M M Ussishkin Lodge

Consecrated 1924

The Lodge was originally named the Witbank Lodge but  the name was changed in 1944

The Lodge participated in all Jewish activities in the town and the district, and it helped largely in the building of the communal Hall; in 1939. During the Second World War the members of the Lodge who proceeded on active service were cared for, and a most effective system of rehabilitation was embarked upon when they returned.

In 1944 this Lodge applied for and was granted permission to rename itself the M M Ussishkin Lodge after the great Zionist Leader of that name.

The vibrant Jewish community of Witbank continued to play a noteworthy role in the affairs of South African Jewry. It was a strong outpost of the Zionist movement whose influence was indeed formidable. Large sums were raised for all the Zionist Campaign and no overseas emissary failed to visit Witbank.

The Lodge maintained its activities with speakers visiting Witbank regularly and the brethren from nearby Middelburg attended meetings regularly. Visits were also undertaken to sister Lodges in Bethal and Springs and from time to time the Lodge meetings were held in Middelburg.

The 1960’s began to see the decline of the rural Jewish communities. Whereas Witbank itself had become a large mining and industrial town with the population trebling in numbers within a decade, the Jewish community was shrinking on numbers. Young people had left to go to University in the big cities and never returned.

The Shul which had been the hub of Jewish communal activities but was now situated in the centre of the Commercial Centre was sold and a beautiful Jewish Centre was built in the suburbs. It was hoped that the new centre would cater for a growing Jewish community in the Eastern Transvaal. Alas, this does not appear to have materialised.

Because of the proximity to the Military Camp the Lodge took upon itself to cater to the needs of the Jewish trainees who would attend Shul on Friday nights and be entertained to supper by the community.

Towards the end of 1982 the Lodge decided to go into recess as it could no longer muster a quorum for meetings and the Lodge finally handed back its Charter to the Grand Lodge. Among those who played a noteworthy part in the Lodge activities was Wor Bro Barney Hope, Wor Bro Les Gafenowitz. Wor Bro S J Young and Wor Bro Vic Burman.

Witbank

Witbank, renamed eMalahleni in 2006, is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the eMalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for "white ridge", and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested. The city is known for the coal-mining in the surrounding region. Read more....

Witbank Jewish Community

Read Witbank Jewish Community by Barry Mann

History of Witbank

See Witbank Website and History

Naming of the Lodge

Menachem Mendel Ussishkin, Hebrew: מנחם אוסישקין‬) (August 14, 1863 – October 2, 1941) was a Russian-born Zionist leader and head of the Jewish National Fund. Read more