Rita Myerson: Rita Myerson- Childhood

Rita was born at home- 151 Park St. Belgravia, Johannesburg, on May 2nd 1922. Rita was brought up by Rei, her father used to work late at night in his businesses and she decided to have a European nurse for the children. They h

ad 2 servants, a house-garden man, and a maid. Minnie, their grandmother also came to live with them when her husband died, in about 1924. She lived with them until she passed away, for at least over 20 years.

Rita went to Mrs. William's nursery school, and then to Jeppe Prep- and elementary school, until Std. 5. For high school Rita went to Jeppe High-School until Std. 8. Jacob Gaffen passed away on the 17th of November, 1938. On that day Rita was intended to write a public exam. Rita didn't write the exam, and the school wouldn’t promote her up a grade, so she left and went to study in a convent for the two matric years. (There were no private school except convents, and no government school would take her without passing the Std. 8 exam. There was no choice but to go to a convent…). She and Meril Bennet were the only Jewish girls (out of 10 in the class). In spite being there for only 2 years, she was made a prefect!

When Rita was 14 she had Typhoid Fever, a year after Joy had it. Rita was 14 and there was no medication for Typhoid in those days. Her body temperature got so hot, that they put her in cold water to reduce the temperature. A trained nurse came in to take care of her, and it lasted about 6 weeks! She only ate ice-cream, milk, porridge-strained, and nothing hard… People died like flies at that time from the disease, and both girls managed to come through without medication. (The aspirin wouldn’t stay down).

Rita went to Witz University for 1 year studying English, Botany and Zoology, and then moved to a book-keeping course, for a year at a business college, and got a certificate.

Rita met Cecil in 1942 on Yom-Kippur day, in shul. Ethni Cohen, Rita's friend, told her to come see the best looking soldier in shul. Ethni arranged for her brothers to introduce her to Cecil. Rita was standing in the background, and Ethni walked up and was introduced. Cecil saw Rita at the back and said to the introducer- "who is that girl standing over there?" They told him her name. Cecil had a niece Elthia, who was living at the orange grove hotel, across from the flat where they were living in Houghton Heights. Elthia had met Rita so she phoned her up (after Cecil mentioned her), and arranged going out dancing on Christmas Eve with Cecil. That was the beginning of the romance…

For a year they saw each other a lot until Cecil went to North Africa to join the South African army forces in the war. From there he went to Italy, after the British Army beat Rommel. He was an army doctor, and stayed in Italy until the beginning of 1946.

Rita had quite a few romances when Cecil was away! She had fun, and wouldn’t just wait alone

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Cecil returned from Europe in January 1946, and Rita and Cecil were married on August 8th, 1946.

The Gaffen Family

Rita's father was Jacob Gaffen. His parent's names are unknown. They lived in Kovna, Lithuania where Jacob was born. Jacob moved to SA at the age of 14 to avoid being drafted into the Russian army. He came alone and worked in a general store on the mines in Johannesburg.

Rita's mother, Rei Jackson was daughter of Minnie Rosen (name probably adopted in Ireland) and Mr. Jackson. Rei's father was born in Ireland, and her mother moved as a baby from Lithuania to Ireland. The Jackson couple was married in Dublin, had 2 children around 1880 and came to Cape Town with Minnie's two brothers at the turn of the century.

Rei was born 1897 is SA, and after her came Davie (male) and Dolly (female). She went to school at the Good-Hope seminary and did a book-keeping course. Rei worked for her uncle Harry Rosen in Cape Town, and spent most of her childhood with Harry and Flo Rosen. He was mad about her, and they spent a lot of time together. (in the photo: Harry and Flo).

Jacob gradually built himself up until he owned a hotel in Johannesburg, and he invested in other hotels in the country district, and 2 others in Jo'burg. He went down to Cape Town, was introduced to Rei and they were married in 1917 in Cape Town and moved together to Johannesburg.

Norman, their first son was born in 1918, Rita was born in 1922, Joy in 1926. Rita remembers one holiday with her family, down to Margate, south-coast Natal.

Rei and Jacob were both dedicated Zionists, Jacob was on the Zionist Federation of SA, and Rei was a Wizo worker. Rei played the piano, as a young girl she used to play as silent pictures were shown in the cinema house. Around the 1930's Rei traded in an old piano for a Steinway piano. (The piano was passed on to Ronnie, her grandson, and is now in Israel).

The family members were all very close to each other, lived near by, and saw each other all the time.

Jacob passed away in 1938 from cancer after being sick for many years (from 1935). The cancer was misdiagnosed… About a year before Jacob died Norman took over the running of the hotel as a young boy of 17, with the help of Rei, his mother. He sorted the administration of the business, and she helped with the books.

They continued working together until they both passed away in 1986 (4 months apart). Rei died on the 15^th of August, Norman on the 20^thof December.

Joy married Eli Liebowitz in April 1948, and had Pam and Trevor. Norman married Denise Marselle in the 1970's, they never had children. Rita married Cecil in 1946 and had 4 sons.

Rei's nickname was Goga. Her grandson Jeffrey called her so when he was a baby, it was probably the influence of the African maid- they called grandmother- Gogo. The name stuck until today.