Australian Jews
Encyclopedia
Australian Jews, or Jewish Australians, are Jews who are Australian citizens or resident alien
s. The Jewish community in Australia is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews
who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their Australia-born descendants. There is, however, a minority from all Jewish ethnic divisions
, as well as a small number of recent converts. The Jewish community in Australia comprises a wide range of Jewish cultural traditions, encompassing the full spectrum of religious observance, from the ultra-Orthodox Haredi
communities to Jews who are entirely secular and atheist.
aboard the First Fleet
in 1788 to Botany Bay
.
Over time these convicts became freed men, who were sufficiently attached to their religion to form themselves into a chevra kadisha
(burial society). In 1820 the Jews established a Jewish cemetery
by applying to the Reverend Dr. Cowper, who allotted to them the right-hand corner of the Christian cemetery. The death of one Joel Joseph prompted the application, and he was the first Jew buried there. During the next ten years there was no great increase in membership; and the services of the society were not called for more than once a year.
In the 1820s there was an influx of Jewish merchants into the community and divine worship
was performed for the first time. In 1830 a Sefer Torah
[scroll of the Law] was purchased by subscription, and divine service was conducted on a more regular basis. In 1832 the Jewish community formed a proper congregation, and appointed J. B. Montefiore as the first president.
In 1830 the first Jewish wedding
in Australia was celebrated, the contracting
parties being Moses Joseph and Miss Nathan. Three years later a Mr. Rose came from England and acted as the chazzan
, shochet
, and mohel
. He was succeeded by Jacob Isaacs. The condition of the Jews improved to such an extent that in 1844 they erected their first synagogue
in York Street, Sydney, in which they continued to worship for more than thirty years.
The Australian Jewish community numbered only 23,000 Jews. Between 1933 and 1939 8,000 Jews immigrated to the country. Between 1945 and 1955 another 27,000 immigrated from Displaced Persons camps in Europe. Among those organizations assisting these immigrants were the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
and the Australian Jewish Welfare Societies and Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Society. A majority of the immigrants moved to Melbourne and particularly to Carlton
. Others moved to Kings Cross
and Bondi
in Sydney.
Jewish immigration came at a time of antisemitism and the Returned Services League and other groups publicized cartoons to encourage the government and the immigration Minister Arthur A. Calwell to stem the flow of Jewish immigrants.
, acknowledging leadership of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. To this day the vast majority of synagogues in Australia are Orthodox.
There have been short-lived efforts to establish Reform
congregations as early as the 1890s. However, under the leadership of Ada Phillips, a sustained liberal congregation, Temple Beth Israel, was established in Melbourne
. Subsequently another synagogue linked to the US Reform Movement, Temple Emanuel
, was established in Sydney
. Following these two congregations, a number of other Liberal synagogues were founded in other cities, and in New Zealand
. The first Australian-born rabbi, Rabbi John Levi, served the Australian Liberal movement.
Since 1992 Conservative
(Masorti) services have been held as an alternative service usually in the Neuweg, the smaller second synagogue within Temple Emanuel, Woolahra, Sydney. In 1999, Kehilat Nitzan, Melbourne's first Conservative (Masorti) Congregation was established, with foundation president Prof John Rosenberg
. The congregation appointed its first rabbi, Rabbi Ehud Bandel in 2006.
, a controversial and significant issue in the modern Australian Jewish community. While not all Jews disapprove of intermarriage
, many members of the Jewish community have become concerned that the high rate of interfaith marriage will result in the eventual disappearance of the Australian Jewish community.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend of secular Australian Jews returning to a more religious, in most cases, Orthodox, style of observance. Such Jews are called baalei teshuva
("returners", see also Repentance in Judaism
). It is uncertain how widespread or demographically important this movement is at present.
The Melbourne community is today most prominent in the city's south-eastern suburbs of North Caulfield, where approximately 50% of residents are Jewish, Caulfield
with 40% and East St Kilda with 26%. Jews are also prevalent in the Toorak
and Brighton
areas, however there has been considerable decline in previous Jewish neighbourhoods such as Doncaster
and Carlton
. Within Jewish areas there are a number of kosher butchers, cafes, restaurants, delis, bakeries and other amenities.
Sydney is home to roughly 40–45,000 Jewish people. While the Jewish community in Sydney enjoys many of the same benefits as in Melbourne, it is generally seen as somewhat more secular. Like Melbourne, the Sydney community was built upon the arrival of holocaust survivors (especially those from Hungary
), while more recently Jews have arrived in Sydney from South Africa
. There are a number of Jewish schools in Sydney (such as Moriah College
in Queens Park
and Masada College
in St Ives
) as well as a variety of synagogue congregations and other institutions and societies.
Today the community is mostly concentrated in Sydney's eastern suburbs
, particularly Bondi
, where the it accounts for approximately one third of the local population. There is also a smaller, but significant community in the North Shore
suburb of St Ives.
Immigration from South Africa has been offset by an outward flow. The Perth community today faces considerable problems with many of the younger generations migrating to Jewish Communities in Sydney, Melbourne or even Israel.
Perth Jews are most prevalent in the suburb of Dianella.
, some Australian Jews are bilingual with Modern Hebrew
. A variety of other languages are still spoken within some Australian Jewish communities, communities which are representative of the various Jewish ethnic divisions
from around the world that have come together to make up Australia's Jewish population.
Many of Australia's Hasidic Jews
(being exclusively of Ashkenazi
descent) are raised speaking Yiddish
. Yiddish was once spoken as the primary language by most of the European Jews who immigrated to Australia. Yiddish has had an influence on Australian English, and words borrowed from it include chutzpah
("effrontery", "gall"), nosh ("snack"), schlep ("drag"), schmuck ("fool", literally "penis"), and, depending on ideolect, hundreds of other terms. (See also Yinglish
.)
The Persian Jewish
community in Australia, notably the large community in and around Sydney
, primarily speak Persian
(see also Judeo-Persian
) in the home and synagogue. They also support their own Persian language newspapers. Persian Jews also reside in parts of Melbourne
.
Many recent Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union
speak primarily Russian
at home, and there are several notable communities where public life and business are carried out mainly in Russian.
Australian Bukharan Jews
speak Bukhori (a dialect of Persian) and Russian
.
Classical Hebrew is the language of most Jewish religious literature, such as the Tanakh
(Bible) and Siddur
(prayerbook). Modern Hebrew
is also the primary official language of the modern State of Israel
, which further encourages many to learn it as a second language. Some recent Israeli immigrants to Australia speak Hebrew as their primary language.
Resident Alien
Resident Alien is the debut album from the British glam rock band Spacehog. Released by Elektra Records on 24 October 1995, the album was certified as gold on 29 July 1996 and included the hit single "In the Meantime", which reached the top of the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States,...
s. The Jewish community in Australia is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their Australia-born descendants. There is, however, a minority from all Jewish ethnic divisions
Jewish ethnic divisions
Jewish ethnic divisions refers to a number of distinct communities within the world's ethnically Jewish population. Although considered one single self-identifying ethnicity, there are distinct ethnic divisions among Jews, most of which are primarily the result of geographic branching from an...
, as well as a small number of recent converts. The Jewish community in Australia comprises a wide range of Jewish cultural traditions, encompassing the full spectrum of religious observance, from the ultra-Orthodox Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
communities to Jews who are entirely secular and atheist.
History
Jews came first to Australia as convicts transportedPenal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
aboard the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
in 1788 to Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
.
Over time these convicts became freed men, who were sufficiently attached to their religion to form themselves into a chevra kadisha
Chevra Kadisha
A chevra kadisha is a loosely structured but generally closed organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to Halacha and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until burial...
(burial society). In 1820 the Jews established a Jewish cemetery
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
by applying to the Reverend Dr. Cowper, who allotted to them the right-hand corner of the Christian cemetery. The death of one Joel Joseph prompted the application, and he was the first Jew buried there. During the next ten years there was no great increase in membership; and the services of the society were not called for more than once a year.
In the 1820s there was an influx of Jewish merchants into the community and divine worship
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
was performed for the first time. In 1830 a Sefer Torah
Sefer Torah
A Sefer Torah of Torah” or “Torah scroll”) is a handwritten copy of the Torah or Pentateuch, the holiest book within Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of production. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish services...
[scroll of the Law] was purchased by subscription, and divine service was conducted on a more regular basis. In 1832 the Jewish community formed a proper congregation, and appointed J. B. Montefiore as the first president.
In 1830 the first Jewish wedding
Jewish wedding
A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Jewish law and traditions.While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ketuba signed by two witnesses, a wedding canopy , a ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy, and the breaking of a...
in Australia was celebrated, the contracting
Ketubah
A ketubah is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride.-History:...
parties being Moses Joseph and Miss Nathan. Three years later a Mr. Rose came from England and acted as the chazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
, shochet
Shechita
Shechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws...
, and mohel
Mohel
A mohel is a Jewish person trained in the practice of brit milah "covenant of circumcision."-Etymology of the Hebrew and Aramaic term:...
. He was succeeded by Jacob Isaacs. The condition of the Jews improved to such an extent that in 1844 they erected their first synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in York Street, Sydney, in which they continued to worship for more than thirty years.
The Australian Jewish community numbered only 23,000 Jews. Between 1933 and 1939 8,000 Jews immigrated to the country. Between 1945 and 1955 another 27,000 immigrated from Displaced Persons camps in Europe. Among those organizations assisting these immigrants were the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is a worldwide Jewish relief organization headquartered in New York. It was established in 1914 and is active in more than 70 countries....
and the Australian Jewish Welfare Societies and Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Society. A majority of the immigrants moved to Melbourne and particularly to Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. Others moved to Kings Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and Bondi
Bondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
in Sydney.
Jewish immigration came at a time of antisemitism and the Returned Services League and other groups publicized cartoons to encourage the government and the immigration Minister Arthur A. Calwell to stem the flow of Jewish immigrants.
Affiliations
Until the 1930s, all synagogues in Australia were OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, acknowledging leadership of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. To this day the vast majority of synagogues in Australia are Orthodox.
There have been short-lived efforts to establish Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
congregations as early as the 1890s. However, under the leadership of Ada Phillips, a sustained liberal congregation, Temple Beth Israel, was established in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Subsequently another synagogue linked to the US Reform Movement, Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel, founded in 1889, is the only Reform Jewish congregation in Roanoke, Virginia or the surrounding area. The name, Emanuel, is Hebrew for "God is with us" and is a name shared by over 60 other Reform congregations in the US, including Temple Emanu-El, the first Reform congregation in...
, was established in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Following these two congregations, a number of other Liberal synagogues were founded in other cities, and in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The first Australian-born rabbi, Rabbi John Levi, served the Australian Liberal movement.
Since 1992 Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
(Masorti) services have been held as an alternative service usually in the Neuweg, the smaller second synagogue within Temple Emanuel, Woolahra, Sydney. In 1999, Kehilat Nitzan, Melbourne's first Conservative (Masorti) Congregation was established, with foundation president Prof John Rosenberg
John Rosenberg
John Rosenberg is an American football coach, and a graduate of Harvard University. Rosenberg is known for his creativity and innovation in defensive strategy. He is credited by some as the creator of the zone blitz defense made popular by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has coached for thirty years,...
. The congregation appointed its first rabbi, Rabbi Ehud Bandel in 2006.
Assimilation and population changes
The same social and cultural characteristics of Australia that facilitated the extraordinary economic, political, and social success of the Australian Jewish community have also been attributed to contributing to widespread assimilationCultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
, a controversial and significant issue in the modern Australian Jewish community. While not all Jews disapprove of intermarriage
Interreligious marriage
Interfaith marriage, traditionally called mixed marriage, is marriage between partners professing different religions. Some religious doctrines prohibit interfaith marriage, and while others do allow it, most restrict it...
, many members of the Jewish community have become concerned that the high rate of interfaith marriage will result in the eventual disappearance of the Australian Jewish community.
Religion
Judaism is generally considered an ethnic identity as well as a religious one.In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend of secular Australian Jews returning to a more religious, in most cases, Orthodox, style of observance. Such Jews are called baalei teshuva
Baal teshuva movement
The Baal Teshuva movement is description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term "baal teshuva" is a term from the Talmud literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people...
("returners", see also Repentance in Judaism
Repentance in Judaism
Repentance in Judaism known as teshuva , is the way of atoning for sin in Judaism.According to Gates of Repentance, a standard work of Jewish ethics written by Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona, if someone commits a sin, a forbidden act, he can be forgiven for that sin if he performs teshuva, which...
). It is uncertain how widespread or demographically important this movement is at present.
Melbourne community
The Melbourne Jewish community is a particularly strong and vibrant one. There are approximately 60–65,000 Jews (40% of Australia's Jewish population) in Melbourne of varying backgrounds; the majority from Eastern Europe (especially Poland), as well as South Africans, South Americans and more recently, Israelis (7000). The large proportion of holocaust survivors in Melbourne, who brought with them their Yiddish culture, has largely shaped the community into what it is today. Within Melbourne there are 10 Jewish day schools and over 30 synagogues and congregations ranging from the reform to the ultra orthodox. In general, most Melbourne Jews are traditional or orthodox. In addition to these congregations, there are hundreds of separate organisations and institutions which handle all parts of community life, from the Jewish students' union to the Chevra Kadisha burial society. There is even a support group for Jewish men who are gay or bisexual called Aleph Melbourne.The Melbourne community is today most prominent in the city's south-eastern suburbs of North Caulfield, where approximately 50% of residents are Jewish, Caulfield
Caulfield, Victoria
Caulfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
with 40% and East St Kilda with 26%. Jews are also prevalent in the Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
and Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
areas, however there has been considerable decline in previous Jewish neighbourhoods such as Doncaster
Doncaster, Victoria
Doncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
and Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. Within Jewish areas there are a number of kosher butchers, cafes, restaurants, delis, bakeries and other amenities.
Sydney community
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
), while more recently Jews have arrived in Sydney from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. There are a number of Jewish schools in Sydney (such as Moriah College
Moriah College
Moriah War Memorial College is an independent, Modern Orthodox Jewish, co-educational, day school in Queens Park, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Queens Park
Queens Park, New South Wales
Queens Park is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Queens Park is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council...
and Masada College
Masada College
Masada College runs from kindergarten to year 12. While Masada accepts students of any faith or background, the student body is predominantly Jewish. Many are from South Africa and as a result, the school is very influenced by South Africans. Although, the school holds a huge Jewish Belief and...
in St Ives
St Ives, New South Wales
St Ives is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Ives is located 18 kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
) as well as a variety of synagogue congregations and other institutions and societies.
Today the community is mostly concentrated in Sydney's eastern suburbs
Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Eastern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Suburbs can refer to the suburbs within the local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Dover...
, particularly Bondi
Bondi, New South Wales
Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi is located seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. The postcode is 2026.-Location:...
, where the it accounts for approximately one third of the local population. There is also a smaller, but significant community in the North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...
suburb of St Ives.
Perth community
The Perth Jewish community of 4–5,000 (less according to the most recent Census) consists of many South African immigrants as well as some Europeans. The Jewish Community has boomed over the last 10–15 years because of this large influx from South Africa which has given the community a unique atmosphere. Perth Jews are particularly 'close-knit', as well as being quite united and active. Most of the Jews in Perth are 'modern-orthodox', however due to the small population most organisations and institutions are dependent on their East-coast counterparts. Perth does have its own Jewish Day School—the Carmel School as well as a variety of Kosher stores. A number of attempts to establish a kosher restaurant have failed due to the very small number of observant members.Immigration from South Africa has been offset by an outward flow. The Perth community today faces considerable problems with many of the younger generations migrating to Jewish Communities in Sydney, Melbourne or even Israel.
Perth Jews are most prevalent in the suburb of Dianella.
Brisbane community
The Brisbane Community has 1,845 people (from the 2006 Census.) There are two synagogues; Brisbane Hebrew Congregation, and the South Brisbane Hebrew Congregation. There is also a Jewish Kindergarten, Gan Gani.Adelaide community
The Adelaide Jewish Community, of only 949 people, is the smallest of the larger communities. The community has continually struggled to increase membership, and many now believe numbers are on the decline. Despite this the city still has its own Jewish Day School (Masada College) and a number of Synagogues. The Adelaide Jews have had a proud history with many successful civic leaders and people in the arts.).Other communities
Other than on the Gold Coast, with a community of mainly retirees and some families, most other Jews in provincial Australia and other larger cities are non-affiliated. In Victoria only in Ballarat does the Synagogue there operate on the High Holidays. An estimate of 2000–5000 Jews live outside the main community centers.Jewish Australian culture
Since the time of the last major wave of Jewish immigration to Australia (over 2,000 Eastern European Jews who arrived between 1910 and 1944), Jewish secular culture in Australia has become integrated in almost every important way with the broader national culture. Many aspects of Jewish Australian culture have, in turn, become part of the wider culture of Australia.Language
Although almost all Australian Jews are today native English-speakersEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, some Australian Jews are bilingual with Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew , also known as Israeli Hebrew or Modern Israeli Hebrew, is the language spoken in Israel and in some Jewish communities worldwide, from the early 20th century to the present....
. A variety of other languages are still spoken within some Australian Jewish communities, communities which are representative of the various Jewish ethnic divisions
Jewish ethnic divisions
Jewish ethnic divisions refers to a number of distinct communities within the world's ethnically Jewish population. Although considered one single self-identifying ethnicity, there are distinct ethnic divisions among Jews, most of which are primarily the result of geographic branching from an...
from around the world that have come together to make up Australia's Jewish population.
Many of Australia's Hasidic Jews
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
(being exclusively of Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
descent) are raised speaking Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
. Yiddish was once spoken as the primary language by most of the European Jews who immigrated to Australia. Yiddish has had an influence on Australian English, and words borrowed from it include chutzpah
Chutzpah
Chutzpah is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad, but it is generally used negatively. The Yiddish word derives from the Hebrew word , meaning "insolence", "audacity". The modern English usage of the word has taken on a broader meaning, having been popularized through vernacular use in...
("effrontery", "gall"), nosh ("snack"), schlep ("drag"), schmuck ("fool", literally "penis"), and, depending on ideolect, hundreds of other terms. (See also Yinglish
Yinglish
Yinglish words are neologisms created by speakers of Yiddish in English-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country...
.)
The Persian Jewish
Persian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
community in Australia, notably the large community in and around Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, primarily speak Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
(see also Judeo-Persian
Dzhidi language
Judæo-Persian, or Jidi , refers to both a group of Jewish dialects spoken by the Jews living in Iran and Judæo-Persian texts . As a collective term, Dzhidi refers to a number of Iranian languages or dialects spoken by Jewish communities throughout the formerly extensive Persian Empire...
) in the home and synagogue. They also support their own Persian language newspapers. Persian Jews also reside in parts of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Many recent Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
speak primarily Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
at home, and there are several notable communities where public life and business are carried out mainly in Russian.
Australian Bukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, or яҳудиёни Бухоро Yahūdieni Bukhoro , Bukhori Hebrew Script: יהודיאני בוכאראי and יהודיאני בוכארי), also called the Binai Israel, are Jews from Central Asia who speak Bukhori, a dialect of the Tajik-Persian language...
speak Bukhori (a dialect of Persian) and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.
Classical Hebrew is the language of most Jewish religious literature, such as the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
(Bible) and Siddur
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
(prayerbook). Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew , also known as Israeli Hebrew or Modern Israeli Hebrew, is the language spoken in Israel and in some Jewish communities worldwide, from the early 20th century to the present....
is also the primary official language of the modern State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, which further encourages many to learn it as a second language. Some recent Israeli immigrants to Australia speak Hebrew as their primary language.
Jewish Australian literature
Although Australian Jews have contributed greatly to Australian arts overall, there remains a distinctly Jewish Australian literature. Generally exploring the experience of being a Jew, especially a Jew in Australia, and the conflicting pulls of secular society and history.Personalities
- Gustav NossalGustav NossalSir Gustav Victor Joseph Nossal, AC, CBE, FRS, FAA is an Australian research biologist.-Life and career:Gustav Nossal's family was from Vienna, Austria. He was born four weeks prematurely in Bad Ischl while his mother was on holiday...
- Isaac IsaacsIsaac IsaacsSir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG KC was an Australian judge and politician, was the third Chief Justice of Australia, ninth Governor-General of Australia and the first born in Australia to occupy that post. He is the only person ever to have held both positions of Chief Justice of Australia and...
- John MonashJohn MonashGeneral Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
- Joseph GutnickJoseph GutnickJoseph Isaac Gutnick is an Australian businessman and mining industry entrepreneur. He is also an ordained rabbi and is well known for his philanthropy in the Jewish world.-Business holdings:Among Gutnick's business holdings:...
- Sidney MyerSidney MyerSidney Baevski Myer was a Russian Australian businessman and philanthropist, best known for creating Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores.-Early life:...
- Rene RivkinRene RivkinRene Rivkin was an Australian entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker. He was a well-known stockbroker in Australia for many years until his death in 2005.-Early life:...
- Richard PrattRichard Pratt (Australian businessman)Richard J. Pratt was a prominent Australian businessman, chairman of the privately-owned company Visy Industries, and a leading figure of Melbourne society. In the year before his death Pratt was Australia's fourth-richest person, with a personal fortune valued at billion...
- Frank LowyFrank LowyFrank Lowy, AC is an Australian-Israeli businessman. He is a co-founder of the Westfield Group, operator of over 100 shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Great Britain...
- Zelman Cowan
- John SafranJohn SafranJohn Safran is an Australian documentary maker and radio broadcaster, known for combining humour with explorations into religion and other issues...
- Sidney SinclairSidney SinclairSidney Sinclair was an English born, Australian businessman, philanthropist, trade advisor to the Federal Government and prominent member of the Australian Jewish community....
- Raymond AppleRaymond Apple (rabbi)Rabbi Raymond Apple was the Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney between 1972 and 2005. In this role, he was one of Australia's highest profile rabbis and the leading spokesman for Judaism in Australia....
- Pinchus FeldmanPinchus FeldmanRabbi Pinchus Feldman OAM is the and first Chabad shaliach of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement in New South Wales, Australia....
- Marcus EinfeldMarcus EinfeldMarcus Richard Einfeld is a retired Australian justice of the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory; a former President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; a UNICEF Ambassador for Children; a...
- Asher JoelAsher JoelSir Asher Alexander Joel KBE, AO was an Australian public figure and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for 20 years...
- Leo Port