The Fourteenth Congress of the SAJBD in Johannesburg, May 24th to 27th, 1945.
National Service. (Between 1939 and 1945)
The War Service Council embarked on an intensive campaign with the object of stimulating the war effort. Mass meetings of the community were held in appropriate centres, and addresses were delivered by speakers on behalf of the Board in support of the new recruiting appeal which had just been made by General Smuts. The opportunity was taken of the approaching High Festivals to ask the Jewish ministers to deliver sermons to their congregations on the subject of national service and this action was repeated in subsequent years on the occasion of the principal Jewish holidays. The War Service Council co-operated to the best of its ability with Captain H. Serebro, the Jewish recruiting officer who had been appointed by the Director of Recruiting to work among the Jewish community. In May, 1943, the Director of Recruiting, Col. G. C. G. Werdmuller, addressed the War Service Council and expressed his satisfaction with the work that they had done. In the middle of 1944 the authorities set on foot a new recruiting campaign for reinforcements for the 6th S.A. Armoured Division. The War Service Council conferred with Major Maxwell, Chief Recruiting Officer for the Witwatersrand, and also with members of the recruiting team which had been sent down to the Union from the 6th Division. One member of the team was a Jewish officer, Capt. Greenfield. Another Jewish officer of the Division, Capt. Beron, who was on leave in the Union at the time, voluntarily placed himself at the disposal of the War Service Council. An intensive campaign was thereupon launched. As part of a general appeal for recruits issued by several representative bodies, a statement was also published by the President of the Board. A letter, embodying his statement, was later sent by him to all Jewish householders. The two Jewish officers addressed numerous meetings of Jewish organisations, and particular attention was paid to students at the universities. The Jewish press were supplied with publicity material and co-operated excellently in the campaign. As the available statistics showed, the Jewish Community did its fair share in securing the results achieved by the campaign. The War Service Council also continued its work of negotiating with employers where necessary, for the provision of allowances for employees (whether Jewish or non-Jewish) who were desirous of joining up, so that no man who wished to do so should be debarred on account of financial circumstances. From time to time steps were taken to bring the claims of the National Volunteer Brigade, the Civic Guards and the St. John's Ambulance Brigade to the notice of men and women unable to join full-time units. 2 The War Service Council, in all its propaganda, did not neglect to urge those whose age or state of health prevented them from rendering direct national service to contribute to their utmost to the Governor-General's National War Fund and other war funds. Mr. Cecil Éyons continued to represent the Board on the National Council of the Governor-General's National War Fund, and despite the many calls on his time, he flung himself into the work whith such ardour and enthusiasm that (in his personal capacity) he was appointed a member of the National Executive of the Fund, and Chairman of its Fund-Raising Committee.
The Board continued its work of compiling statistics and other information relative to the war service of members of the South African Jewish community.
The number of South African Jewish men and women who served in the South African and Allied Forces since the outbreak of war is just under 10,000 (9,862 as at February 20th, 1945).
The total number of casualties at that date was 1,129 :
Deaths, 283 :
Wounded or Injured, 309 ;
Missing, 28 :
Prisoners of War, 509.
The number of decorations and awards was 170, the great majority of them being for bravery in action.
The following are the details :
O.B.E., 6 ;
M.B.E., 14 ;
M.C., 8 ;
D.F.C., 14 ;
A.F.C., 1 ;
D.C.M., 1 ;
M.M. 17 ;
D.F.M., 2 ;
B.E.M., 2 ;
Purple Heart, 1 ;
Mentioned in Despatches, 87 ;
Gazetted, 4 ;
Commandations (Military), 13.
The War Service Register department is still to a large extent dependent on the soldiers themselves, or their relatives, for up-to-date information about promotions, awards and decorations, etc., and we take this opportunity of expressing the hope of continued collaboration in this respect from members of the community. To all those who have given their lives to safeguard our existence and our liberty in the fight against Nazism, and in particular to the many thousands of Jewish soldiers among . them, the Jewish community pays a humble tribute, and offers its sincere condolences to their relatives. Writing on the eve of final victory over the Nazis, we look forward to the return of the members of the Forces to their homes. We renew the community's pledge never to forget the debt we owe them and to do all in our power to facilitate their reintegration into civilian life. It is timely to express our hope that a large number of our Jewish Springboks will play their part in communal affairs. They will bring with • them a fresh outlook and an invigorating influence. It will be in their power to make a large contribution towards Jewish communal life. At the present time there are six full-time Jewish' chaplains to the forces " up north " and in the Union there are five full-time and thirteen part-time chaplains. To all .the Jewish chaplains to the forces, both those who are still serving and those who have served, we offer our warm thanks for their devoted labours on behalf of the Jewish members of the forces.
Jewish Brigade. The Board welcomed the formation of the Jewish Brigade in September, 1944, and a telegram of good wishes was sent to the Commanding Officer and personnel of the Brigade. 3 Soldiers' Welfare.
During the period when large numbers of South African troops were stationed in Egypt, the Board, through the Jewish chaplains in Egypt, was instrumental in facilitating visits, by Jewish and non-Jewish members of the forces, to Palestine. Donations were made to the Jewish Soldiers Welfare Committees in Palestine which were showing so much hospitality to the visiting troops. The War Emergency Council continued its work of seconding the efforts of the Jewish Chaplains to the forces by providing in many ways for the welfare of the Jewish soldiers. Gifts were distributed to the men and women "u p north" on the occasion of the major festivals. How these gifts were appreciated, could be judged from the hundreds of letters that the Board received on each occasion from the recipients, who expressed their pleasure at the contact that was being maintained with them by the Jewish Community. A happy feature was that non-Jewish members of the Forces sometimes shared in these distributions, and many appreciative letters were received from them. When the 6th S.A. Armoured Division went to Italy, the Board provided a mobile Synagogue for the use of its Chaplains. At the instance of the Board, the Union of Jewish Women defrayed the cost of the religious appurtenances and the furnishings for the synagogue that the military authorities were good enough to construct for the use of the Jewish members of the forces at Voortrekkerhoogte. The Board was also instrumental in securing furnishings for the non-denominational Chapel at Zonderwater. The Board defrayed the cost of furnishing the Jewish Chaplains' quarters at Voortrekkerhoogte. One very important branch of the work of the War Emergency Council was the provision of reading matter for the troops. Large quantities of suitable books and periodicals were purchased, and regularly despatched to the Chaplains. A large number of copies of the Board's monthly periodical Jewish Affairs, and pamphlets dealing with Jewish subjects were sent regularly to Jewish members of the forces. In all, over the past two years, 18,000 books of Jewish interest were sent to our men in the forces (exclusive of pamphlets and journals). Though the emphasis was laid on ameliorating the lot of the members of the forces up North, the welfare of Jewish soldiers in the Union was not lost sight of. Gifts were distributed on suitable occasions to Jewish patients of the military hospitals and convalescent homes. Among other services rendered, steps were taken to facilitate the provision of seats for soldiers in the synagogues at the time of the high festivals. The War Emergency Council interested itself in the Prisoners of War Relatives Association, and annual donations have been made towards the expense of the Association's monthly magazine. From time to time the Board received requests to look after the welfare of Jewish members of the Imperial forces stationed in East and West Africa, as owing to transport difficulties, the Jewish authorities in England could 4 not conveniently do so themselves. It goes without saying that whenever possible these requests were complied with. The opportunity must be taken to mention that the S.A. Jewish soldiers, whilst stationed in Italy, have benefited from the services of the Jewish National Welfare Board of the United States which makes such remarkable provision for the Jewish members of the United States Forces. Inter alia the National Welfare Board sent supplies of its excellent literature for the use of the South African men. Repeated testimony has been paid by the chaplains to the work of the Board. Typical is a letter from Rabbi W. Hirsch, the Principal Jewish Chaplain, expressing the sincere thanks of the Jewish chaplains and soldiers for " the great and noble work that the Board has done for them during the past year. I should like to assure you that your assistance to the Chaplains both up north and in the Union, has been invaluable and of inestimable benefit to our boys." Soldiers י Assistance Committee. It has been accepted as a major obligation of the S.A. Jewish War Appeal (as also of its predecessor the United S.A. Jewish War Appeal) to render assistance to soldiers and their dependants in cases of hardship arising from War Service. A substantial sum has been set aside for this purpose and it is administered by the Board's Soldiers Assistance Committee. The Committee works in close collaboration with the Governor General's National War Fund and the Demobilisation Committees and has already been able to do a large amount of useful work. Other Phases of War Effort. It has been a matter of gratification that Jewish men and women have collaborated so wholeheartedly with their fellow-citizens in all phases of the war effort on the home front. In addition, we wish to single out for commendation the various Jewish efforts on behalf of all members of the forces without distinction of religious denomination. The Soldiers' Canteen conducted by the Jewish Ex-Service League at the Jewish Guild, Johannesburg, and the billeting service of the Sisterhood of the Johannesburg Jewish Reform Congregation, the Durban Jewish Club Soldiers' Canteen and the Services Club of the East London Jewish Community have done particularly valuable work. Austerity in Wartime. The Board felt it necessary to give a lead to the Jewish Community with a view to the avoidance of " ostentatious festivities " and the practice of austerity in wartime. Conferences were held with representatives pf the Jewish Congregations, and leaflets on the subject were issued.