The Raleigh Street Synagogue in Central, Port Elizabeth, will be turned into a memorial to Jewish pioneers in the city if a proposal to have it proclaimed a national monument is approved. The synagogue, the oldest surviving one in Port Elizabeth, fell into disuse in the late 1960’s.
The proposal to have it proclaimed a national monument was recently supported by the City Council. It was rescued by the Synagogue and Youth Foundation from the vandalism and destruction that have overtaken many of the city’s historic buildings.
A spokesman for the Foundation said that they planned to develop the building as a memorial to the Jewish pioneers “who contributed so much, not only to the development of their own community but also to the economic, civic and cultural progress of the city and its hinterlands.” He said the history of the Jewish community in the Eastern Cape dates back to 1820 when 18 Jews arrived with the British settlers.
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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.
