Simon Meyer Kuper

Simon Meyer Kuper (1906-1963)[2] was a judge of the South African Supreme Court, and a noted leader in the South African Jewish community.[2][3] His children include anthropologist Adam Kuper.[4]

For the sports journalist, see Simon Kuper.
Mr. Justice

Simon Meyer Kuper

KC
Justice of the South African Supreme Court
In office
1955–1963
Personal details
BornJohannesburg, South Africa
Died(1963-03-20)20 March 1963[1]
ChildrenAdam Kuper
Alma materUniversity of the Witwatersrand
OccupationLawyer, Judge

Early life

Kuper was born in Johannesburg in 1906. He attended Jeppe High School and subsequently gained his B.A. and LL.B. at the University of the Witwatersrand.[1]

Career

Kuper was admitted to the Bar in 1927.[1] He joined Group 621 of the Johannesburg Bar.[5][6] After practising law for several years, he was appointed King's Counsel in 1946 and became a judge at the South African Supreme Court in 1955.[7][2][3][8][9][10]

The South African Supreme Court consists of several divisions. Kuper sat in the Transvaal Provincial Division,[1] which covers Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital.

Civic activities

In 1946, Kuper provided evidence before the Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry on Palestine, on behalf of South African Jews.[2]

At the February 1954 Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Kuper represented South African Jews, together with Abel Shaban.[11]

Kuper was chairman of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies from 1944–49, and was chairman of the South African Zionist Federation from 1950–55.[2][12] Kuper's resignation from the chairmanship of the latter, which was made in order to pursue his career at the Supreme Court, was honoured by a pledge to plant a grove of 1,000 trees in Israel.[3] Kuper subsequently became honorary president of the South African Zionist Federation.[13]

Kuper was at one time president of the United Hebrew Congregation, honorary vice-president of the Israel United Appeal, and honorary vice-president of the South African Jewish Appeal.[9]

Death

On the evening of 8 March 1963, Kuper, who was at home with his wife and daughter, was shot through a window by an unknown assailant.[1][9][14] He died twelve days later.[1][9][10][15]

Later that year, a hall at the Oxford Shul in Johannesburg, where Kuper had been a member of the congregation, was named in his memory.[16] In November 1963, a new B'nai B'rith lodge, founded in Johannesburg, was named after Kuper.[13]

Mr. Justice Ludorf said of Kuper:[1]

Why a murderer should have taken for his prey this good man is incomprehensible. He was always to my mind the epitome of honesty. The work he did not like was in the criminal court. For all of us the task of punishing a man is very difficult. But he seemed to find the task even more difficult than the [other judges did]. He would discuss a case with his colleagues for hours to satisfy himself that the punishment he proposed to inflict was just and proper - and not too severe.

References
  1. Kahn, Ellison. "IN MEMORIAM: MR. JUSTICE S. M. KUPER". South African Law Journal. 80: 163. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  2. Encyclopaedia Judaica. "Kuper, Simon Meyer". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. "Judge Simon Kuper Honored in So. Africa; Lauded for His Leadership". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1 August 1955. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  4. Niehaus, Isak (2010). James, Deborah; Plaice, Evelyn; Toren, Christina (eds.). Culture Wars: Context, Models and Anthropologists' Accounts. p. 172. ISBN 9780857456625. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  5. Meiring, Jean. "Group 621 reaches its first century" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  6. http://reference.sabinet.co.za/webx/access/journal_archive/10128743/902.pdf
  7. Kahn, Ellison. "IN MEMORIAM: MR. JUSTICE S. M. KUPER". South African Law Journal. 80: 164. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. "So. African Jewish Board of Deputies Honors Judge Kuper". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 3 August 1955. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  9. "Judge Kuper, So African Jewish Leader, Dies from Assassin's Bullet". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 22 March 1963. Archived from the original on 21 April 2015.
  10. "South Africa Leader Critical". The Jewish Floridian. 22 March 1963. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  11. "American Jewish Year Book (1 July 1953 - 30 June 30 1954)" (PDF). Vol. 56. pp. 457–465. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  12. Anna, Hoffmann. "South Africa JVL - Jewish Virtual Library". Jewish Virtual Library. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  13. "American Jewish Year Book (July 1962 - December 1963)". pp. 331–346. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. "Jewish Leader in Johannesburg Gravely Wounded in Assassination Attempt". Jewish Telegraph Agency. 12 March 1963. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  15. "So. Africa Leader Dead From Shooting". The Jewish Floridian. 29 March 1963. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  16. "Oxford Shul - History". Oxford Shul. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
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