By the 1940s, Sidelsky was a partner in one of Johannesburg's largest and most successful legal firms, Witkin, Sidelsky and Eidelman. Sidelsky spearheaded a credit programme allowing black South Africans to secure mortgages. As part of this stream of work, Sidelsky worked with a black real estate agent,
Walter Sisulu. Sisulu recognised potential in Mandela and introduced him to Sidelsky in 1942. Sidelsky hired a 24-year-old Mandela as an articled clerk, allowing Mandela to qualify as an attorney. In his memoir,
Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela said that Sidelsky had treated him with “enormous kindness” and reflected on the opportunity: “It was a Jewish firm, and in my experience I have found Jews to be more broad-minded than most whites on issues of race and politics, perhaps because they themselves have historically been victims of prejudice.” In the 1990s, Mandela hosted a
kosher lunch at his
Houghton Estate home, in honour of his guests, Sidelsky and Bregman. In 2001, shortly before his death, Sidelsky attended an event organised by the South African press honouring Mr Mandela. ==Personal life==