Old girl donates 80-year-old doll to Durban Girls’ College
Durban Girls' College Old Girl, Jenifer Kaplan donated her Shirley Temple doll who is 80 years old, to her alma mater at Durban Girls' College.
ON the morning of February 10, Durban Girls’ College hosted school alumnus Jenifer Kaplan (Class of 1953). After learning that Kaplan wanted to donate her DGC doll, Shirley, to the school’s archives, Kira Altshuler (head girl) invited Kaplan to tea.
“This doll was a gift from my parents when I was in Class One on my ninth birthday. Her uniform was, like ours, homemade during World War II. My doll had real hair! Her shoes and satchel are real leather, and the satchel contains a tiny pencil and handmade tiny paper books. She sat on my desk until my teacher removed her so that I could concentrate on my lessons,” said Kaplan.
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Shirley is a Shirley Temple doll who is 80 years old, and Kaplan decided to donate her to her alma mater. While at DGC, Mrs Kaplan achieved the following: prefect, captain of Hunter House, member of the choir, deportment colours, Excelsior swimming colours, and a Bronze Medal for lifesaving. Despite having an undetected auditory processing disorder, she earned her matric through hard work and determination. Kaplan has a courageous and adventurous spirit, but it was in the Drakensberg at the age of 15 that she discovered a passion for mountain climbing.
Her many happy years of climbing included regular summits up the Amphitheatre and Sentinel Peak. Kaplan was the youngest girl to climb the face of the Amphitheatre with ropes. Teaching was a passion, and Kaplan taught for many years. She was head of Glenridge School, principal of John Ross House Nursery School, and taught at Sharona Nursery School for many years.
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After retiring, she became a tour guide and was made an Honorary Officer of the former Natal Parks Board. Kaplan has three children: Lewis in Durban, Michael in London, and Karen in Johannesburg. This year, the Class of 1953 will be celebrating their 70th reunion. Durban Girls’ College thanked the alumnus for her generous donation, saying, “Thank you, Mrs Kaplan, for trusting us with Shirley. She will be well cared for, and we hope you will come and visit her in our Archives Museum.”
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