When Rivke Left Home: Women's Journeys from Eastern Europe to South Africa

Abstract

According to the popular Yiddish song, ‘Yoshke fort avek’ (‘Yoshke is leaving’). This essay, however, will examine the lesser known journey of Rivke, his wife, daughter, sister, or mother, the woman who was often forced to remain behind in eastern Europe until her male relatives had managed to save up enough money to send for her. Based on archival material, oral interviews, as well as previously untapped, predominantly male-authored South African Yiddish and Hebrew literature, this essay will explore women's journeys, both material and spiritual, from eastern Europe to South Africa. It will attempt to reconstruct women's lives in eastern Europe, identify the variety of reasons for immigrating, represent the experience of the journey and the transformation of these women's lives in South Africa. It will investigate the influence of timing, place of origin, age, class, education and occupation, in order to incorporate a range of experience, from that of the illiterate and observant, to the educated, politicised and religiously alienated.