22:
494:(YCL) spokesperson Castro Ngobese commended Barsel for defying all odds and giving her life to the struggle for liberation. "She sacrificed her own luxurious and better life given the privileges enjoyed by the tiny white minority in our country during the Apartheid years and committed herself in the struggle of the oppressed," said Ngobese.
442:
Dear Merle and family, We have been deeply saddened by the loss of
Comrade Esther. She dedicated her life to the struggle for justice in South Africa, and was a formidable and highly respected resource to the movement with which she was associated for so long. She will be remembered as a great South
219:. Esther & her mother Sonia followed in 1927; entry records into South Africa show Esther Luriane (aged 3 yrs) arrived in 1927 by boat. Joseph Levin then bought a farm store about 18 miles from Middelburg which he sold in about 1936. They then moved to Johannesburg.
429:
Barsel counted among her friends former South
African President Nelson Mandela. Her death came almost three months to the day after joining him and 24 other of his closest friends for his private lunch to commemorate his ninetieth birthday. Mandela sent a letter of
214:
In 1926 Joseph Levin went to South Africa under the Lurije identity, changing his name back to Levin upon arrival in South Africa. Esther was 6 months old when he left
Lithuania. He stayed with Sonia's brother Abraham Bloom (ex Garrenblum) in
203:
When Barsel's mother met Joseph Levin, he was already living under the assumed name of Leib Lurije. Esther's birth record in the vital records of Raguva shows her mother Sonia as
Garenblumaite in
316:
It was an extremely difficult period for the trialists and their families, yet many of the friendships between black and white activists that were struck there carried on throughout their lives.
392:
Esther was sent to the remote
Barberton Prison for three years of hard labor in 1965. She was in the women's ward, next to her cell was Nelson Mandela's cell for a period before he was sent to
211:
the transcription would be
Garnblum. Esther's father's occupation was a merchant, inhabitant of Raguva. Her birth record shows her father as a man that had already been dead for two years.
517:. Sonya chose to emigrate to the United States with her husband and two children at the height of the apartheid violence, while Barsel's other two daughters chose to stay in South Africa.
301:, the Coloured People's Congress and the South African Congress of Trade Unions. Together, they were known as the Congress Alliance, and they were stoic as the state charged them with
480:"We pay homage to this gallant revolutionary who was unwavering in her commitment and dedication to the struggle for a democratic and just South Africa," Duarte said in a statement.
534:
455:
was held at Women's Jail, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg. In his invitation to members of the public to attend the service, the
Secretary of the SACP's JHB Branch wrote,
369:
A number of those charged had been held under the 90-day detention law and were subjected to ill treatment. One of these, Ms Sylvia Neame, was sentenced to two months'
590:
575:
338:, and fourteen other people were arrested and charged with having furthered the aims of the SACP or being office-bearers, officers, or members of the party. The
605:
396:, and close by was the cell where Hymie was held in solitary confinement. After Esther's release she was also "Banned" for a period of approximately 20 years.
615:
595:
389:. In April 1965, after they had been in custody for nearly a year, the fifteen were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from one to five years.
600:
330:
The trial of Mr. Bram
Fischer was primarily an attempt to remove and imprison the leadership of the SACP. On 26 August 1964, Bram Fischer, a senior
630:
477:
ANC spokesperson Jesse Duarte described Barsel as "a tireless political activist who remained engaged in the struggle until the end of her life".
381:, Ms. Mollie Doyle, Ms. Florence Duncan, Dr. Costa Gazides, Mr. Norman Levy, Ms. Jean Middleton, Ms. Ann Nicholson, Mr. Ivan F Schermbrucker, Mr.
635:
610:
625:
386:
51:
585:
200:
in
Ukraine when he relocated to Raguva about 1915. Later he assumed the identity of a dead man, Lieb Lurije, in order to avoid detection.
620:
545:
250:, the coordinator of the project. They married in Johannesburg on 4 December 1945. They travelled the country together promoting
156:
115:
443:
African and a beloved comrade. Please be assured of our support and solidarity during this difficult time. Sincerely,
73:
44:
483:
Duarte also said the ANC would treasure Barsel's contribution to the struggle for liberation and the building of
298:
293:
at the end of 1955. The group represented almost the entire executive of the then all-African ANC, the white
286:
168:
243:
502:
172:
34:
580:
216:
38:
30:
460:
We urge comrades to come in numbers to pay tribute to the late veteran of the peoples' struggle.
491:
306:
55:
294:
570:
565:
359:
8:
546:
Memorial for Esther Barsel , 14h30, 19 October 2008, Women's Jail, Constitution Hill, Jhb
355:
204:
419:
514:
281:– were put in the dock after a countrywide crackdown following the adoption of the
208:
282:
521:
274:
559:
513:
Barsel and her husband raised their three daughters, Sonya, Linda, Merle, in
412:
393:
382:
363:
335:
278:
266:
258:
378:
370:
347:
339:
320:
302:
270:
247:
164:
374:
351:
167:) was a South African political activist and long-standing member of the
431:
403:, the South African Communist Party leader, after his 1990 return from
400:
324:
239:
484:
343:
251:
235:
228:
193:
160:
119:
501:
issued a postage stamp in March 2011 honoring Esther as one of the
313:
to overthrow the government. The punishment was, of course, death.
310:
290:
262:
227:
Esther was an early participant in the
Liberation Struggle against
498:
452:
435:
422:
was lifelong; as late as 2006, at the age of eighty-one, she was
366:, hoping this would compel the police to charge or release them.
189:
358:
and activists working openly, she was detained and then kept in
404:
354:" in South Africa. Esther had been the link between the banned
331:
319:
Later Barsel and her husband were among fifteen accused in the
197:
373:
for trying to escape from custody. The other accused were Mr.
408:
426:
information about the defunct Friends of the Soviet Union.
423:
188:
Barsel was the daughter of Joseph Levin of Kubelake from
468:
Forward to the dictatorship of the proletariat, Forward!
323:
trial. She was sentenced to, and served three years'
175:branch and the SACP's Johannesburg Central Branch.
591:South African people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent
434:to Esther's family, and it was read aloud at the
557:
43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
520:Esther was buried in Johannesburg according to
606:Jewish South African anti-apartheid activists
616:White South African anti-apartheid activists
596:Members of the South African Communist Party
576:People from Panevėžys District Municipality
362:. Esther and other communist women began a
342:alleged that they aimed at "establishing a
231:, joining the SACP at the age of fourteen.
171:(SACP). She was a member of both her local
74:Learn how and when to remove this message
601:Members of the African National Congress
535:Madiba mourns the death of Esther Barsel
631:Prisoners and detainees of South Africa
192:and Sonia Garenblumaite of Raguva from
636:20th-century South African politicians
611:South African anti-apartheid activists
558:
626:South African prisoners and detainees
257:Hymie Barsel was accused in the 1956
586:Lithuanian emigrants to South Africa
196:. Joseph Levin said he was escaping
15:
464:Viva ANC/SACP/COSATU alliance Viva!
438:in Johannesburg on 7 October 2008:
222:
13:
14:
647:
261:. A group of 156 black and white
399:Esther was private secretary to
20:
621:South African women in politics
451:At 14:30 on 19 October 2008, a
334:who had led the defense of the
1:
527:
327:at Barberton Women's Prison.
299:South African Indian Congress
183:
169:South African Communist Party
533:Nelson Mandela Foundation. "
178:
7:
508:
244:Friends of the Soviet Union
10:
652:
503:Legendary Heroes of Africa
407:from 30 years of military
163:; died 6 October 2008, in
155:(born 17 October 1924, in
539:Nelson Mandela Foundation
377:, Ms. Esther Barsel, Mr.
173:African National Congress
142:
126:
97:
90:
346:government based on the
29:This article includes a
58:more precise citations.
515:Yeoville, Johannesburg
492:Young Communist League
475:
449:
287:Congress of the People
207:, and in the original
457:
440:
295:Congress of Democrats
550:Communist University
360:solitary confinement
356:liberation movements
544:Tweedie, Dominic. "
418:Barsel's fight for
234:Esther worked as a
552:, 16 October 2008.
415:on 10 April 1993.
265:– including Chief
146:political activist
31:list of references
541:, 8 October 2008.
336:Rivonia trialists
150:
149:
84:
83:
76:
643:
522:Jewish tradition
453:memorial service
223:Political career
137:
135:
111:
109:
88:
87:
79:
72:
68:
65:
59:
54:this article by
45:inline citations
24:
23:
16:
651:
650:
646:
645:
644:
642:
641:
640:
581:Lithuanian Jews
556:
555:
530:
511:
497:The country of
470:
466:
462:
444:
420:workers' rights
283:Freedom Charter
225:
186:
181:
133:
131:
122:
113:
112:17 October 1924
107:
105:
104:
103:
93:
80:
69:
63:
60:
49:
35:related reading
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
649:
639:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
554:
553:
542:
529:
526:
510:
507:
275:Nelson Mandela
246:where she met
224:
221:
185:
182:
180:
177:
148:
147:
144:
140:
139:
138:(aged 83)
130:6 October 2008
128:
124:
123:
114:
102:Esther Luriane
101:
99:
95:
94:
91:
82:
81:
39:external links
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
648:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
563:
561:
551:
547:
543:
540:
536:
532:
531:
525:
523:
518:
516:
506:
504:
500:
495:
493:
488:
486:
481:
478:
474:
473:
469:
465:
461:
456:
454:
448:
447:
439:
437:
433:
427:
425:
421:
416:
414:
410:
406:
402:
397:
395:
394:Robben Island
390:
388:
384:
383:Paul Trewhela
380:
376:
372:
367:
365:
364:hunger strike
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
337:
333:
328:
326:
322:
317:
314:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
279:Walter Sisulu
276:
272:
268:
267:Albert Lutuli
264:
260:
259:Treason Trial
255:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
232:
230:
220:
218:
212:
210:
206:
201:
199:
195:
191:
176:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
153:Esther Barsel
145:
141:
129:
125:
121:
117:
100:
96:
92:Esther Barsel
89:
86:
78:
75:
67:
57:
53:
47:
46:
40:
36:
32:
27:
18:
17:
549:
538:
519:
512:
496:
489:
482:
479:
476:
471:
467:
463:
459:
458:
450:
446:
441:
428:
417:
413:assassinated
398:
391:
387:Eli Weinberg
379:Hymie Barsel
371:imprisonment
368:
348:dictatorship
340:charge sheet
329:
321:Bram Fischer
318:
315:
303:high treason
271:Oliver Tambo
256:
248:Hymie Barsel
233:
226:
213:
202:
187:
165:Johannesburg
152:
151:
85:
70:
61:
50:Please help
42:
571:2008 deaths
566:1924 births
472:Amaaaandla!
445:N R Mandela
411:. Hani was
375:Louis Baker
352:proletariat
56:introducing
560:Categories
528:References
432:condolence
401:Chris Hani
325:hard labor
307:conspiracy
240:bookkeeper
217:Middelburg
205:Lithuanian
184:Background
143:Occupation
134:2008-10-07
108:1924-10-17
64:March 2021
485:democracy
263:activists
252:Karl Marx
236:secretary
229:Apartheid
194:Lithuania
179:Biography
161:Lithuania
120:Lithuania
509:Personal
424:blogging
385:and Mr.
344:despotic
311:violence
291:Kliptown
499:Liberia
436:funeral
350:of the
309:to use
285:at the
209:Yiddish
198:pogroms
190:Ukraine
132: (
52:improve
405:Lusaka
332:lawyer
297:, the
157:Raguva
116:Raguva
409:exile
37:, or
490:The
305:and
277:and
242:for
127:Died
98:Born
548:."
537:."
289:in
562::
524:.
505:.
487:.
273:,
269:,
254:.
159:,
118:,
41:,
33:,
238:/
136:)
110:)
106:(
77:)
71:(
66:)
62:(
48:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.