SUZANNE BELLING
Born in Johannesburg and brought up in Yeoville – Elliot lived with his parents for many years and Jeffrey only left home when he married Barbara – the brothers said their parents were opposed to their teaching careers for financial reasons (they are both Latin and English teachers) but they proved to be among the finest South Africa has ever produced.
In 1967 Elliot was on leave when he received a letter from the late King David Linksfield principal, Norman Sandler, offering him a job at King David. “But I have a brother,” was his answer.
“Let him come too,” Sandler replied and the brothers ended up as head of Latin (Elliot) and head of English (Jeffrey).
Later, Jeffrey was transferred to Victory Park as deputy-principal and Elliot became deputy head of Linksfield. In a relatively short time they became headmasters of their respective schools, nurturing and educating thousands of Jewish children.
They are affectionately said to have begun the “Lupine Legend”.
Being identical twins, they occasionally swapped positions and fooled everyone.
“But we have never fooled Barbara (Jeffrey’s wife), our parents, Jeffrey’s children Stuart, Graham and Melissa, and Jeffrey’s seven grandchildren,” they said.
Jeffrey told Jewish Report when he was courting Barbara, they decided to try and fool her and Elliot turned up at her parents’ house in Jeffrey’s car. At the door, Barbara greeted him saying,” “Elliot, what are you doing here? Where is Jeffrey?”
When Barbara gave birth to Stuart, she asked Elliot to bring the family’s bris apparel to the hospital. Only fathers were permitted entrance. Elliot wavered at the doorway and a nurse waved him in saying, “Of course fathers are permitted!”
During another incident, Jeffrey had cardiac surgery and was in ICU following the operation. Elliot was standing in the corridor waiting to visit his brother when a nursing sister yelled at him,” What are you doing here in the passage after surgery? You are supposed to be in intensive care!”
There is a slight difference in the voice quality, especially over the phone, but not everyone has been able to hear the distinction. “Then even our late dad couldn’t distinguish who was speaking.”
Since retiring, Jeffrey has been teaching Latin at St Mary’s in Waverley, while Elliot is director and fundraiser at the King David School’s Foundation.
Jeffrey therefore shops at the Norwood Mall as he works nearby. But one day Elliot landed up in the Hypermarket. He was approached by a King David Victory Park mother who complained endlessly about a certain teacher. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her she had the wrong brother,” Elliot said.
In the run up to their 80th birthday, Elliot, who is still based in Linksfield, was treated to a variety of celebrations including being fetched for school in a limousine, riding pillion on a Hell’s Angels motorcycle, being transported in a fire engine, and being lifted to work in a hot air balloon, a helicopter and in an Elliot’s Furniture Removal van with the motto “Elliot is amazing” on its side.
One of their swaps while they were both headmasters was at the beginning of the term, when Elliot put on a wedding band and pretended to be Jeffrey visiting Linksfied. “I fooled everyone, especially when I knew the names of two of the children who had transferred from Victory Park,” Elliot said.
The brothers debunk the widely-held belief of ESP between twins and feeling pain simultaneously when the one twin suffered.
“I felt no pain when Jeffrey had his cardiac surgery,” Elliot said.
“And he did not share my wedding night!” Jeffrey added.
