Ray Alexander Simons
Ray Alexander Simons | |
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Born | Rachel Ester Alexandrowich 31 December 1913 Trade union Campaigner |
Spouses | |
Children | Mary Simons Tanya Barben Johan Simons |
Ray Alexander Simons (née Alexandrowich; (31 December 1913 – 12 September 2004) was a South African
Early life
Simons was born in Varklia (Varakļāni), Latvia as Rachel Ester Alexandrowich on 31 December 1913. She was one of six children from Simka Simon and Dobe Alexandrowich.[1] Her father was a teacher of Russian language, German Language and mathematics. He also ran a cheder where the Jewish boys studied talmud and prepared their bar mizvah. She lived in a rich household full of books which exposed her to socialist and communist ideologist. Her father died when she was 12 years old. His best friend, Leib Jaffe, influenced Ray's thinking about socialist ideas and awareness of the vital function of organization to advance worker's right.[2] The death of her father caused Simons to become an atheist.[1]
At the age of 13, she joined the underground Latvian Communist Party.[3] When Simons was fourteen, she was invited to participate in a debate on the Balfour Declaration which was held by local Zionist organization. She declined because she believed that the fight against antisemitism should be a part of broader humanity's strive to achieve a new order of the world where all humankind would be free, including Jews. Because of persecution of Jews in Varakļāni, she was sent to Riga to advance her studies at the ORT technical college and lived with her close friend Leah.[1][2]
Cape Town
After Leah was arrested for her political activities, her mother was worried and immediately arranged for Simons to live with her sister on board German East Afrika Liner, Ubena. She left Varaklan on 17 October 1929 and arrived at Cape Town to meet her sister at the docks on 6 November 1929, a day before the anniversary of the Russian Revolution.[4] Five days after her arrival on 11 November 1929, she met Cissie Gool and lifelong friend John Gomas and joined the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA). At that time, Simons was 16 years old.[5]
Simons was fired from her first job after she participated in the
Simons founded Food and Canning Workers Union (FCWU) by organising coloured, black and white workers which was known for its effectiveness and militancy. It spread through the fruit canning industry of the Boland to the west coast among fishing communities. She became General Secretary of the organization. FCWU played an important role in the South African Congress of Trade Unions on the 1950s.[2][8] Using Suppression of Communism Act of 1950 to ban the communist party in 1953, she was ordered to quit the position next year.[7]
Ray Alexander Simons, Helen Joseph, Lilian Ngoyi and Florence Mkhize found the Federation of South African Women (FSAW) in April 1954 and she was elected to be General Secretary of the organization. Though, in September 1954, she met with a series of banning orders issued by C. R. Swart which forced her to resign from (FSAW). In the same year, Simons was elected as one of the three Natives' Representative in South Africa's parliament. Although the banning order forbid her from taking her seat, she still went to the parliament and pushed by a security policeman on the premise. She sued the act and received compensation which covered the cost of her election campaign.[3]
Exile life
In 1965, she and her husband Jack Simons fled to Lusaka, Zambia. Jack received a lecturer position at Manchester University and moved to England. They returned to Zambia in 1967 and built a home for themselves for their three children's visitation. While in exile at Zambia, Ray co-authored a book called Class and Colour in South Africa, 1850–1950 with Jack Simons and worked for the International Labour Organization and African National Congress (ANC) which was banned in South Africa. They had lived in Zambia for most of 25 years between 1965 and 1990.[4][9] In her exile in 1986, she was elected as Honorary President of the Food and Allied Workers' Union. They returned from exile in 1990.[1]
Personal life
Ray Alexander married
Award and legacy
She was awarded the Isitwalandwe Medal in 2004 by the African National Congress.[11] Ray Alexander Simons Memory Centre and Heritage Square in Guguletho was built and launched by Deputy President of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlante on 6 November 2010.[6]
Order for Meritorious Service in silver (2003).
In March 2011, the country of Sierra Leone issued a postage stamp in her honor, naming her as one of the Legendary Heroes of Africa.[12]
References
- ^ OCLC 45728692.
- ^ a b c d Shain, Milton; Pimstone, Miriam. "Ray Alexander (Simons) | Jewish Women's Archive". jwa.org. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Ray Simons". The Independent. 22 September 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ S2CID 161477434.
- ^ a b c "Ray Alexander Simons | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Keynote address by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at the launch of Ray Alexander-Simons Museum and Heritage Square, Gugulethu, Cape Town | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ a b "ANC Statement on the death of Ray Alexander Simons, African National Congress, 12 September 2004 | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ "Polity - Peters: May Day celebrations". Engineering News. 1 May 2005. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- S2CID 144264448.
- ^ "Eli Weinberg | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ "Ray Alexander Simons - South African Women Activists Celebrated". southafrica.co.za. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ "12 Jews honored on African stamps as Apartheid fighters". Retrieved 30 October 2017.
External links
- Milton Shain and Miriam Pimstone, Ray Alexander (Simons), Jewish Women Encyclopedia