Harris Abraham Behrmann

Hilda Behr's memories

During this period our grandfather, Harris Behrmann (Harris Abraham Behrmann) my mothers father, became blind and Uncle Abe, Louis and David (Abraham, Louis Harris and David Leo Behrmann) thought it would be a good idea to bring him to stay with us in Bronky. The brothers arranged to build another bedroom onto our house. This was a very smart large bedroom with steel ceilings – something new in Bronkhorstspruit. Our house also got a face-lift – the inside of the house got brick walls, painted and plastered white. The zink walls remained on the outside.

Our shop had one smart feature. It has a tall gable roof on the right side. To match, a gable roof was built onto the new room on the left side. We never failed to boast about this.

We were all pleased to have our very dignified grandfather live with us. I think that he was happy. The new room had a door leading onto the verandah where he spent most of his days. The shop was on one side so Grandfather was never lonely. He was always surrounded by members of the family, friends and customers. He remained with us until he became ill then he was taken back to Johannesburg where he died.

BEHRMANN, Harris Abraham

b. 26th .JuIv, 1846. at Shadow. Russia; y.s. of the late Abraham  Lipmann Behrmann, a public and communal worker. who was in 1855 appointed by the Gov. Gen. of Wilna, a Member of a committee whose duties were to choose members to discuss the Jewish Question in St. Petersburg with the Czar's Cabinet. And on whose death. in I874, M. L. Bloch. Esq   Warsaw. ,wrote an impressive obituary  in " Hamagid," a Hebrew paper then published in Lyck, Prussia, Germany. Came to Cape Town, S.A., l5th December, 1889. Arrived , Johannesburg, 4th  Jan. 1890, and remained there since. Educ. Wilna, Russia: m. Jan. 18th, 1867, Charlotte (also b. 26th July. 1846), y.d. of the well known family of Rabbi David L. Rokeiach  of Wilna, Russia, and great grandchild of Rabbi Lozer Rokeiach, of Brodi. Galicia, who was chosen Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam, Holland, whose antecedents were rabbis and whose descendant., are rabbis to this day, and in whose honour medals were distributed bearing his and name on one side with the year 1735, 5495, etc., on the other. It is assumed that there is no similar Manner of honouring a great man recorded in Jewish history. In 1860 the late Samuel Joseph Finn published a book in Hebrew,   Kiria Neemana." being the biographies of all great men of Wilna and the two families, Rokeiach and 

South Africa, Transvaal, Probate Records from the Master of the Supreme Court, 1869-1958 Harris Abraham Behrmann birth: 1846 Lithuania death:21 December 1930 Johannesburg probate: 1930 Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa