Henry and Dora Lazarus
Henry: well known Bulawayo lawyer (Lazarus and Sarif) Dora: recognized Zimbabwean painter (work bought by National Gallery)
Children: Ann Reiff, now in Israel. Charles Lazarus, still in Bulawayo
Dora Lazarus
Father – Barnett Smith; Riga
Mother – Rose Moss; Cowland Leah (Gleman)
Louis got Beit scholarship studied in Salisbury. Died of flu in Lekase in Congo.
Joe was at Milton
Etty (Gelman)
Rebecca (Dr. Wassersweig) changed to Wasser-Smith
Morris married Judy sister of Thea geman girls born in Congo, Pauline Elizabethville
The older children were born in England (Leah, Louis, Dora). Then the Smiths went to Krugersdorp and the younger three were born in
South Africa. (Etty in Durban, Rebecca in Johannesburg and Joe in Johannesburg). When the parents went to the Congo the girls became boarders at
Evelyn. Miss Langdon was the Headmistress. Rev. M.I. Cohen was outstandingly good to the girls. The Chazan’s wife used to teach
the Jewish boarders at Evelyn and used to give them afternoon tea – but when the girls (there were many other Jewish girls boarding at
the school) heard that the Chazan’s wife said that they only came for the cakes, they were insulted and no longer went to Hebrew
lessons .
Father ‘Bongola’ Smith took cattle into the Congo – he was the first man to do so. Mrs. Sophie Weinberg was Chazan’s wife. Chazan was
known as the Rev, Jock Weinberg – This man had a horse and trap and there is an apocraphyl story about him putting a bucket of
water under the seat of the trap on Shabbes so that he could travell (The rule for being able to travel on Shabbes if one is ‘on the
water’).
Mrs. Lazarus has a photograph of the Jewish congregation in Elizabethville« The photograph was taken at a picnic given by
Mrs. Lazarus’ parents to celebrate the confirmation by the League of Nations of the Palestine mandate in August 1922.
The Smith family were very great friends with Monseigret de Hempton C-s pell ing? )._thfi,..chief .Catholic priest in the Congo.
Henry Lazarus (married to Dora)
Father named Charles was born in Roumania went to Manchester to be with Phillip Lazarus, a stipendiary magistrate there. Top
mason in the country after Lord Derby. Charles went to Kalk Bay where he owned a boarding house. Henry and his sister born there.
The family went to Kenya, where Henry’s mother died when Henry was four (sister 2). Charles brought the children to Rhodesia where
Henry went to school at Milton (E.B. de Beer, Headmaster) where he matriculated.
Henry went to Rhodes started as a geologist– changed to law. Opened practise in 1927 – sat for nine months waiting for a client I
(wanted to be advocate but could not afford it). Today the firm of Lazarus and Sarif is one of Bulawayo’s most respected.
Henry was secretary of the Bulawayo Hebrew Congregation prior to and during the second World War and used to get the most pathetic
letters from German and Austrian Jews begging to be taken into this country.
Was President of Jewish Board of Deputies for two years (check years)