Morris Alexander

Morris Alexander

human

Ein sex anaa gender	male
Country wey e be citizen	South Africa
Name wey dem give am	Morris
Family name	Alexander
Ein date of birth	4 December 1877
Date wey edie	23 January 1946
Spouse	Ruth Schechter
Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign	English
Ein occupation	politician

Morris Alexander KC (December 1877 – 24 January 1946) na he be South African lawyer den politician wey na he dey lead figure of Cape Town ein Jewish community. He be best known for ein successful campaign wey make dem recognize Yiddish as European language by colonial authorities, wey e allow thousands of Jews immigrate go South Africa. Prominent liberal, Alexander serve insyd South African House of Assembly from 1910 till he die insyd 1946.

Ein Biography

Dem born Morris Alexander for 4 December 1877 as de eldest of seven kiddies of Abraham Alexander den Flora Lewin, insyd Znin, wey part of de Kingdom of Prussia insyd de German Empire.

Alexander start ein studies for South African College insyd 1893, wey he receive Bachelor of Arts degree insyd 1897. He sana attend St John's College, Cambridge, wey he receive Bachelor of Laws degree insyd 1900.

As young lawyer insyd Cape Town, Alexander join journalist Dovid Goldblat insyd sam campaign for de reclassification of Yiddish as European language insyd South Africa. Sam 1902 law dey require say prospective immigrants give de Cape go take European language literacy test; de pair "fight so say dem go consider Yiddish as one such language, wey Jewish immigrants go fi enter de country".

Insyd 4 September 1904, Alexander organize de delegation of community leaders go de Cape Colony Jewish Board of Deputies, wey cam turn de dominant Jewish organization insyd de colony. He go serve as ein chairman den as vice president of de unified South African Jewish Board of Deputies from de organizations' foundations till de 1930s.[4][9] Sam active Zionist, na he be de president of de New Hebrew Congregation insyd Cape Town for forty years.

Dem elect Alexander Cape Town City Council insyd 1905, wey he serve till 1913. Dem sana elect am go de Parliament of de Cape of Good Hope insyd de 1908 election as member of de Progressive Party, wey he receive 5,027 votes insyd de Cape Town constituency.

In addition say na he leading figure for Cape Town ein Jewish community, na Alexander sana be prominent liberal den advocate against discriminatory laws wey dey affect non-white communities.

Beginning insyd de 1920s, Alexander den Ruth develop irreconcilable political differences. Na she be Marxist feminist; wey be traditional liberal. Insyd de 1921 general election, she convince Alexander say make he no join Jan Smuts ein South African Party – wey she view as increasingly racist – wey she instead run as independent candidate.

De couple demma breaking point cam insyd 1930, as Alexander support successful bill wey de government of J. B. M. Hertzog do wey give white shoddies de right say make dem vote.

Alexander die for Cape Town for 24 January 1946 insyd. Ein second wife Enid publish ein biography insyd 1957, wey ein papers dey University of Cape Town Libraries.

References

Works dem cite

• Abrahams, Israel (1968). "Alexander, Morris". In De Kock, W. J. (ed.). Dictionary of South African Biography (in English). Vol. 1 (1st ed.). OCLC 85921202.
• Atkinson, John (2010). "Benjamin Farrington: Cape Town and the Shaping of a Public Intellectual". South African Historical Journal. 62 (4): 671–692. doi:10.1080/02582473.2010.519938. hdl:11427/28188.
• Skolnik, Fred, ed. (2007). "Alexander, Morris". Encyclopaedia Judaica (in English). Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-0-02-865929-9.
• Kharlash, Yitskhok (1956). "Goldblat, Dovid". Biographical Dictionary of Modern Yiddish Literature (in Yiddish). Vol. 2.
• Neame, Lawrence Elwin (1929). Some South African Politicians. Cape Town: Maskew Miller. NLA 92910.
• Pimlott, William (2023). "The Yiddish Press and the Making of South African Jewry in the British World: Exclusion, Libel, and Jewish Nationalism, 1890–1914" (PDF). Jewish Historical Studies. 55: 1–26. doi:10.14324/111.444.jhs.2024v55.02. ISSN 0962-9696. JSTOR 48756534.
• Reisenberger, Azila (1998). "Status of Jewish Woman in South Africa: With Special Reference to Apartheid and Post-Apartheid Eras". Journal for the Study of Religion. 11 (2): 52–61. ISSN 1011-7601. JSTOR 24764103.
• Schrire, Gwynne (2013). "The Cape Board, the Silver Salver and Bertha's Bill" (PDF). Jewish Affairs. South African Jewish Board of Deputies. ISSN 0021-6313.
• Shimoni, Gideon (2003). Community and Conscience: The Jews in Apartheid South Africa (in English). Hanover: University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1-58465-329-5.
• Smith, Alan John Charrington (1980). General Elections in the Cape Colony, 1898 - 1908. Cape Town: University of Cape Town.
• Wilson, Jean Moorcroft (2009). Isaac Rosenberg: The Making of a Great War Poet: A New Life (in English). Evanston: Northwestern University Press. ISBN 978-0-8101-2604-6.

Read further

• Alexander, Enid Baumberg (1953). Morris Alexander: A Biography (in English). Cape Town: Juta. OCLC 4708223.
• Potgieter, Dirk J., ed. (1970). "Alexander, Morris". Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). Cape Town: National Educational Publishing House. OCLC 1416596628.
• Saron, Gustav; Hotz, Louis, eds. (1955). The Jews in South Africa: A History (in English). Cape Town: Oxford University Press. OCLC 652380.
• Saron, Gustav (1966). Morris Alexander, Parliamentarian and Jewish Leader: A Memorial Lecture on the 20th Anniversary of His Death (in English). Johannesburg: South African Jewish Board of Deputies. OCLC 17088077.