Judge Rules for Jewish Colonial Trust in South African Estate Dispute

Supreme Court Justice Tatham of South Africa today rendered a judgment in favor of the Jewish Colonial Trust in the dispute between the Jewish Colonization Association and the Trust over the interpretation of the will of Albert Solomon Nathan of Pietermaritzburg, who left $1,650,000 to be given 50 years after his death to the “Jewish Colonization Trust” for the purpose of creating funds named after him for the restoration of the Jews in Palestine. As the result of the name “Jewish Colonization Trust,” which is a non-existent organization, the Jewish Colonial Trust and the Jewish Colonization Association both claimed the estate. Judge Tatham ruled that the use of the word “colonization” instead of “colonial” was due to some unascertained error and that Mr. Nathan had intended the Jewish Colonial Trust to be his heir.