Jewish Life Vol V

398 S outhern H ighveld Congregation. He served in the Home Guard in Cape Town during WorldWar II, undertaking regular patrol duties despite being well into his seventies. David Friedmann, the son of Aron and Fanny Friedmann, was born in Gezina, Pretoria, on 7 April 1908. He moved to Carolina with his family and attended the government school there. In 1924, he joined the Reuter South African Press Agency (later the South African Press Association– SAPA) as an office boy. He became the youngest reporter in the Press Gallery of the House of Assembly and toured with many political leaders. He was appointed acting editor of the Press Agency and became its first London-based editor in 1938. DuringWorldWar II, he was also a war correspondent. A month before the collapse of Germany he travelled with General Smuts to San Francisco where the foundations of the United Nations were laid. He returned to South Africa in 1958 as editor of SAPA, a position he held for a further 14 years. He passed away in Johannesburg in March 1995. E conomic C ontribution Carolina Jews were businessmen and service providers in the town, among them doctors, pharmacists, general dealers and hoteliers. Mr Elkonowitz was a farmer in Chrissiesmeer, while the Bartkunsky brothers owned the Carolina Roller Mills from 1937 to 1942.The mill was later owned by Mr MGTooch. A ntisemitism When provincial elections were held in 1936, the openly antisemitic Blackshirts Party fielded official candidates in five Transvaal constituencies, including Carolina, where JWVorster was the party’s candidate. However, he was defeated. A United Party meeting held in Carolina in August 1936 was attended by Col Reitz, the minister of agriculture. He condemned the activities of the Blackshirts and threatened to destroy them. He also said that although he disapproved of trade boycotts, he understood the Jewish motivation for boycotting German goods. In 1937 there was anti-Jewish activity in the outlying districts.The SAJBD asked Mr Bartkunsky to maintain contact with Jews in these areas and to distribute pamphlets to counteract antisemitic propaganda. Millie Sandler, c1910. (Courtesy Isme Bennie)