Dr. Franz Auerbach originated from a Jewish family who moved to South Africa in1936 to escape Nazi Germany. After his tertiary education he obtained a Teaching Diploma at the Johannesburg Teachers' Training College in 1947. He became one of South Africa's renowned educators through his contributions towards educational change. He was a founder of Jews for Social Justice and a Vice-President of The World Conference on Religion and Peace - South African Chapter (WCRP-SA).