Kupisker Society

Johannesburg

The Kupisker Society in Johannesburg was founded by Benzion Rieback who was from Malat. It was through his wife Dina Levinson Alitsky, who was a Kupishoker, that he became involved in the Society.

The following is the 15th Anniversary Program for the Kupisker Society. According to Fay Trapido Morris, daughter of Israel Trapido, she attended the event as a child. Although she understood the Yiddish that was spoken, she was a little bored by all the activities as there weren't that many children who came.

She remembered that there was a Yiddish singer. In addition, there was a representative of the large group of Kupishokers who settled in South America. He was called upon to speak about the activities of the Jewish community there. While she does not recall his name, she does know that there were numerous Kupishokers in Argentina (Isaac Bedil) and Brazil (Batya Trapido Boyer).

15th Anniversary Program for the Kupishker Society, Johannesburg, SA
Wednesday, August 11, 1954 (Photo courtesy of Colin Levin, Johannesburg, SA)

Kupisker Society, Johannesburg, Oshry Get-Together, 1947

The photo was taken in 1947 upon the occasion of the visit to South Africa by Rabbi Ephraim Oshry and his wife. Rabbi Oshry, who was born in Kupiskis, survived the Kovno Ghetto during World War II and wrote the Yiddish book "Churban Lita" in 1951, which was later translated into English in 1995 as "The Annihilation of Lithuanian Jewry". After the War, Rabbi Oshry settled in New York. As you see in the photograph, a number of his siblings and cousins and their wives attended the get-together.

The chart below, which shows the names of the attendees, was put together with the assistance of Rabbi Oshry's brother Max and his wife Anne Oshry, Gertie Shmidt Suttner, her husband Ron and sisters, and Ivor Berger and his mother. Please let us know if you recognize or can identify any of the individuals in the photograph who are presently listed as unknown or their first names are unknown.

Photo contributed by Ivor Berger

Row	L/R	Last Name	First Name	Comments
Top, 1	1	Krum	Jack
Top, 1	2	Trapido	Simson (Simon)	Son of Mendel Trapido and Frume-Leah Gafanovich. Brother of Morris Trapedo.
Top, 1	3	Joffe	Unknown
Top, 1	4	Herring	Leslie	Husband of Fruma Bedil Herring. Son of Isaac Herring and Nechame Gafanovich.
Top, 1	5	Frank	Leib	Had twin sons, one Alan Frank
Top, 1	6	Zindel / Cindel	Berka/Barry	Brother of Lepke. Known as Chandler
Top, 1	7	Brin	Lepke
Top, 1	8	Trapedo	Meske (Morris)	Son of Mendel Trapido and Frume-Leah Gafanovich.
Top, 1	9	Oshry	Abe	Brother of Rabbi Ephraim Oshry (?)
Top, 1	10	Hurwitz	Israel	Father of twins Meyer and Menasha Hurwitz
Top, 1	11	Joffe	Khaim	Son of Berko Kaufman Joffe. Father of David Joffe
Top, 1	12	Joffe	Tsipa	Daughter of Leiba. Wifeof Khaim Joffe. Mother of David Joffe.
Top, 1	13	Joffe	David	Son of Khaim and Tsipe Joffe
Top, 1	14	Smidt	Shmuel	Son of Benzion Smidt
2	15	Unknown	Unknown
2	16	Rybak / Rieback	Leah-Dinah Levinson Aka Alitsky	Wife of Benzion Rybak / Rieback. Born Kupishok.
2	17	Rybak / Rieback	Benzion	Founder Kupisker Society. Born Molotai.
2	18	Unknown	Unknown
2	19	Unknown	Unknown
2	20	Smidt	Nechame-Muse Smidt	Daughter of Elchonon Smidt and Sora Dworsky. Wife of Shmuel Smidt
2	21	Hurvitz	Base Kagan	Wife of Israel Hurvitz. Mother of twins Meyer and Menashe Hurvitz
2	22	Joffe	Mrs.
2	23	Hurwitz	Feival	Husband of Fania Hurwitz (38)
2	24	Kaplan	Unknown
2	25	Berkovitz	Bessie Muzikant
2	26	Yachelevitz	Sonia	Wife of Monke Yachilevich, known as Yale, had no children
2	27	Yachelevitz	Monke	Known as Yale. One brother, who was a soldier in the Red Army and died on D-Day, married Fay Trapido Morris's aunt. Another brother was a doctor in England and had no children.
2	28	Blacher	Unknown	A tailor, specializing in riding britches. Daughter stage/costume designer
2	29	Zin	Unknown
3	30	Oshry	Anne	Wife of Mottel (Max) Oshry
3	31	Oshry	Dora
3	32	Oshry	Sara
3	33	Scheftz	Chava	Max Oshry said her name was Chana Zheftz, maiden name Press or Presiate. Came to SA in 1938. Husband Bennie. Her brother married the sister of Ivor Berger's father.
3	34	Mayerson	Sonia	Wife of Rufka Mayerson. Lived on a kibbutz in Israel
3	35	Smidt	Avrum	Son of Shabsa and Ida Smidt.
3	36	Oshry	Ephraim	Rabbi Ephraim Oshry, Guest of Honor
3	37	Barash	Beila-Judis
3	38	Hurwitz	Fania (Fanny)	Wife of Feival Hurwitz (23)
3	39	Smidt	Unknown
3	40	Drobis	Esther Smith	Divorced Husband Max Drobis, 1942.
3	41	Herring	Fruma Bedil	Wife of Leslie Herring
3	42	Unknown	Unknown
4	43	Oshry	Mottel (Max)	Brother of Rabbi Ephraim Oshry
4	44	Oshry	Harry	Cousin of Rabbi Ephraim Oshry
4	45	Unknown	Unknown
4	46	Mayerson	Rufka	Husband of Sonia Mayerson.
4	47	Berger	Josef
4	48	Oshry	Lepke	Cousin of Rabbi Ephraim Oshry
4	49	Oshry	Shmuel	Brother of Rabbi Ephraim Oshry
4	50	Trapido	Israel	Son of Yankel Trapido and Tila-Pesha. Husband of Ethel Segal Trapido
4	51	Zindel / Cindel	Lepke	Known as Chandler, lived in Orange Grove, SA. Had a shop in Welcom. Wife Rhoda, son Jeffrey and a daughter.

Special thanks to Barry Mann for all his help with the photo.


From the Zionist Record, August 20, 1954	South African Jewish Board of Deputies Archive

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