Harare's Jewish Businesses

January 2023  – Simon Lewis started a wonderful thread some time ago by posting the location of his family businesses in Bulawayo. There were some 240 responses and comments with many Bulawegians filling in the gaps and short comments for their families. I am creating a page on the ZJC website with that material – an important record of the community’s activities in by-gone years.

Now the challenge is for Harare folk. 

If you wish to add to this list please use the contact form at the bottom of the page

Let’s hear from Harare families on the location of their businesses, clinics, factories etc.. What, where, when and who?

See also this page which lists more history of Jewish businesses in Zimbabwe.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dave Bloom

My Dad’s business was Blooms Furnishers in Century House on Baker Ave almost opposite the main Post Office. He partnered with his brother Harry. Their father Philip Bloom had an earlier version of the furniture business in the 1930s and 1940s called Bloom Braude.

 

Mark Stobbs

My grandparents,Abraham and Gertrude Shalovsky owned the Castle Hotel in Manica Road. They sold it in 1940s

Judy Fried

My father had the Regent Butchery in grey street Bulawayo.

Sue Alhadeff Selikman

One of my grandfather’s businesses ( Abraham alhadeff) was the cold storage on Manica Road. The alhadeff brothers also had the Crown Clothing

Albert Alhadeff

Sue Alhadeff Selikman also had a furniture business, think my dad worked there when he left uni a little earlier than was planned.

Sue Alhadeff Selikman

And my uncle Teddy Alhadeff owned Rhodes motors. We were always able to get free parking there.

Gail Lerman

My father had Sager’s Motoring Salisbury

Paul Kaplan

My Dad ‘Boy’ ran Cambitzis Provisions in Avondale from the 1960’s to about the mid 1980’s when the shop was bought by the multinational SPAR. My Dad then worked at the SPAR warehouse until he retired in 1996 at the age of 80.

My Mom Lily was a librarian 

Val Mizrahi

My family’s businesses were Miz Wholesalers and Pax Cash ‘N Carry, both in Forbes Avenue, Salisbury

Sabrina Amato

A. Amato and Sons on 9-13 Kingsway in what was Salisbury was owned by our Papau, Albert Amato and his sons Alec ( my dad) and Norman Amato ( my uncle). The shop sold everything from pins to anchors to quote my Uncle Norman and their motto was “if you don’t see it, ask for it”.
Prior to establishing Amato and Sons, Albert started a suitcase factory in 1920 with Yedid Charhon in Gatooma after arriving in Rhodesia from their island in Rhodes Island. The business was disbanded and Albert then worked as a manager for B.S.Leon before opening his own store in Eiffel Flats. This business flourished and he opened six more shops. Albert established the first wholesale establishment in Eiffel Flats.
Albert sold the businesses in 1949 and opened a wholesale and retail business in Salisbury which was Amato and sons in 1951.
The business was solely owned by my family until 1977 when it was sold to Tobacco Sales. Norman was the first Jewish person on the board of Tobacco Sales.
Alec and his family immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1977 and
Norman and his family followed them in 1980.

Val Mizrahi both our dads went to UCT and qualified as engineers but came back to work in their respective family businesses 

David Menashe

My father Boaz and Uncle Issac (Zac) owned Strand stationers and printers. A stationery shop in the center of town and a printing works in the industrial area. Not sure of the addresses. Sandy Menashe, can you ask your dad?

Bev Banet

My grandfather was in partnership in a furniture business. Banet and Harris was in Salisbury.

Judy Harris Shifren

Bev Banet  The other partner Lionel Harris was my Great Uncle.

Linda Naim Goldsheft

Bev Banet Bev, I still have the furniture from B&H bought after our wedding in 1976. Beautiful, sturdy mukwa wood

Amanda Summerfield and  Maureen Summerfield

Carlton Gift Store

Goldsmiths and Silversmiths… 

Rosemary Kahn

My Dad,Vincent Granger, a CIvil Engineer, started the first testing laboratory for soils and building materials, Rhotest, in a house at 100 Moffet Street, in Salisbury. It quickly outgrew those premises and he moved it to the Mike Appel building. Doe… 

Lina Kantor

My husband Harry Kantor together with Mervin Immerman started the legal firm Kantor and Immerman in Gordon Avenue Harare.

Harold Middeldorf

Middy Brothers was a furniture shop on Angwa Sreet between Manica Rd and Speke Ave. Owners were Abe and Harry Middeldorf.

Sandra Linde

My mom had a couple of different businesses. Started off with “Nina’s” dress shop on Fife street in Bulawayo. In the late 60’s she took over my aunt’s business. New African Suppliers on Fort Street/12th Ave.

Cecilia Katzenberg Stark

My dad was Katzy’s Cabin. Avondale, Harare.

Rosalie Cheny

My grandparents Jack & Dora Alhadeff owned Crystals Delicatessen on Second Street, Salisbury

My father owned ABC Cash Stores on Manica Road

Ray Codron

My father, Santo, owned Atlas Dty Cleaners and Dyers on Charter road. At that time, they were the sole dyers of curtains and carpets and so would conduct deliveries throughout the region.

Steven Hasson

My Grandfather, Maurice Hasson started Maurice Hasson Garments in 1954. It was based in Masasa. The site is still owned and run by his sons, Eddie, Victor and Philip, who all still live in Zimbabwe. Eddie is my Dad. The units have been converted into factory rentals as the economic collapse in the early 2000 made the running of a manufacturing business really difficult.

Ivy Weiss Ishlove

My father Abe Weiss had Capital Pharmacy in Inez Terrace Salisbury. He sold it to CAPS in 1976 when we left to live in Ireland. My paternal grandparents, Bernhard and Rebecca Weiss owned Central dry
cleaners in Bulawayo and Rebecca also owned Renee’s dress shop in Bulawayo. My mother’s father Dave Shapiro owned Clarsons refinery in Salisbury as well as a furniture store in Lusaka. My grandfather also owned Shapiro milling company in Lusaka.
 

Sandra Linde

My mom had a couple of different businesses. Started off with “Nina’s” dress shop on Fife street in Bulawayo. In the late 60’s she took over my aunt’s business. New African Suppliers on Fort Street/12th Ave.
 

Joel Benatar

My dad , Nick Benatar had a few stores of Radio City. Also had nightclubs, restaurants and hotels. As a kid spent a lot of time at the record department at the shop which he was in partnership with Martin Locke
 

Leanne Shaul

My dad and partner Henmar Agencies Massa House.
 

Lynette Effren

My Grandfather,Sam Gruber,and his son,IssyGruber, my Uncle. Had a wholesale business,opposite the Salisbury Station,called Gruber and Thal.
 
Daphnie Galaun Sheridan
My late Dad Issy Galaun owned Oribi Stores: the main store was situated on the Mtoko Rd about 30 miles out of Harare. It was a general store which had a butchery, clothing, petrol pump and supplied farmers and local people.It sold any thing from groceries, bicycles, kiosk items, to grains maize meal etc. My Dad supplied meat to many people in Harare.
 
Mike Salem and Tova Maori
Our father, Joe Salem and his brother, Sasse Salem owned Salem Carpets at 63 Speke Avenue, Harare. The leading carpet business , both retail and wholesale in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
 

John Bernstein

My parents Freda and Issie Bernstein owned Berns Linen from 1946 in Bain Bros building First St Salisbury. The business moved premises a few times to the basement in Bryanston House Gordon Ave then to Executors Chambers corner Manica Rd and Angwa st and finally to Barclay Bldg ( not the bank) in Speke Ave, where our cousin Allan Bernstein had Allans Optitions for years.
My grandma Rosie Bernstein had a general dealer store in her building in Salisbury St from the 1920’s till 1960. I remember as a young boy asking for a Coke, but she scolded me and said ” I would drink up all her profit” and then gave me a tickey to buy one next door!!!
 

Warwick Levy

My Dad Sam Levy had Manica Cycles, which operated from a couple of premises along Manica Road, including Ivory House, until finally 103 Manica Road cnr. Second Street. He was in partnership with his brother Arthur.
 

Charlotte Thurgood

My Aunt Lily Cohen had the sweet shop at the Palace Cinema in Bulawayo. She used to give the children Wicks bubblegum and when she came to the station to see us when we arrived from Salisbury for Habonim Camp, she brought me one of those Terry’s chocolate oranges.
 

Rene Julie

My late dad Sam Negin owned Phillip Rudolph Chemist on Enterprise Rd. Audrey Negin
 

Darien Tarica Arcus

My parent had The Bookcentre. Gordon Ave.  VICTOR and ELENOR TARICA
 

April Merdjan

My husband ZACK MERDJAN started his cycle shop ZACKS opposite the Railway Station in Salisbury (Harare) when he was 19 years old. His son Robbie joined him years later and the business grew into a small empire with numerous shops and other businesses around the town. The doors finally closed 61 years later.
 
Ivan King
My late parents Aron and Hetty King owned Ardbennie Butchery which they sold and then started Aron Kings  Horseradish which also sold my mother’s famous cucumbers.
 
Steven “Abo” Abramovitz
My folks Les and June had Waterfalls and Parktown pharmacies, both of them to hell and gone across the mighty Makabuzi river. They sold everything from prescription meds to duiwelsdrek, pellet guns to perfume. Waterfalls Pharmacy had a hitching rail outside and people would often ride in from the surrounding farms to get their katunda.
 
Eric Vilensky
Eric’s father with Colin Bloch – owned Electro Sales on Sinoia St
 
Ruth Steiner
Jack Pelham owned and ran J. Pelham Limited, a large furniture store on Manica Road. He later started Carpet Centre. Jeanne Steiner owned and ran Select Outfitters, also on Manica Road. Marius Steiner and Henry Shaul had Henmar group of Companies a wholesale of mainly cloths and suitings. Sergiu Horowitz owned Cemtral African machinery and Spares. Marius Steiner, together with Henry Pelham had Maltas Brothers, a Deli supermarket in Forbes Ave. Nina and Zvi Leibovitz, together with Marius Steiner had a petrol station, garage, taxi service and Driving school at Ace Auto at the top of Manica road. Freddy Faust, together with Jack Halfon and Marius Steiner had a factory of soft toys which later became a producer of webbing and tents.
 

Vivienne Benatar

Jack Benatar owned Savonuts Products selling supplies tofarmers , including dried fish, beans, elephant biltong and dried caterpillars in Pioneer St , Harare.
 
Callie Weltman
My father Harry Robinson had a business in Forbes Ave , It was a wholesale business, and was in the building called Harob house, he owned the building as well.
 
Richard Ruda
My family (Albert and Fran Ruda) owned the Windsor Hotel in Baker Avenue next to the OK Bazaars. The Windsor was home to many well known watering holes and restaurants including The Colony, The 1890 Cocktail Bar, The Lincoln Room, The Egg and I and The Lion’s Den. The Colony was well known as one of the foremost fine dining establishments and was home to Edwin and Rachelle who played twin pianos to international cabaret standards.  See picture on left.
 
Henry Tarica
My Dad owned Manica Provisions and Furniture Company Pvt Ltd on Manica Road. He also owned Tarix Supermarket in the Parkade Salisbury.
_________________________________________________________________________________

If you wish to add to this list please use the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Share this page

Facebook

Please contact us if you have any stories, photos or comments