The Common Vein

September 2009

 Living in Johannesurg

Wife Sheryl

Children

Warren 28 now is semi ? retired, after selling IT business

Romi 25 ? interior designer married to Wayne Becker

Occupation ? Real Estate Financer and Developer

email address

alan@kaplan.co.za

I, like everyone else, left school in 1969 with the promise and hope of an amazing future. However you won?t see me in the matric photo as I left King David in 1968 to complete high school at Damelin College.

I went to the army where I was initially posted to Services School for 6 week basic training in Pretoria. After the basic training, I was posted to Lenz at 95 Amo Depot, where I completed my 9 month service. Being in the army and being an observant Jew definitely had its challenges with bread, butter, baked beans and potatoes becoming my staple diet for the full duration of the nine months. My only salvation was that I was ?let out? Friday, Saturday night and Jewish Holidays, as advised by the Chaplin in Pretoria, Rabbi Katz.

In the tenth month, one cold winter morning, one of the Afrikaans soldiers called me a ?bloody Jew? and stabbed me in my hand. My immediate reaction was to pull the knife out of my hand and stab his hand, which I did successfully and left attached to the table. After this ? respect for me as an observant Jew was born.

After my extremely adventurous time in the army, I did what any good Jewish boy would do ? I went I.D.B. (in daddy?s business)! My father was in the real estate business, where I joined my brother whom I have been with ever since. Our business involved property finance and sales in Johannesburg, which has been an evolving and ever-changing market.

We also got involved in property development and built a high-end cluster development in Houghton, where I reside today. I also got involved in various other businesses along the way which have managed to keep me very busy.

My father was an avid follower and investor in the stock exchange, mainly in the gold sector ? this sparked my interest in share dealing, in which I dabble.

I officially cradle- snatched in 1980 when I tied the knot with Sheryl, a much younger and very pretty girl from Benoni (Charlize Theron?s home town). We are blessed with two wonderful children, a son Warren (28), and a daughter Romi (25). I bought Warren a computer at his bar mitzvah, and ever since then he been the proclaimed family IT specialist. He helped found an IT company 2 years ago, which was very successful and from which he has now moved on. He has an extremely entrepreneurial spirit and is always looking for business opportunities. My daughter Romi inherited her grandmother?s flair for interior design and now runs her own interior design company. Baruch Hashem business has been good for her. She recently got married to Choni Becker?s son Wayne (Choni was also a 1969 matriculant). Luckily we all live in Johannesburg and have a tight-knit family.

Take care

Alan has expressed his thanks and appreciation in a private email to the original KDS 69 committee  of the group, who created a foundation for the growth of a wonderful conduit for us all.  And who should know the importance of foundations and conduits  more than a successful property developer?

In the Army

92929p Alan in the ArmyCourtesy Alan Kaplan

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