Highlands House history
The Home at Incholm Place
The original building was single-storeyed with some garden at the back and a Victorian-style front veranda directly onto the street. Its address was given as Incholm Place, facing Wandel and Hope Streets. Once it was renovated, it acquired a second storey. It could house between 14 and 30 residents. With an enclosed garden, it was described in the SA Jewish Chronicle of 25 June 1920 as nestling “amidst the surrounding houses, almost looking as an oasis of greenery amidst a desert of bricks and mortar.”
The reporter visited the Home and described it in these terms:
“As one entered the Home -referred to as the Meshev Zekenim- there was a lounge to the left, opposite which was a reception and board room that was “suitably furnished and tastefully decorated with biblical pictures presented by Reverend AP Bender.” There was an office, telephone room, the matron’s sleeping quarters, and a private office. There was also a spacious dining room, a large kitchen -with an excellent range, hot water supply and large gas stove- and a sitting room for the residents where “several inmates [were] sitting around a cheerful fire…”.
There were fifteen bedrooms, located both upstairs and on the ground floor, described as “infinitely superior to those supplied in the average boarding house”. Of those on the ground floor, quite a number opened onto an enclosed palm court described as providing a “charming sitting out place for the old people to spend their long evenings”. The furniture too was of superior quality. The beds were made of oak, with “a full suite of oak even to the washing stand, chest of drawers and wardrobes. At the same time, there are fixed cupboards in the wall so that every possible convenience is afforded.” There were small carpets on the floor. The ceilings were made of beaverboard “so that there is nothing to depress, but everything is as cheery as possible.”
But most of all, the reporter waxed lyrical about the bathrooms, mainly the three on the ground floor that were compared to mikvehs, Jewish ritual baths.
“Built of marble, they are almost large enough for use as mikvehs. One steps down to them using two or three marble steps like women do to the traditional baths demanded by the Din.”
With the opening of the Home, besides monetary contributions, gifts in kind flooded in. They included foodstuffs (meat, chickens, eggs, herrings, fruit, vegetables, cheese, butter, cream, sugar, brandy, wine, cakes, jelly), clothing (trousers, jackets, shirts, gaiters, ties, collars, hats, boots, scarves, shoes including boots, goloshes, slippers), chairs, blankets, a clock, kitchen utensils including crockery, cutlery, cooking pots. Every item was recorded meticulously next to the donor’s name, and even the fact that one shilling coin was found in the pocket of a garment was noted.
The Policansky Brothers and Mr M Pevsner of African Tobacco Manufacturers supplied regular provisions of tobacco and cigarettes, Castle Wine and Brandy provided regular supplies, Bashew Bros provided mineral water, Irving and Johnson and Swerling & Co provided regular supplies of fish. Jewish tradespeople were approached for gifts in kind, and collection boxes were placed in every Jewish Home.
The second annual General meeting on 11 September 1922 declared that the GBP 6,000 for the house had been paid off and that “even if only GBP 40 remains in the bank, we must not lose heart.” On 30 December 1923, the modest credit balance stood at GBP 179. More money was needed to install much-needed bells in the rooms, and more money was required in 1925 to replace the galvanised iron geysers with copper geysers.
In 1923, two added rooms were erected thanks to the generosity of Mr M Eilenberg. During 1926 and 1927, Eilenberg financed an entire new wing containing 10 “large and airy rooms”. At the same time, the dining room was enlarged and “a wonderful bedroom” was added upstairs. The new wing was opened officially on 2 October 1927. It was evident that with the demand and popularity of the Jewish Aged Home, it would sooner or later become necessary to construct a new building with provision for more residents and additional staff.
In May 1926, a ‘fowl house’ was erected to provide eggs for the residents. It remained in operation until October 134, when the question of its removal was referred to the Lady’s Committee.
In 1929, with the onset of the Great Depression worldwide, all charities suffered. Whereas until 1928, revenue had been rising till it reached GBP 2,595, within the next two years, there was a deficit of GBP 152. In 1923, former mayor Hyman Liberman, who had been invaluable in acquiring Municipal and other benefits, passed away. In 1931, another three of the major supporters of the Home, Maurice Eilenberg, Eli Buirski MP and Councillor Saul Albow, passed away. By 1932, extra accommodation was so urgent that an additional house was hired near Incholm Place at 25 Dunkley Square for GBP 6 a month in July.
Acknowledgement
We profoundly thank Veronica Penkin Belling, who meticulously compiled most of our historical archives into a Centennial Volume published in 2016, ISBN 0780620718110. Her work is a testament to the importance of preserving our past and the invaluable insights it provides into the Jewish history of the Western Cape.