Our Roots
The Sephardi Hebrew Congregation of Cape Town is the spiritual and communal home of some of the descendants of Rhodes Island, (now) Greece. Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents left Rhodes Island in the 1910s to 1930s, seeking economic opportunities and freedom in the new worlds. They travelled into the unknown, following paths laid out by pioneer family and friends, recreating communities in the Belgian Congo (now DRC) and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
From there, most were forced to move again and many migrated to South Africa, Cape Town mostly, and Johannesburg. And seemingly once again, new generations are feeling threatened and moving again to diverse parts of the world, in an apparently never-ending migration.
Our Work Today
This trust tells their story, and seeks to offer a north star to guide them on their journey, such that they may move forward in life, never forgetting who they are and where they came from. It seeks to provide a comprehensive path to celebrate their life cycles as their parents did, to tread the spiritual path with the customs of their grandparents, and to hand to their children the knowledge they will need to continue the chain. We find comfort in the customs surrounding our food, our language and tunes, out life cycle celebrations, and the sensory manifestation of our spirituality, and this Trust aims to protect the knowledge of those, through the generations.
Our Team
This project was made possible by the contribution of many people, and we hope the ongoing contribution of many more, as they add information and fill the gaps over time.
I need to express my immense gratitude to these individuals, without whom this project as it is, would never have seen the light of day.
Tracey Franco – my wife, whose passing comment on a Table Mountain hike sparked this project, and whose support nurtured it.
Karen Kallman – the lead researcher on this project, whose understanding of Rhodesli Sephardi culture, while not native to her, allowed her to find and compile relevance, in a sea of information. Her research skills, enthusiasm for, and commitment to, this project, ensured that not many stones remained unturned in the search for information.
The Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town, and especially Reviva Hasson for her guidance and insights, and Adam Mendelsohn for providing the centres’ support. Elizabeth Visser for conducting the interviews of our 2nd generation Rhodesli’s with such empathy, and success
Paolo Franco, for developing this incredible website, and constantly striving to improve on the presentation of what is the guide for him, and his generation. Assisting him with beautiful designs, Natalie Hoal, ensured that we cannot but be certain that we are from Rhodes.
Chiara Franco, for painstakingly transcribing interviews, and for creatively finding ways in today’s technological world, of presenting image content.
Sebastiano Franco, for while he was not aware of it, served throughout the project as the symbol of a beneficiary of the trust, being a young adult, who has migrated to new pastures, NOT physically surrounded by family, who may need a link to his heritage, to guide the ongoing development of his identity.
Many descendants provided input, and I would like to thank Stella Hanan, in Harare, for the incredible research she had previously conducted and provided to all our communities, which guided many parts of our research, and her enthusiasm for assisting to broaden the knowledge base by contributing to this project.
JoJo Mallel, Isaac Habib, and Moise Soriano in Cape Town each have unique knowledge and resources to contribute to any project on this subject.
Our interviewees for sharing their family stories and generational knowledge, which were critical in ensuring this project provided the focus on the African path of immigration.
Ike & Mattie Hasson – Tel Aviv
Ricca Israel & Jacque Franco – Cape Town
Vivienne and Vic Capelouto – Cape Town
Moise Soriano – Cape Town
Jo Jo Malele – Cape Town
Isaac Habib – Cape Town
Stella Hanan – Harare
Maurice Turiel – Tel Aviv
Gerald Menashe – Johannesburg
Many Rhodesli emigrants and descendants have produced immense amounts of information, and art, each of which contributes to the fabric that is this history and culture. We stand on all their shoulders as it is their efforts and contributions over many years in so many formats, which we have found, reviewed, compiled and presented, either as information or as additional resources of information.
Our Vision for the Future
There is so much information that it is impossible to present it all here, and this Trust does not try to do that. It strives to provide summarised information, with directions to further information for anyone who seeks more.
I hope that it will be a living resource for the ages, into which further information can always and regularly be added, with the input of those who use it, so that it constantly works towards achieving completeness, which of course it never will.
I apologize in advance for the errors and omissions which a project of this nature is bound to have and commit to remedying them as they become apparent.
To that end, I ask each of you reading this, to dig deep into your knowledge, and where you have information to share, be it personal stories, family anecdotes, family documented history, heirlooms, images, videos, or audio, which could add depth to this project, so please contact us, using the contact page, and share with all of us, for the benefit of all of us.
Thank You
Isy Franco
Explore Our Heritage
Dive deeper into the vibrant culture, history, and traditions of Sephardi heritage through these curated sections.