Consecrated 1926

The Morris Kramer Lodge of the Hebrew Order of David was established in 1926, and in the following year, the Morris Kramer Hall was built to honour one of the congregation’s most distinguished presidents.

King Williams Town

King William’s Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 60 kilometres North West of the Indian Ocean port of East London. The town is part of Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape.

King, as the town is locally called, stands 389 m above the sea at the foot of the Amathole Mountains and in the midst of a densely populated agricultural district. King William’s Town is the second most populous city in Buffalo City, with a population near 100,000 inhabitants. Read more .....

Naming of the Lodge 

King William’s Town became highly industrialized, and Jews contributed significantly to this development. Among the early industrial pioneers were Franz Ginsberg who started a match factory in 1886, followed by a candle factory and a soap works; Morris Kramer, who is regarded as the founder of the tanning industry; Morris and Moses Shapiro opened King’s Clothing Manufacturers in 1924; and Chazkel Alperstein and Isaac Gell pioneered the local flour milling industry.

Jews in King Williams Town

King William’s Town is situated on the banks of the Buffalo River in the Eastern Cape, 54 km north-west of East London and 114 km north-east of Grahamstown. Read more...