A moving tribute and detailed account of one of the great Jewish communities of the diaspora, the South African Jewish Museum is one of Cape Town’s not-to-be missed heritage experiences.

​

Situated in the midst of arguably the most interesting and historic urban square miles in the country, and on a campus that includes SA’s first, oldest and surely grandest synagogue, the South African Jewish Museum is nevertheless a marvel of modern architecture, and one whose contents mirror this fusion of the old world and the new.

Its sleek, gleaming interiors house a range of interactive displays, audio-visual presentations and rare and fascinating artefacts, taking visitors on a journey back to South African Jewry’s early roots, and painting a portrait of a community who were extraordinarily influential in the building of South Africa as we know it, and who continue to thrive and impact society at every level.

​

The museum also looks back fondly at the origins of SA Jewry hailing from Eastern Europe and elsewhere (and featuring a wonderful recreation of shtetl life) and traces the cultural history of Jews, Jewish life and Judaism in general.

​

As an added attraction, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Netsuke (Japanese miniature art).

​

A thrilling combination of the old and new, the historic and the contemporary, the religious and the worldly, the South African Jewish Museum is a fitting tribute to a community who have been and continue to be at the epicentre of South Africa’s economic, political and cultural narrative.