then as the fi rst generation of South a member of Maccabi en route to Israel, The son turned out to be a good crick- African Jewish children grew up and had who became enamoured of an air host- eter and told his father that he was playing families themselves, they encouraged esses and moved to try and kiss her. First League Sunday cricket. The father, their children to play sport; indeed Balfour She resisted and gave him a frusk. “If uncomprehendingly asked: “Tell me, from Park sports ground had football teams, you want to kiss, then there is the mezu- this you can make a living?” populated by Jewish boys, ranging in age zah by the door,” she said. Or (possibly apocryphal) the mother from under-16, through under-18, under- Sport became very much a part going to watch her son playing in a high 21 and on to senior levels. In summer of Jewish life, as it is today, both play- school rugby match, and seeing her son these boys switched to cricket. ing and following as spectators and TV tackled and a ruck form around him, re- Here is a story that has morphed over couch potatoes. And everyone is an portedly ran on to the fi eld to try and pull the years with regard to time and place, expert... VI SA JEWISH REPORT 18 - 25 June 2010 SPORTS MAD! The vexed religion versus sport dilemma

JACK MILNER which you only have a few fi ghts a year and you can dictate, to a point, SOME 60 YEARS ago soccer player when you will fi ght. Most world title Morrie Jacobson was faced with a fi ghts take place late on a Saturday dilemma. He was in England with the night, well after Shabbat is over. South African team and they had to In South Africa we have had two play a match on Yom Kippur. prominent cases of sportsmen who He came from a religious family gave up their professional sporting and his fi rst action was immediately careers to become shomrei Shabbat to tell the team manager he would - cricketer Mandy Yachad and soccer not play. However, he was told that player Warren Lewis. he had to play and if he did not, he However, both of them were at would be shipped back to South the end of their respective careers Africa and would never play for the when they made the decision, so it country again. does make it a lot easier as you are Morrie sent a telegram to his father not giving up that much. It’s much to ask for advice and the response tougher on the way up than on the came, giving Morrie his support, in way down. whatever decision he made. One person who has been faced After much thought, Morrie played with the dilemma is canoeist Shaun and sadly for him it was one he would Rubenstein, who represented South regret and the guilt came back to Africa at the Beijing Olympic Games. Shaun Rubenstein practising at Emmarentia dam, Johannesburg haunt him for the rest of his life. “In my sport, as is the case with Morrie’s dilemma is one faced by soccer, rugby and cricket, most of these are people’s jobs. just two hours before the end of the tition for the fi rst time and had to play many Jewish sportsmen because the the events take place on Saturday af- “Personally I try to keep what I can. holiday. My brother was with me and against Spain in Spain. The Saturday answer is quite simple: With the odd ternoons. If you want to compete at Whatever new city I go to I always try we each had our machzor and did was Yom Kippur but the men opted exception, you cannot do both. It has the top level you have to compete in to fi nd a shul and. even in Beijing, I our own service.” to participate. to be either sport or religion, because these events. went to shul.” Shaun ended up winning the event The reaction from home was you cannot compete on Shabbat or In Sydney in 2004, the canoeing The biggest decision in this regard and that in turn opened many doors somewhat mixed, to say the least, on a chag as is unfortunately required Olympic fi nal was on Yom Kippur. If for Shaun came in the 2006 World for him on the international stage. and there were many Israelis who by most sports. you made it, what do you do?” re- Marathon Championships, which “Looking back it was a ‘make’ de- celebrated their defeat. The obvious exception is New marked Shaun. took place in Hungary on the second cision rather than a ‘break’ decision But they made their decision and York-based boxer Yuri Foreman, who “In team sports, if you don’t play day of Rosh Hashanah. “It was really for me. But at the time, it was a tough after speaking to Harel Levy when he is studying to be a rabbi and was, the match, you forfeit your spot in a tough choice, but I decided to com- one to make.” was in South Africa, he said it had until a couple of weeks ago, a world the team and you lose income. Most pete. The K1 event only took place Last year the Israeli Davis Cup team not been taken lightly and it had been champion. But boxing is a sport in sports are no longer amateur. Today late in the afternoon so it was really reached the semifi nals of the compe- one the team had not regretted. 18 - 25 June 2010 SA JEWISH REPORT VII SPORTS MAD! Has the ‘inward turn’ left the

Julie Kaplan sports road? represented South Africa in a memorable match DAVID SAKS against a British All Star team “AS A lifelong sports fan who also happens to be Jewish, I am in 1973 which mystifi ed why Jews in the Diaspora just don’t seem to make it South Africa won to the same levels of sporting success as their gentile neigh- and again against bours. Apart, that is, from Israelis and South Africans.” a Portugese invita- This fl attering observation by UK writer Donna Greenberg is tion team which correct up to a point. In a country where sporting prowess has resulted in a 3-1 traditionally been held in high regard, South African Jews for win for South many years did not do at all badly. Certainly, their record is strik- Africa. ingly better than that of other Diaspora communities. Take rugby, for example, where from Morris Zimerman, Syd Nomis to Joel Stransky, the community produced a complete “minyan” of Jewish Springboks. Remarkably, this number is double the total of Jewish rugby internationals produced by the names, but on closer examination one fi nds that nearly all be- rest of the Diaspora combined. long to a bygone era. The cricket record is even more lopsided. At least seven Prior to around 1975, there was indeed a fairly steady stream South African Jews have won international colours as opposed of Jewish sports achievers in South Africa, but since then the to one in Australia and, it would seem, none at all elsewhere. numbers have dropped off steadily. Today, a community that In virtually every other major sport - tennis, hockey, swim- once regularly produced Springboks, no longer produces even ming, athletics, road running, soccer, karate, motor racing, provincial players. In the administrative sphere, where there was horse racing etc - individual South African Jews have made an once signifi cant Jewish involvement, there has likewise been a impact, to an extent generally exceeding that of their Diaspora considerable falling off. counterparts. Other white South Africans, certainly when judging by the Sporting success at one time went a long way towards continued white preponderance in such team sports as rugby boosting collective Jewish self-esteem. In 1963, the then SA and cricket, remain signifi cantly involved, although here too Maccabi Council Chairman Alf Blumberg, spelled this out in his there are signs that this is not always the case. foreword to Arthur Goldman’s 1963 book “Stars of David”. In football, for example, the number of white players is in The emergence of the Jew in the realm of sport during the steep decline, a fact commented upon with regret by Mr Jus- 20th century, he wrote, had “done wonders for Jewish public tice Albie Sachs recently. relations”, since by his participation in all forms of sport right A number of reasons might be suggested for the dearth of up to international level, the Jew had “clearly shown his gen- top echelon Jewish sportspeople in the contemporary era. One tile colleagues that, now freed of ghetto narrowness, he too might be the oft-commented on inward turn that the Jewish can successfully practise the ‘healthy mind in a healthy body’ community has taken post-1994. philosophy”. Maybe Jews just do not identify as much as before with the Even 50 years ago, Blumberg’s Thomas Arnold-like paean affairs of the wider society and sport, after all, has long been to athletic accomplishment had a decidedly archaic ring to it. highly politicised in this country. Part of the answer must also Already before the turn of the century - witness Colonel Albert be the greater levels of Jewish religiousity, which put Saturdays Goldsmid’s Jewish Lad’s Brigade - many Jews had become off limits and thereby make serious involvement in competitive fi xated on confounding the weak, degenerate ghetto Jew ster- sport impossible. eotype through proving their worth in the athletic arena. Then there is the end of factor, which has resulted That such words could be written in all seriousness as late in whites now having to compete on equal (indeed, in light of “af- as the 1960s, is revealing of the lingering nature of this form of fi rmative action”, often on decidedly unequal terms) with people Jewish insecurity. More positively, it would seem to at least in of colour, with the latter outnumbering them fi ve to one. Finally, part explain the relatively successful record of Jewish sports- it must always be remembered that men in South Africa up until then. the Jewish population today is sig- Fortunately, the days when Jews felt the need almost to jus- nifi cantly smaller than it was 30 years tify their existence by recording successes in the sporting fi eld ago, down from 120 000 to around are over. Could it be, however, that this has in turn contributed some 75 000. to levels of Jewish sporting achievement the world over cur- All this would explain why there rently being at such a low level? are fewer top Jewish sports-people As intimated, Greenberg’s exclusion of South African Jewry out there today, but it does not seem from her general lament about Jewish sporting under-achieve- to be the whole story. If the Jewish ment, needs qualifi cation. Certainly, the record throws up a fair cocommunitymmunity could in the past pro- number of important duduce competitors as ac- complished as, to name just a few, Syd Nomis, Wilf Rosenberg, Ali Bacher, Ilana Kloss, Shane Dorfman and Shaun Rubenstein, surely it could do so today? It is hard to disagree with the prominent Jewish sports personal- ity Raymond Hack when he says that Jews today simply lack the necessary hunger to succeed when it comes to higherhigher level sport.sp WhateverWhatever the reasons, the reality todaytoday is that post-schoolpost Jews now- adaysadays are involvedinvolve in sport primarily as spectators ratherrath than as partici- pants,pants, and there area no signs of the situationsituation changingchanging in the near future. VIII SA JEWISH REPORT 18 - 25 June 2010