31 August 1929 – 4 April 2023
Our beloved mother, grandmother and great grand-mother, Meg, was born in Doorfontein, Johannesburg, S.A. and spent her happy childhood years with 3 sisters and a brother in Belgravia and then Greenside, Johannesburg. Mom grew up in a traditional Lithuanian, passionately Zionistic home, observing closely as her mother volunteered for the Zionist and Jewish Benevolent Society . This background prepared Mom for her devoted and loving work for Israel as Bnoth Zion Chairlady of the Malmesbury Branch in her early years, and subsequently for over 20 years as the Milnerton Branch Chairlady, being granted the Rebecca Sieff award for her outstanding service!
At the young age of 19, she met the love of her life, our Dad, Maurice Z”L, whilst holidaying with relations at Muizenberg Beach. This was in early 1949, just 4 years after the World War in which Dad had served in the Tank Corp. in Italy. They were engaged after only 5 hectic days and married in Johannesburg in July 1949.
Their first few years were spent in the tiny country village, Kalbaskraal, 40 miles north of Cape Town where the family business (farm, general dealer, and country hotel) was located. No electricity or municipal water, of course, until 1958!
As the family grew, it was decided to move closer to Cape Town, settling in the suburb of Milnerton. And this is where they lived till their Aliyah in 1990, settling in Netanya. They finally joined their 4 children, Sheila Z”L, Gerald, Ivor and Brenda, who had all made Aliyah during the 70’s and 80’s. And especially being near the 8 Israeli grand-children – Micha and Tali Tollman (Sheila’s children), Liat, Shani, Asher, Yair, Naftali and Tamar mar not to mention the 14 great grandchildren whom she adored.
“True, loyal, devoted and steadfast, my right hand in business and anchor at home” – was the way Dad lovingly described Mom’s key position in the family home and in helping at the business! Meg was especially well known for her warmth and hospitality. Her homes, both in Milnerton and in Netanya, were always filled with guests and family just popping by to say a quick hello, or more likely, drawn by the endless waft of delicious smells emanating from her kitchen – anyone who didn’t partake of her famous gerichten would not know what they were missing… cheese, chiffon and ginger cakes, teiglach, pletzlach, imberlach, her gefilte and curried fish, not to mention that wonderful display of her famous herrings… pickled, chopped, Danish, mustard and baked, and her homemade chrain and kichel. And to top it all, the homemade kosher wine produced and bottled from our own grapes from the Glenlossie Farm vineyard! Chaggim in the family home in Milnerton were always banquets with 30-40 guests seated round the Pesach and After Fast table!! You could never leave the Stoch home without having sampled at least some or all of the above!
The home in Milnerton was for many years the centre and meeting place for most Jewish activities, this until the Milnerton Jewish Guild Centre was eventually built.
Summer holidays were always full house with Mom’s family arriving from Jo’burg and Durban for their extended full-board stays. And in Netanya too we, the children and grandchildren, were privileged to enjoy the same hospitality on Shabbatot and Chaggim and school holidays.
Mom loved and needed company and friends around her to share her warmth and hospitality. A key strength was her readiness to listen and advise on a myriad of topics. Her last almost 20 years she lived at Protea Village in Tel Mond. She enjoyed the many traditional and social activities there.
Mom is greatly missed by us all. May her memory be blessed.