Minnie Kaplan celebrates mighty 100 years

Minnie Kaplan, a member of Sydenham-Highlands North Hebrew Congregation for many decades, celebrated her 100th birthday on 12 May following a weekend of family and communal celebrations.

Kaplan was born in Daugėliškis in Lithuania, which was then part of the Republic of Poland. Her father, Yudel Matzkin, came to South Africa first in 1926, and was then followed by his wife, Sara, and their young children, Morris (8) and Minnie (4) in 1929. They settled in Pretoria.

In her early 20s, Kaplan fell ill, and doctors eventually discovered that she had coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system responds abnormally to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.

It became one of Kaplan’s life’s missions to raise awareness about this disease, and she guided people on how to live normal, healthy lives while adjusting their diets accordingly, while also giving advice to food producers on how to support those with the disease. To this end, Kaplan established the Coeliac Society of South Africa, which she ran until she was in her 90s. In an interview with Sarie magazine, she said many commercial food products were falsely labelled gluten-free as some assume that wheat-free means gluten-free. “Be aware of flour additives in sauces and thickeners,” she cautioned.

Community and faith were just as important to Minnie and her late husband, Louis Kaplan, who were members of Sydenham-Highlands North Hebrew Congregation for many decades. Minnie is also honorary life president of the Emunah South Africa Women’s organisation, which supports several causes including the Emuna Achuzat Sarah Children’s home in Bnei Brak, Israel.

She attributes her long life to being an avid reader, eating well, and keeping active, especially many years of tennis on her home court in Percelia, in Johannesburg, and strong family and friendship bonds, including with surviving younger sister, Ida (in Canada); two daughters; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.