The museum hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions, while the Cape Town Holocaust Centre located upstairs is an insightful and emotional experience. Guests are encouraged to watch the fascinating 25-minute documentary Nelson Mandela: A Righteous Man, which is permanently on show at the museum. The documentary is covered in the ticket price and is an appropriate closure to a day at the museum. Founded by Mendel Kaplan, the South African Jewish Museum was officially opened by former president Nelson Mandela in 2000. Though still relatively new, the museum has deep historic roots including the distinction of being housed in South Africa’s first synagogue, built in 1863. The museum is intended to be a dutiful record of the history of South Africa’s Jewish community. This includes the community’s historical roots in Lithuania and elsewhere, its instrumental role in the evolution of South African democracy and noteworthy contributions to contemporary society.