List of Oceanian Jews

The vast majority of Jews in Oceania (c. 120,000) live in Australia, with a small population (c. 7,000) in New Zealand. Most are Ashkenazi Jews, with many being survivors of the Holocaust arriving during and after World War II. More recently, a significant number of Jews have arrived from South Africa and Russia. The official number of people who practised Judaism in the 2001 census was only 83,459 but this number is expected to be much higher, as it did not count those overseas (i.e. dual Australian-Israeli nationals) or many non-practicing Jews who prefer not to disclose religion in the census are more common. Ironically, ever since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia's Jewish population has hovered around 0.5% of the total counted.

The vast majority of Australia's Jews live in inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney with smaller populations, in numerical order, in Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Adelaide. Currently, there are also recognised communities in Ballarat, Bendigo/Castlemaine, Canberra, Geelong, Gosford, Hobart, Launceston and Newcastle.

In Melbourne, the Jewish population centre is Caulfield where there are streets with nearly a 100% Jewish population; the main areas of settlement spread out from Caulfield in two arcs: south through St Kilda, Elwood, Elsternwick, Brighton, Moorabbin and right down to Frankston; east through Toorak, Malvern, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn to Doncaster. In Sydney the major areas of Jewish settlement are in the east and on the North Shore, in particular the suburbs of Bondi, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, St Ives and Hunters Hill.

In New Zealand, most Jews live in Auckland and Wellington with smaller populations in Dunedin and Christchurch. Dunedin synagogue has possibly the world's southernmost Jewish congregation.^[1]

The following is a list of prominent Oceanian Jews, arranged by country of origin.

Australia

Academic figures

• Roy Clive Abraham, linguist^[2]
• Samuel Alexander, philosopher
• Bernard Boas, marriage guidance counsellor, broadcaster, author of biblical treatises^[3]
• Neal Ashkanasy, psychologist and emotional intelligence academic
• Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General (1977–1982), lawyer, university lecturer (including past appointments as Provost, Dean and Vice-Chancellor)
• Linda Dessau, current Governor of Victoria, and former Family Court Judge
• Marcus Einfeld, human rights activist and former Federal Court judge
• Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist
• Sir Otto Frankel, geneticist^[4]
• Bryan Gaensler, astronomer and former Young Australian of the Year
• Fred Hilmer, academic, lawyer & businessman
• David Isaacs, architect & structural engineer, musician & composer^[5]
• Phillip Isaacs, architect & structural engineer^[6]
• Joseph Jacobs, historian & folklorist^[7]
• Justice Stephen Kaye, judge of the Court of Appeal
• The Hon. William Kaye, judge of the Supreme Court 1972-1991^[8]
• Kurt Mahler, mathematician
• Robert Manne, academic & social critic
• Sir Matthew Nathan,British soldier and judge, Governor of Queensland 1920-1925, after also serving as Governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Hong Kong and Natal; the Brisbane suburbs of Nathan and Nathan Heights are named after him, as is Nathan Street, in the Canberra suburb of Deakin
• Bernhard Neumann, mathematician
• Robert Richter, barrister and human rights advocate
• Gustav Nossal, immunologist (Jewish father)
• Peter Singer, philosopher
• Julius Stone, distinguished legal theorist, professor of jurisprudence and international law^[9]
• The Hon. Steven Strauss, judge of the Family Court 1976-1994, former Dunera Boy^[10]
• James Wolfensohn, World Bank president
• Sir Albert Wolff, Chief Justice of Western Australia
• Ghil'ad Zuckermann, linguist and revivalist

Business figures

• Sir Peter Abeles, former chairman of Ansett
• Rodney Adler, CEO of HIH Insurance, convicted criminal
• Albert Bensimon, Adelaide jeweller and businessman
• Noel Biderman, CEO of Avid Entertainment and owner of Ashley Madison
• Harold Boas, architect, Perth councillor, Jewish community worker
• John Gandel & Marc Besen, founder/owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre and Sussan fashion chain
• David Gonski, Public figure and businessman, philanthropist
• Joseph Gutnick, mining magnate & ex-President of Melbourne F.C.
• Poppy King, cosmetist
• Frank Lowy, founder of The Westfield Group, philanthropist
• Sidney Myer, founder of Myer department store & philanthropist
• Helena Rubenstein, cosmetician (business started in Melbourne), philanthropist, art collector
• Leon & Richard Pratt, founder/owners of Visy Industries
• Rene Rivkin, stockbroker and convicted insider trader
• Abe Saffron, nightclub owner, underworld figure
• Joe Saragossi founder G James Australia leading glass and window manufacturers with over 2500 employees.
• John Saunders, co-founder of The Westfield Group^[11][12]
• Harry Seidler, architect
• Sidney Sinclair, men's fashion label founder
• Smorgon family, founder/owners of Smorgon Steel and other businesses
• Harry Triguboff, property developer, Meriton Apartments

Cultural figures

• Eric Baume, broadcaster/journalist
• Arthur Benjamin, composer
• Steve Bedwell, comedian/broadcaster
• Danny Ben-Moshe, writer
• Rachel Berger, comedian
• John Bluthal, actor
• Lily Brett, writer
• Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer^[13]
• Saskia Burmeister, actress
• Judy Cassab, painter
• Deborah Conway, singer/songwriter
• Ed Doolan, Australian-born British broadcaster
• George Dreyfus, composer
• Jack Feldstein, scriptwriter/neon animator
• FourPlay Electric String Quartet (3/4 Jewish)
• Amelia Frid, former child actress
• Renée Geyer, soul singer
• Alan Gold, author
• Libby Gorr, comedian
• Alexander Gutman (aka Austen Tayshus), comedian
• David Helfgott, pianist
• David Hirschfelder, film composer
• Fred Isaacs (aka F. Raymond Renard), musician & eisteddfod adjudicator
• Phillip Isaacs (musician) (aka Phillip Renard), musician and maker of Australia’s first steel-framed piano
• Elena Kats-Chernin, composer
• Danny Katz, writer/comedian
• Barrie Kosky, creative director
• Ben Lee, singer/songwriter
• Jack Levi (aka Elliot Goblet), comedian
• Lior Attar (aka Lior), singer/songwriter
• Sam Lipski, newspaper writer & editor, radio & TV broadcaster & commentator, CEO of the philanthropic Pratt Foundation
• David Malouf, writer (Jewish mother)
• Miriam Margolyes, actress
• Bill Meyer, artist
• Margaret Michaelis-Sachs, photographer
• Isaac Nathan, Australia's first composer
• Helmut Newton, photographer
• Elliot Perlman, writer
• Linda Phillips, composer ^[14]
• John Safran, comedian/documentarian
• Hermann Schildberger, choir leader, organist (secular & in synagogues)^[15]
• Michael Schildbereger, radio & TV broadcaster & commentator
• Athol Shmith, photographer
• Michael Shmith, journalist and music critic
• Larry Sitsky, composer
• Nathan Spielvogel, writer, particularly about Jewish life in early Ballarat; lay communal leader of the Ballarat synagogue^[16]
• Yael Stone, actor
• Simon Tedeschi, pianist
• Harry van der Sluys (aka Roy Rene and Mo McCackie), music hall, theatrical and radio comedian
• Felix Werder, composer
• Yidcore's Members (Bram, Myki, Tim and Rory), Jewish Punk Band, from Melbourne, Australia
• Yitzhak Yedid, composer
• Julius Roe, Fair Work Australia Commissioner, former head of Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

Political figures

National figures

• Barry Cohen, Labor government minister in the Federal Parliament (1983–1987)
• Elias Solomon, former member of Federal Parliament
• Michael Danby, Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–present)
• Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing 2007-2011,Attorney-General of Australia 2011-2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–2013)
• Mark Dreyfus QC, Attorney-General of Australia 2013-2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (2007–present)
• Josh Frydenberg, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2010–present)
• Julian Leeser, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2016–present)

Local body politicians

• Maurice Ashkanasy, Vice-chairman of Victorian Bar Council and member of Australian Labor party
• Peter Baume, Liberal cabinet minister, chancellor of the Australian National University
• Joe Berinson, Member of Federal Parliament, Minister in Whitlam's third Cabinet, State Upper house member, State Labor cabinet minister and Attorney General of Western Australia
• Moss Cass, former Labor cabinet minister
• Ian Cohen, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1995–2011)
• Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria (from 2015)
• Marcus Einfeld, human rights activist and former Federal Court judge
• Sydney Einfeld, New South Wales Minister for Consumer Affairs (1976–1981)
• Jennifer Huppert, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council (2009–2010)
• Martin Indyk, United States ambassador to Israel (1995–1997 and 2000–2001)
• Sir Isaac Isaacs, Governor General (1931–1936), prominent solicitor, member of Victorian colonial parliament, one of the drafters of the Australian constitution, member of first Australian parliament
• Walter Jona, Victorian State Minister
• Dr John Kaye, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• Sir Richard Kingsland, Public Servant, RAAF pilot who rescued two senior British WWII leaders in Morocco in 1940
• Henry Ninio, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, co-founder of Progressive Judaism in Adelaide
• Martin Pakula, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council
• Leo Port, Lord Mayor of Sydney (1975–1978)
• Eric Roozendaal, NSW Labor cabinet minister (2008–2011)
• David Southwick, Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
• Hajnal Ban, politician, author
• James Wolfensohn, World Bank president
• Sir Albert Wolff, Chief Justice of Western Australia

Religious figures

• Rabbi Dr Joseph Abrahams, prominent Melbourne rabbi of the late 19th & early 20th centuries, in 1911 did not take up the call as Chief Rabbi on account of ill health^[17]
• Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney, Senior Rabbi to the Australian Defence Force, Registrar of the Sydney Beth Din, author of OzTorah.com, and the leading spokesperson for Jews and Judaism in Australia from 1972 to 2005
• Rabbi Elias Blaubaum, rabbi at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation for 40 years, newspaper editor^[18]
• Rabbi Abraham Tobias Boas, rabbi in Adelaide for about 40 years^[19]
• Rabbi Rudolph (Rudie) Brasch, senior reform rabbi in Sydney for over 30 years, a well-known author and broadcaster
• Gen. Paul Cullen, founder of Emanuel Synagogue, Sydney, Army General
• Rabbi Francis Cohen, prominent Sydney rabbi in the early 20th century^[20]
• Rev Alexander Davis, over 30 years as minister of the York Street and Great synagogues^[21]
• Rabbi Jacob Danglow, rabbi at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation 1905-1962, one of the most prominent rabbis in both the Jewish and the general communities^[22][23][24]
• Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, Rabbi of the Yeshiva Centre
• Rabbi David Freedman, rabbi in Perth for over 40 years^[25]
• Rabbi David Freilich, rabbi in Perth 1988-2012^[26]
• Rabbi Ralph Genende, rabbi at Caulfield, and prominent in interfaith dialogue^[27]
• Rabbi Lazarus Goldman, rabbi at Toorak Road synagogue, author and historian, died in the bimah in 1960 whilst conducting a Kol Nidrei service in Adelaide^[28]
• Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, director of many Chabad operations in Victoria
• Rabbi J. L. Guerewitz, long serving rabbi at Carlton United synagogue
• Rabbi Chaim Gutnick, formerly rabbi of Elwood Synagogue for over forty years and life president of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria
• Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick, rabbi at Elwood and member of the Beth Din
• Rabbi Sholom Gutnick, rabbi at Caulfield for about 40 years, and Av Beth Din
• Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn, Rabbi Emeritus and long-serving rabbi at St Kilda^[29]
• Rabbi John Levi, first Australian-born rabbi, prominent Progressive rabbi & teacher^[30][31]
• Rabbi Ronald Lubofsky, rabbi at St Kilda for over 30 years^[32]
• Joseph Marcus, a convict who trained as a rabbi and who is reputed to have conducted the first Jewish services in Sydney
• Rabbi Jerome Mark, the first Progressive rabbi in Australia^[33][34]
• Rev Joseph Myers (rabbi), minister in Brisbane for 43 years^[35]
• Mrs Ada Phillips, founder of Australia’s first permanent Progressive congregation in Melbourne^[36][37]
• Rabbi Israel Porush, prominent & long-serving Sydney rabbi^[38]
• Mr Abraham Rabinovitch, philanthropist and founder of Sydney's main Orthodox Jewish educational institutions
• Rev Moses Rintel, first minister of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, and later of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation
• Rabbi Dr Herman Sanger, important Melbourne progressive rabbi, responsible for the spread of progressive Judaism to other parts of Australia^[39][40][41]
• Rabbi Max Schenk, first Progressive rabbi in Sydney, early Zionist^[42]
• Rabbi Louis Rubin-Zacks, rabbi in Perth for 25 years.

Sports figures

• Peter Fuzes, soccer goalkeeper for Hakoah and Australia, Maccabi Hall of Fame 2003. Played 1st grade 1964 till 1976; International career From 1966 to 1972, against Scotland 1967, Greece 1969, Israel 1969 & 1972. Played against various European clubsides including AS ROMA 1966, Manchester United at the time of Bobby Charlton & Dennis Law.
• Michael Klinger, cricketer. Also an ex collegian at Mount Scopus Memorial College.
• Albert Rosenfeld, rugby league player
• Lionel Van Praag, speedway champion
• Steven Solomon, sprinter
• David Zalcberg Australian Jewish Olympic Table Tennis Player. Also an ex collegian at Mount Scopus Memorial College
• Phil Moss Current manager of the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League, and former soccer player in the National Soccer League
• Jonathan Moss (cricketer) Former first-class cricketer for the Victoria cricket team (2000 - 2007). Played for Australia at the Maccabiah Games in Israel
• Ray Phillips, cricketer, NSW & Queensland
• Ian Synman, Australian Rules footballer with St Kilda 1958-1969, notorious for playing in St Kilda's only Premiership (1966) on Yom Kippur
• Todd Goldstein, AFL player for the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
• Julien Wiener, cricketer
• Myer Rosenblum, ruby union player and solicitor, father of Rupert Rosenblum, who notably employed John Howard as an articled clerk.
• Rupert Rosenblum, rugby union player and solicitor, son of Myer Rosenblum.

Miscellaneous

• Dunera boys, a group of mainly Jewish British detainees who were deported to Australia in horrific circumstances; many of them later becoming prominent Australian citizens
• Phil Jeffs (a.k.a. Davis), underworld figure
• Sir John Monash, World War I general, engineer, first chairman of Victoria's State Electricity Commission
• John Smith, Sydney's first free police constable
• Ikey Solomon, First Fleet prisoner, the person on whom Charles Dickens based the character of Fagin

Fiji

• Alexander Schmerrill Bowman, early European settler
• Henry Marks, early European settler
• Karl Fleischman, mining, businessman

French Polynesia

• Queen Marau
• Alexander Salmon
• Alexander Ariipaea Salmon

New Zealand

Business figures

• Sir Woolf Fisher, industrialist^[43]
• Bendix Hallenstein, clothing manufacturer and merchant, and MP^[44]
• Michael Hirschfeld, businessman, activist & Labour Party president^[45]
• Nathaniel William Levin, businessman, father of:
• William Levin, businessman, benefactor^[46]
• John Israel Montefiore, trader, merchant, later involved in civic affairs^[47]
• David Nathan, retailer^[48]
• Joseph Nathan, founder of GlaxoSmithKline^[43]

Cultural figures

• Esmond de Beer, historian, collector, philanthropist^[49]
• Gina Bellman, actress^[50]
• Charles Brasch, poet, literature patron^[51]
• Taika Cohen (Waititi), film director, writer, painter, comedian and actor^[52]
• Angela D'Audney, television anchor^[53]
• Benjamin Farjeon, writer^[43]
• Willi Fels, philanthropist and collector^[54]
• Deb Filler, actor, writer, comic actor
• Richard Fuchs, composer and architect^[55]
• Grace Joel, artist^[56]
• Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author^[57]

Political figures

Sir Julius Vogel

National figures

• Frederick Baume, Member of Parliament^[58]
• Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, Prime Minister (1925) (Jewish mother)^[59]
• Sir Tom Eichelbaum, Chief Justice (1989–1999)^[60]
• John Key (born 1961), current New Zealand Prime Minister (Jewish mother)^[61]
• Sir Michael Myers, chief justice (1929–1946)^[48]
• Sir Julius Vogel, Prime Minister (1873–1875, 1876), newspaper founder, & science-fiction writer^[48]

Local body politicians

• Mayors
  • Auckland: Philip Philips (Auckland's first mayor, 1871–1874),^[43] Henry Isaacs (1874),^[43] Sir Arthur Myers 1905–08),^[43] Sir Ernest Davis (1935–1941),^[62] Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (1959–1965, 1968–1980),^[63] and Colin Kay (1980–1983)^[43]
  • Christchurch: Charles Louisson (1888–1889, 1898–1899)^[64]
  • Invercargill: Eve Poole (1983–1992)^[65]
  • Wellington: Ian Lawrence (1986–1989),^[65] Mark Blumsky (1995–2001)
• Other
  • Dame Barbara Goodman, Auckland local body politician

Sports figures

Nathan Cohen

• Jo Aleh, Olympic sailor^[66]
• Nathan Cohen, Olympic champion and world champion rower^[67]
• Josh Kronfeld, rugby player^[68]

Other figures

• Lev Aptekar, chess master
• Sir Louis Barnett, surgeon^[43]
• Ethel Benjamin, first woman lawyer in the British Empire^[48]
• Sir Peter Gluckman, science adviser^[69]
• Wally Hirsch, former Race Relations Conciliator^[43]
• Pei Te Hurinui Jones, Ngati Maniapoto leader & scholar (Jewish father)
• Joel Samuel Polack, pioneer settler^[70]

See also

• Lists of Jews
• History of the Jews in Australia
• History of the Jews in New Zealand

External links

• Jews in New Zealand in Te Ara online encyclopaedia
• Jews in New Zealand in 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
• Prominent Australian Jews
• New Zealand Jewish archives: Notes on Jewish Participation in New Zealand History

References