South African Jewish Museum
Normal Price: Adult – R200 | Child – R100
What you get: Free entry into the museum (photo ID required for all visitors)
Journey back to the early roots of the South Africa’s Jewish community and the important people who have shaped the country
Discover the early roots of the vibrant South African Jewish community in this historical building, visit the Cape Town Holocaust Centre on the first floor and watch the emotional documentary “Nelson Mandela: A Righteous Man”
South African Jewish Museum Highlights
- Historical building of Cape Town
- Hosts different exhibitions
- Cape Town Holocaust Centre’s emotional experience
- Includes Nelson Mandela: A Righteous Man documentary viewing
OVERVIEW
Take a journey back to the early roots of the South African Jewish community with interactive displays, audio-visual presentations, and rare and fascinating artefacts. Marvel at the modern architecture of the museum itself, the contents of which mirror the fusion between the past and present.
Note the museum’s notable drawbridge feature, connecting the Old Synagogue to the new museum building, which symbolises a ship’s gangway along which immigrants would have been expected to walk. Don’t miss an opportunity to view the world’s finest collections of Netsuke–carved, miniature Japanese sculptures originating from the 17th Century. After an informative afternoon, enjoy a break at the museum’s Café Riteve restaurant.
HISTORY
Founded by Mendel Kaplan, the South African Jewish Museum was officially opened by former president Nelson Mandela in 2000. Though still relatively new, the museum has deep historic roots including the distinction of being housed in South Africa’s first synagogue, built-in 1863.
The museum is intended to be a dutiful record of the history of South Africa’s Jewish community. This includes the community’s historical roots in Lithuania and elsewhere, its instrumental role in the evolution of South African democracy and noteworthy contributions to contemporary society.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
South African Jewish Museum
88 Hatfield St, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
Hours: Sunday to Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm & Friday from 10 am to 2 pm
Closed: Saturdays & Jewish Holidays
Phone: +27 (0)21 465 1546
Website: www.sajewishmuseum.co.za
THINGS TO KNOW
ADVICE FOR VISITORS
To enter the museum, a photo ID is required for all visitors. The museum hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions, while the Cape Town Holocaust Centre located upstairs shares an insightful and emotional experience. Guests are encouraged to watch the fascinating 25-minute documentary ‘Nelson Mandela: A Righteous Man’, which is permanently on show at the museum. The documentary is covered in the ticket price and is an appropriate closure to a day at the museum.
DID YOU KNOW
One of the museum’s major attractions is the building itself. The museum is a feat of architectural design which incorporates the Old Synagogue, the first synagogue built in South Africa in 1863, into a modern complex. Created with glass, wood and steel elements, the modern complex consists of the Great Synagogue, built-in 1905, the Albow Centre, the Gitlin Library, Café Riteve, the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and the Israel Abrahams hall.
