CASPER, BERNARD MOSES

CASPER, BERNARD MOSES (1917–1988), chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of Johannesburg and of the South African Federation of Synagogues. Casper became the first chief rabbi of all South Africa when the Federation of Synagogues and Orthodox congregations in the Cape Province combined to form the Union of Orthodox Synagogues in 1986. Born in London, Casper moved to South Africa in 1963 after serving as a rabbi in London and Manchester (1939–54) and as dean of students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1954–63). During World War II, Casper was a Jewish chaplain in the British army and senior chaplain in the jewish brigade . He published With the Jewish Brigade (1947), Talks on Jewish Prayer (1958), An Introduction to Jewish Bible Commentary (1960), and Judaism Today and Yesterday (1965).