The temple was erected by members of the Jewish community who had originally emigrated to Johannesburg after the turn of the century from Poswohl, in Lithuania. Its cornerstone was laid on 24 August 1921 and today stands as a memorial to a community which no longer exists, as the Jewish families of Poswohl they left behind were murdered by the Nazis during WWII. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 4 December 1981.
References
https://www.sahra.org.za/sahris/node/33582
Further Reading
https://www.sahistory.org.za/.../second-world-war-and-its-impact-1939-1948
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/effects-ww2-africa