Kosher and Jewish Life in Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city the population of the city of Johannesburg was 4,434,817, and capital of its inland Gauteng province, began as a 19th-century gold-mining settlement. The main Witwatersrand gold reef was discovered in June 1884 on the farm Vogelstruisfontein and the ensuing gold rush was the start of Johannesburg in 1886. It's known for the Soweto township, a sprawling jumble of African workers’ houses that was once home to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Mandela’s former residence is now the Nelson Mandela National Museum. To the northeast, Herman Ekstein Park encompasses a boating lake and Johannesburg Zoo. Johannesburg is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa known as the Highveld, at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). Temperatures in Johannesburg are usually fairly mild due to the city's high elevation, with an average maximum daytime temperature in January of 15.6 °C (78.1 °F), dropping to an average maximum of around 16 °C (61 °F) in June. The city is a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. There are several museums and art galleries, and some good shopping.