Bethal Lodge

Consecrated in August 1950

Bethal is a small town in South Africa. At the time of the Consecration the Lodge attracted the Jewish farming community from the district. It is worth noting that some of the Consecration Ceremony was conducted in Yiddish.

The Lodge and the town suffered a tragedy with the untimely passing of Rev I Swartz, a stalwart of the Lodge and the Community.

Bethal boasted a beautiful Shul and Installations were held annually and were well attended by Brethren from around the country.  Migration to the cities and a dwindling community led to the closure of the Lodge in 1983. Visits to Lodges

Bethal

Bethal is a farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The farms in the region produce maize, sunflower seeds, sorghum, rye and potatoes. The town lies 155 km east of Johannesburg.

Jews in Bethal

There is little information available as to when the first Jews arrived in the area but by as early as 1903 Jacob Sherman had settled in the area and was performing duties as a shochet (ritual slaughterer).Read more....