(scroll down for English)
Op die hoek van Dorpstraat en Birdstraat (oorkant die ou Lutherse kerkie), is daar 'n wit gebou met die naam H. Spiro bo-op. Dis opgerig in 1910 in 'n vroeë Victoriaanse styl.
Mens sal dink dat so 'n sentraal geleë gebou, in die historiese deel van Stellenbosch, baie goed nagevors is, maar ek kon amper niks kry oor die persoon agter die naam nie! 'n Paar van Azaleahof se inwoners het my help dink. Hul onthou dat 'n sekere Dr Spiro vir 'n lank tyd 'n mediese praktyk in Stellenbosch gehad het.
Dr Bennie/Benny Spiro (ook bekend as 'Doc') is gebore in 1909 en was een van die geliefde dokters in Stellenbosch. Daar was maar iets soos 6 dokters in Stellenbosch in sy tyd. Dr Spiro het sy mediese praktyk in Dorpstraat gehad, en vir 30 jaar daar gewerk, tot en met sy dood in 1968, waarna hy in die Stellenbosch Joodse begraafplaas ter ruste gelê is.
In 1956 het Dr Rosendorff (Dr Jerry/Gerry) by Dr Spiro se praktyk aangesluit en daar gewerk tot in 1992. Hy en dokter Morrie Basker het hierdie kort huldeblyk geskryf aan Dr Spiro in die SA mediese Joernaal (Volume 42, Issues 27-37).
Benjamin Bernard Spiro, known more widely as 'Bennie' or 'Doc', started practice at Stellenbosch 30 years ago, having qualified at the University of Cape Town in 1935 and gained 2 years of experience at various London hospitals. He was dogged by ill-health from the outset, but he eventually overcame these hardships and settled down to become one of the most highly-respected and beloved of the GP fraternity at Stellenbosch. He confined himself to the art of general practice and could quite correctly be described as the typical family doctor [...]
Dr Spiro was een van 5 bekende Joodse doktors in Stellenbosch se verlede.
SPIRO
SILBERSTEIN
ROSENDORFF
BASKER
ELSTEIN
Die probleem met my navorsing is dat die voorletter verkeerd is. Dr Spiro se voorname was Benjamin Bernard en die voorletter op die gebou is "H".
Is daar 'n konneksie tussen die twee Spiro's, en indien wel, wat is dit?
---------lééf Stellenbosch---------
Die tydskrif Stellenbosch Visio het onlangs 'n insiggewende artikel publiseer oor die Joodse gemeenskap se rol in die dorp se erfenis - lees Martie Retief Meiring se artikel oor die Joodse gemeenskap hier.
Die kerkie oorkant die Spiro gebou, wat vandag GUS genoem word (Galery van die Universiteit Stellenbosch), het al vele transformasies en gebruike gehad.
Om te lees oor die Gebroeders De Wet - na wie die 'De Wet plein' vernoem is.
Artikel en foto: Y Coetsee 2017
Bronne en eksterne skakels:
http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/stellenbosch/Community.html
http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1721/dissertation.pdf
SAMJ, Volume 42, Issues 27-37
https://www.jewishgen.org/SAfrica/cemeteries/5/StellenboschUpdate.xls
On the corner of Dorp Street and Bird Street (opposite the old Lutheran church), stands a white building with the letters H. Spiro on its facade. It was erected in 1910 in an early Victorian style.
One would think that such a centrally located building, in the historic part of Stellenbosch, woul be well researched, but I could hardly get anything about the person behind the name! Some of Azaleahof's residents helped me think. They remember that a certain Dr Spiro had a medical practice in Stellenbosch.
Dr Bennie / Benny Spiro (also known as 'Doc') was born in 1909 and was one of the beloved doctors in Stellenbosch. There were only about 6 doctors in Stellenbosch in his time. Dr Spiro had his medical practice in Dorp Street, and worked there for 30 years until his death in 1968, after which he was laid to rest in the Stellenbosch Jewish cemetery.
In 1956 Dr Rosendorff (Dr Jerry / Gerry) joined Dr Spiro's practice and worked there until 1992. He and Dr. Morrie Basker wrote this short tribute to Dr Spiro in the SA Medical Journal (Volume 42, Issues 27-37):
Benjamin Bernard Spiro, known more widely as 'Bennie' or 'Doc', started practice at Stellenbosch 30 years ago, having qualified at the University of Cape Town in 1935 and gained 2 years of experience at various London hospitals. He was dogged by ill-health from the outset, but he eventually overcame these hardships and settled down to become one of the most highly-respected and beloved of the GP fraternity at Stellenbosch. He confined himself to the art of general practice and could quite correctly be described as the typical family doctor [...]
Dr Spiro was one of 5 noteworthy Jewish medical doctors in Stellenbosch history:
SPIRO
SILBERSTEIN
ROSENDORFF
BASKER
ELSTEIN
The problem with my research is that the initial is incorrect! Dr Spiro's names were Benjamin Bernard and the initial on the building is "H".
Is there a connection between the two Spiro's, and if so, what is it...?
-------live Stellenbosch------
The Stellenbosch Visio recently published an insightful article about the Jewish community's role in Stellenbosch's heritage - read Martie Retief Meiring's article on the Jewish community here.
The church opposite the Spiro building, today the Gallery of the University of Stellenbosch (GUS for short), has had many uses and transformations over the years.
To read about the 'De Wet Brothers' - where the name 'De Wet plein' comes from.