Chimowitz Family
The history of the Chimowitz family from Gatooma has recently been described in a family memoir entitled “From the Baltic to the Bushveld: My Family’s Journey in Southern Africa” by Marc Chimowitz, a member of the 3rd generation of this Jewish family. The memoir (available on Amazon.com) is filled with historical photographs, personal anecdotes, and descriptions of unforgettable characters, and brings to life a unique time and place. The book offers a heartfelt tribute to resilience, community, and cultural legacy.
On the left is the cover of the full Chimowitz family story which is available on Amazon.
The book includes 150 photographs / newspaper articles / family documents. There is a chapter dedicated to Jewish Life in Gatooma. The book is available on Amazon in 3 different formats: Kindle, Paperback and Hardcover. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Makomborero Charity in Zimbabwe in memory of my cousin, Jeannette Schur who was a tireless supporter of education for the native population of Fort Rixon, Zimbabwe. (.)
The descendants of the Gatooma Chimowitz family are now scattered around the world — in the USA, France, Australia, Israel, the UK, South Africa, and Zambia — but a few have stayed in Zimbabwe. Jeannette Schur was tragically murdered on her farm in Zimbabwe and is buried in Bulawayo. Her husband Stan moved to Australia, and their children live in Israel (Suzie), Australia (Basil and Ingrid), and Harare (Harold).
Alwyn Hyman and his wife Merle both passed away years after moving to Australia, where their children Wendy, Lyn, Barbara, and Basil still live with their families in Melbourne.
Bruce Fivaz was a veterinarian who lived in Zimbabwe. He passed away on June 7, 2025, in Harare after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. His siblings are Susan (Sue) and Debbie. Sue worked as a flight attendant for Air Rhodesia and is now retired, living in Johannesburg. Debbie went to nursing school in South Africa and has worked in a variety of unusual settings including serving as the only medical provider for 11,000 workers at Kalumbila mine in Zambia, and later in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Harry Chimowitz, a member of the 2nd generation, lived in Lusaka, Zambia. He had four daughters, Ruth, Laura, Simone, and Judy. Simone spent several years in Mozambique teaching and helping the poor. She died in England at age 64 in 2017. Simone’s sister Laura lives in Lusaka, Zambia where she is a highly regarded artist. Judy Chimowitz lives in London, and Ruth lives in California, and they are both active politically, as their parents and Simone were.
Eldred and Marc Chimowitz have lived in the USA for over 40 years. Eldred is retired but retains an Emeritus Professorship at the University of Rochester, where he was a Professor of Chemical Engineering for his entire academic career. Marc retired from clinical practice after serving as a neurology faculty member at the University of Michigan, Emory University, and the Medical University of South Carolina. Sharon continued her mother’s legacy by establishing a successful dancing and musical theatre school in France.
