Marais Road Shul
Marais Road Shul, formally the Green & Sea Point Hebrew Congregation (G&SPHC), is a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Sea Point, a seaside suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It sits at 10 Marais Road and has been a central Jewish community hub since its founding in 1926, with the current octagonal building completed in 1934.
The new synagogue was designed by architect J. Lonstein and could seat about 900 people. Its cornerstone was laid by Jan Smuts, and the building opened in September 1934. Early on, it featured a choir, an organ, and electric lighting on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The congregation began under Orthodox principles and grew quickly, expanding its facilities to accommodate a thriving community.
Over the years, the shul established a Talmud Torah that housed many students and offered Hebrew studies up to Matric. It also planned a Communal Centre with major and minor halls, a nursery, and additional classrooms. The Weizmann Hall became a central space for large community events and later housed Sephardi services, while a separate Sephardi Hebrew Congregation began operating from the G&SPHC complex in 1960.
The congregation pursued independence from the Gardens Shul and, in 1950, seceded from the Cape Board of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. It briefly rejoined the United Council of Synagogues (UC) in 1955 on the condition that it would remain independent and that the UC would oversee certain rabbinic and ceremonial matters. In 1969 the Cape Chief Rabbi position was abolished, leaving South Africa with a single Chief Rabbi based in Johannesburg.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the shul faced social and political challenges, including security concerns during the apartheid era. In 1994, Nelson Mandela visited the synagogue during his presidency. In 1998, the shul was targeted by PAGAD, though the would-be attackers redirected their plan to a different synagogue.
Leadership shifts continued into the 2000s. Rabbi David Rosen, who served in the 1970s and 1980s, was followed by Rabbi Dr. Elihu Jack Steinhorn from New York, who became a focal point of tension with the national Chief Rabbinate over halachic and communal authority. After a period of dispute, Steinhorn retired in 2004, and the shul remained within the Union of Orthodox Synagogues.
Facing aging membership and the cost of maintaining a large building, the shul focused on strengthening community life and youth programs. It also played a role in social relief, such as sheltering people during the May 2008 South Africa riots. In 2010, Rabbi Dovid Wineberg of the Chabad movement became senior rabbi, bringing back some traditional practices, and since 2013 Rabbi Pini Hecht has served as an assistant rabbi and has been the senior rabbi since 2022.
Today, the Marais Road Shul remains an active Modern Orthodox center in Sea Point, continuing to serve a diverse community with regular services, youth programs, and Sephardi offerings through Weizmann Hall, under the leadership of Rabbi Pini Hecht.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:29 (CET).