Although there were several English and German Jews among the early pioneers in South Africa, it was not until the nineties that there was any continuous stream of Jewish immigration, mostly of East European Jews who had left Russia because of the pogroms, Mr. S. Jacobi, who has just returned to Europe, from his tour in South Africa on-behalf of the O.R.T.-Oze-Emigdirekt, said to the J.T.A. Now the Jewish population of South Africa is over 80,000 souls, constituting 4.3 per cent. of the entire white population of the country. 90 per cent, of them are settled in the towns. The majority, about 70 per cent. are engaged in trading, 16 per cent. in industry and artisanship, and about 4 per cent. in the professions. The stream of non-Jewish population into the towns, engaging in trade and the professions, Mr. Jacobi said, has caused keen economic competition, which is manifesting itself in antisemitic tendencies which are becoming very marked in public life.
There is also a severe economic crisis in South Africa, especially in Jewish trading, Mr. Jacobi said. In spite of that, the appeal of the O.R.T.-Oze-Emigdirekt, found wide support among all sections of South African Jewry, and Sir George Albu, Judge Greenberg, Chief Rabbi Dr. J. L. Landau, Rev. Bender and Mr. Morris Alexander headed the influential committee in Johannesburg.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
