Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#Jewish Synagogue
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 62
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE - 42 Fenter Street
What is the story here?
The hall was sold to the Free Masons. The Heidelberg Free Mason’s Lodge holds it’s warrant from the Grand Lodge of England. There were claims that Heidelberg’s lodge was the second oldest lodge in the then Transvaal. The building in Fenter street was never used as the Freemasons Lodge for meetings, as far as can be established. The Free Masons Temple was next to the Old Heidelberg Club, in Verwoerd Street, which has since been demolished.
Article from the 12th October 2022 edition of the Heidelberg/Nigel Herald.
On October 7, Tony Burisch of the Heidelberg Heritage Association awarded the latest Blue Plaque for Heritage status to the Hall at 42 Fenter Street.
The Hall was built as the Synagogue for the Heidelberg Jewish Community. The Jewish Cemetery can be located at the far northern end of Fenter Street.
Jewish Services was held from +-1893. It started in Heidelberg Town Hall.
The foundation stone for the Synagogue was laid in 1929.
The Jewish Synagogue Hall in Fenter Street is estimated to be erected by +-1930.
The cost for the erection of the Synagogue at the time was around £2500.
Free Masonry started in South Africa in +-1772. The Heidelberg Lodge started September 15, 1890.
The first master of the Heidelberg Lodge was Mr. WB Crosby. Other Masters were Mr. A van Geusau, Mr. GC Bär and Dr Edward John Nixon. Dr Nixon served as Master of the Free Mason’s in 1907/8 and again 1914.
Edward Nixon was commissioned as a Lieutenant and took over command of Vallentin’s Heidelberg Volunteers when Major John Vallentin left in 1901.
Nixon was the local doctor in Heidelberg. Nixon’s wife Ellen Elizabeth Phillipson Nixon died by being smothered by their cat while sleeping after recuperating from an illness in 1935.
Both Nixon and his wife are buried in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery. Nixon passed away on September 16, 1935
Over the years the hall was hired out for dancing lessons and social events.
The nickname the hall had was “Die Blou Kerkie”
Masonic Lodge
The Heidelberg Lodge, No. 2354, holds its warrant from the Grand Lodge of England, dated Feb. 10. 1890, and claim to be the second oldest Lodge in the Transvaal, though officially it ranks as fifth on the Roll of Honour. The first Master of the Lodge was a Mr. W.B. Crosby. Of old past Masters still alive are Dr. Nixon – a Charter Member – who was W.M. in 1897-99, Mr. A. van Geusau (W.M. 1896-7), and Mr. G.C.Bür. The Temple in _______ Street was built in _______.
(Source” Noel Roberts unpublished book “The Story of Heidelberg” 1938)
Jewish Synagogue
The local Synagogue is only of recent date. For many years services were held in the Masonic Temple. The present building in Venter Street was erected in 1930 at a cost of £2,500 on ground presented by the late Mr. A.Abrahamson.
(Source” Noel Roberts unpublished book “The Story of Heidelberg” 1938)
Note from Tony: I took dancing lessons with David here in the early 2000s and with my second wife learning the Walz for our wedding.
