The Jewish Community of Sydney

Sydney

Capital of New South Wales, Australia.

By the beginning of the 21st century, between 115,000 and 120,000 Jews were living in Australia, with the vast majority (85 percent) living in the cities of Melbourne and Sydney. In addition to being the state capital of New South Wales, Sydney is Australia’s most populous city. According to the 2011 Australian Census, about 43,000 Jews live in Sydney, making it one of the largest Jewish communities in the East Asian Pacific. The Jews of Sydney account for approximately 40 percent of Australian Jewry and comprise 0.9 percent of the city’s total population.

Sydney’s Jewish community is composed primarily of Ashkenazim, with two-thirds originating from Hungary, South Africa, Israel, and the former Soviet Union (FSU). During the 1950s were several waves of Jewish immigration from Hungary and during the 1970s and 1980s, significant numbers of Jewish immigrants arrived from South Africa, Israel, Russia, and elsewhere in the FSU.

Jewish life is mostly concentrated in the city’s eastern suburbs. As of 2006 the most noteworthy Jewish enclaves were those of Bondi, Rose Bay, Vaucluse and Bellevue Hill. Other, smaller communities can be found in Randwick, Woollahra, Maroubra and Coogee. Much of the remaining Jewish population resides in Sydney’s Upper North Shore, particularly in the suburbs between St. Ives and Chatswood. The eastern suburb of Bondi is known for its many kosher restaurants, synagogues, and a Lubavitch yeshiva.

The Jewish community of Sydney includes more than 150 organizations. Among them are various religious and cultural institutions, schools, youth movements, student associations, sports and recreation clubs, welfare, media and healthcare services. Through the development of such organizations, Sydney’s Jewish community has maintained an active presence, and as a result, Jewish cultural life has continued to flourish.

Key organizations which serve the community include the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and JCA Fundraising, Planning and Facilitation, which raises funds for some 22 partner agencies. There are also 15 separate organizations which advocate for the State of Israel. One of the largest pro-Israel groups in Sydney is the Zionist Council of NSW, a representative of the World Zionist Organization. Through its partnership with over 40 different Zionist organizations in New South Wales, the Council promotes Zionism and the support of Israel with educational programs and communal events.

Sydney’s Jewish community also boasts a wide range of organizations specializing in health care and social services. By 2009, there were 14 different organizations offering medical assistance to children, families, and seniors and people with disabilities. Among them are B’nai B’rith Retirement Village, Jewish Aid Australia, Jewish Care (NSW), and the Jewish Care Foundation Trust.

Additionally, the community has established several social and cultural institutions, such as B’nai B’rith, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), and the Hakoah Club, which began primarily as a sports club. Located in Bondi, Hakoah continues to function as a central meeting place for the eastern suburb’s Jewish community. Sydney is also home to Maccabi NSW. Established in 1925 as the Jewish Amateur Sports Association (JASA), it operates 20 organized sports clubs throughout Sydney. With an approximate yearly membership of 2,000-3,000 people, Maccabi NSW is the largest member-based group in the Jewish community.

Serving the religious needs of the city’s observant Jewish community is Sydney’s Beit Din and Yeshiva Rabbinate. Sydney has numerous kosher institutions, all of which are supervised by the Kashrut Authority (KA), the city’s kosher certification body. As of 2010, kosher-certified establishments in Sydney included 12 restaurants, 10 bakeries, and close to 20 catering companies. Additionally, kosher food is served at a number of Sydney’s well known institutions, including the Wolper Hospital, Mandelbaum House, Sydney’s residential college, and the COA: Meals on Wheels.

According to the 2011 census, more than 62 percent of all Australian Jewish students attend a Jewish day school, the highest rate in the world outside of Israel. Of the 19 Jewish day schools operating in Australia, six are located in the capital city of Sydney. Moriah College, the largest Jewish school in the country, is also located in Sydney.

For many in the community, Jewish education has been a way to preserve Jewish culture and identity. Even among those who consider themselves Jewish but not observant send their children to private Jewish schools, many of which are Orthodox. A large number of Jews attend state schools. Through the Board of Jewish Education (BJE), courses such as Jewish Studies and Hebrew have been made available to Jewish students enrolled in Sydney’s public schools. The University of Sydney, as well as Monash University in Melbourne, also have Jewish studies departments. Additionally, many synagogues provide Jewish educational programming for both children and adults. Both the ultra-Orthodox and Reform movements have established Jewish schools throughout Sydney.

Jewish religious life in Sydney is quite diverse. The community comprises dozens of synagogues representing various Jewish denominations. As in Australia as a whole, the three main Jewish movements that are most active in Sydney are the Modern and Ultra-Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative movements. There are an estimated 27 Orthodox congregations and three Liberal or Progressive. About 40 percent of Sydney’s Jews consider themselves Jewish but not religious, while 33 percent identify as traditional.

An integral part of the community’s cultural life is the Sydney Jewish Museum. The building is located on Darlinghurst road, in a neighborhood which was once home to several Jewish businesses. Composed of eight different exhibition areas, the Museum houses numerous original documents, sculptures, multimedia and more. On display are 12 permanent exhibits, which explore the history of the Jewish people from biblical times in the ancient Near East to the modern era in Australia. The museum was officially opened in November of 1992 by then Governor of New South Wales, Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair AC. In 1994, the museum received the Award of Distinction from the NSW Tourism Awards of Excellence, as well as a Commendation during the Human Rights Awards the following year.

Other notable cultural landmarks include Sydney’s historic synagogues. The Great Synagogue, located in the center of the city, is a four-story Victorian structure that was built in 1878. The synagogue houses a library and small museum. The North Shore Synagogue, in the Lindfield area of Sydney, is a Modern-Orthodox congregation established in 1947 by Jewish immigrants from Germany. Known as the ‘Garden Synagogue’ for the tall trees that surround the building, the congregation serves more than 850 families. It holds services regularly, including those for holidays and is located next door to the Masada Jewish day school, not far from the Jewish suburb of St. Ives.

Sydney’s own Jewish newspaper, the Australian Jewish News (AJN), was founded in 1895, and was originally known as the Hebrew Standard of Australia. An online edition was launched in 2001. Also serving the online Jewish communities of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand is J-Wire, a news website.

HISTORY

Founded in 1788 as a British penal settlement, Sydney was the foundation of Australian Jewry. Several Jews were sent there from England as convicts in the first transport, while others arrived later, both voluntarily and involuntarily.

After these original Jewish prisoners were released they played a role in the colonization of the country, at times under conditions of great hardship. Some of them prospered and became leading citizens. When the first Jew died in Sydney in 1817, there was no Jewish cemetery. However, a religious service was held and a hevra kadisha was formed.

P. J. Cohen could be considered the one of the founders of the religious community in Sydney. He had the approval and authority of the chief rabbi to perform marriages; one of the first marriages that he officiated at was Samuel Cohen's, whose family became prominent in both Jewish and general affairs for three generations.

When the first congregation was organized in 1832, Joseph Barrow Montefiore - a cousin of Sir Moses Montefiore - was elected president. Joseph Montefiore also played a pioneering role in Melbourne, Adelaide, and New Zealand. Services in Sydney were held in private homes and hotels which were often owned by Jews. In 1837 the community rented a house and converted it into a synagogue; this, however, proved to be temporary and soon after the congregation was again looking for a permanent place to hold services. Their search lasted until 1844, when the Sydney Synagogue was opened. At this point the Jews in New South Wales numbered about 900. The Great Synagogue opened in 1878, at which point approximately 3,000 Jews lived in the state. A. B. Davis served as minister at the Great Synagogue from 1862 to 1905, and Rabbi F. L. Cohen, author of a standard work on music of the synagogue, from 1905 to 1934.

During the 1850s there was an influx of Jews to New South Wales, mainly from England but also from Germany. Many first settled in the rural areas, and established and ran local stores. In 1861 only 61% of the Jews in New South Wales lived in Sydney; a century later, however, only 4% of the Jewish population lived outside Sydney. Because of the obstacles to maintaining religious observance, and a lack of Jewish women, intermarriage was prevalent. Later, immigration in 1933 would do much to change the nature of the community, in which Western European and British immigrants predominated .In 1933 Sydney had four congregations, all Orthodox.

In 1970 there were 17 Orthodox and two Liberal congregations in Sydney and the bet din was under the chairmanship of Rabbi I. Porush. The Rabbi L. A. Falk Library at the Great Synagogue with its 7,000 volumes was the largest Judaica library in Australia.

In 1971 there were three day schools with approximately 650 pupils and several kindergartens, while the part-time yeshivah enrolled about 50 students. There were also Talmud Torah schools and Hebrew schools, most of which were affiliated with synagogues and met three to seven hours a week. In addition, special religious lessons for Jewish pupils were provided in all the larger state schools. Youth and and university students' activities centered around the Students' Union and the Hillel Foundation.

In 1968 the Jewish population of Sydney numbered 28,500 (40% of the total Jewish population of Australia). In 1997 there were 95,000 Jews living in Australia, 35,000 of them in Sydney.