Jean Levin turns 80

A unique joining of a clan in Israel and South Africa as Jean Levin turns 80.

The 60th Independence Day of the State of Israel had yet another reason to celebrate. Jean Levin of Netanya, the eldest member of the Gosher clan in Israel turned 80.

Some 100 family members and friends from Israel and another 25 in Johannesburg gathered to pay tribute to a woman who leaves a lasting impression on all those who know her. Jean, although frail, looked radiant as she greeted the guests.

Jeans younger brother Menachem Gosher, an artist and Gallery owner in Netanya took the crowd through the first 20 years from Kensington and Doornfontein.

Three of five Gosher siblings born to Dorothy and Morrie Gosher now live in Israel. Menachem described a family of happy souls in a house shared with their maternal grandfather, aunt, three uncles and many others who came and went as shelter was needed. Dorothy Gosher’s heart was as big as the house and there was always room for everyone. Primary school was attended at Bez-Valley Junior and social activities centered around the Bez valley Shul.

In the 1940’s Jean who was already a little grown-up became very friendly with two non-Jewish playmates of Scottish origin. Not such good news for Dorothy and Morrie who promptly moved the family out of Kensington to Doornfontein, a good neighborhood of Jewish immigrants!

The new home on Pearse Street was soon overflowing. While two uncles’ joined the British Army, their wives came to live with their children as did many more. One of the regulars who began arriving at the house was Sam Levin who had begun courting Jean, a real bonus for the Gosher boys, Sam had a bicycle! With only one toilet in the house Menachem described themselves as one big happy family.

In 1946 Jean, a staunch member of the religious youth movement Hashomer Hadati was chosen to participate in the first post-matric course to pre-State Israel organized by the South African Zionist Federation.  In that year the seeds of love for Israel were sown and she always longed to return. Upon her return to South Africa, Jean and Sam married and finally made Aliya in 1980 following their four children who were already living in Israel.

Prior to their Aliyah most of the extended family were already in Israel. Jean’s brother Menachem with his wife Lydia joined Kibbutz Barkai in 1950. Her younger sister Josephine came on Aliyah in 1967 through Habonim. Dorothy Gosher traveled between Israel and South Africa regularly usually prompted by a wedding, birth or a Bar Mitzvah. Her final trip was to return for the Bar Mitzvah of one of her grandsons in Johannesburg in 1973. Following the simcha and upon listening to the news of the Yom Kippur war the morning after it broke out, Dorothy’s suffered a major heart attack which took her life. Sam and Jean spent many happy years in Netanya. In 1999 Jean’s beloved Sam fell ill with cancer and passed away. Today, Jean continues to live in Netanya surrounded by friends and family.

Today, only a handful of family members remain in South Africa. The vast majority now lives in Israel and Jean’s 80th was a yet another excuse to get together following a Seder of 45 seating’s just a month before. The party included live music provided by Yoni Keller and his trio, one of the third generation of the Gosher Clan. Cryptic Crosswords, of Jean’s favorite pastimes, on the family were displayed on a large screen for the crowd to solve. The entire event was enjoyed both in Israel and South Africa simultaneously by means of a live video conference with family members and friends going back to Jeans childhood.

Greetings were brought by children, grandchildren, cousins, and past co-workers of Jeans from “Hirshbergs” managed in those days by yet another South African, Harold Kauffman. All gifts received were donated at Jean’s request to her favorite charity, Beit Issi Shapiro.