Australia Austria
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
much more than 15,000 out of a population of three and a half millions, they have appreciably assisted in the development of the Social Po- country, and many of them have sition. gained distinction, A few have devoted themselves to agriculture; but the majority found here as elsewhere that manufacturing and trade offered inducements well suited to their capabilities. Industry has been largely developed by them; and in the raising of sheep and cattle they have been particularly prominent. In science, art, and literature Jews have been active gated
and in the government of the colonies have had an honorable share. As Australia itself has been developed in but little more than a hundred years, it is not surprising that the formation of the earliest Jewish community was not accomplished before the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Sydney, the capital of the mother-colon}' of New South Wales, contains the participants; the)'
oldest
Hebrew congregation. Its early history is recorded in "Sydney in 1848," which
Earliest Jewish.
Congregation.
states that there
Jews
were about twenty
the colony in 1817, and that these were " little versed in the faith of their ancestors." Nevertheless, they in-
were sufficiently attached to their reform themselves into a Jewish society for the purpose of attending to the interment of their ligion to
In 1820 the Jews obtained their own " bet hayor burial-ground by applying to the Rev. Dr. Cowper, who allotted to them the right-hand corner The death of one Joel of the Christian cemetery. Joseph prompted the application; and he was the During the next ten years first Jew buried there. there was no great increase in membership and the services of the society were not called for more than
dead.
yim"
once a year.
The account continues
320
congregations sprang up in the towns of Melbourne, St. Kilda, Geelong, Bendigo, and Ballarat (1853). The congregations of Geelong and Bendigo are now (1902) extremely small, in fact all but non-existent. In South Australia, Jews settled considerably later than in Victoria and it was not till 1871 that they were numerous enough to erect a synagogue in the Somewhat capital city of Adelaide. later still, the Brisbane (Queensland) Congregations congregation took form. For more and Syna- than twenty years (1865-1886) they gogues. continued to hold services in the Masonic Hall; and at the end of that period they were able to build a commodious synagogue in Margaret street, with a seating capacity of
400.
The youngest of the Australian communities is that of Perth, the capital of West Australia, the formation of which in 1892 was due to the great influx of people into the western colony after the discovery The Jewish congregation of gold in the nineties. grew rapidly; five years after the first "rainyan " (the minimum of ten males over thirteen years of age necessaiy to form a congregation for divine service) gathered in the colony, a handsome synagogue was and consecrated in Brisbane street. Each of the colonies, except South Australia, has witnessed the In New South rise and decline of a congregation. Wales there was at one time a flourishing community in Maitland. A synagogue was built there in 1879; but owing to adverse circumstances most of the Jews left for other parts, and now little more than sufficient to form a minyan remains. The same fate has befallen the congregation of Toowoomba in Queensland, where in 1879 the Jews built a beautiful house of worship on their own ground, and under such favorable conditions that within a few years the built
synagogue was entirely
free
from
debt.
It is
now
" In 1827 and 1838 the worldly condition of the Hebrews in the colony improved considerably, in consequence of the great and this, with other circuminflux of respectable merchants stances, has raised the Hebrews in the estimation of their fellowcolonists. About this period Mr. P. J. Cohen having offered the use of his house for the purpose, divine worship was performed for the first time in the colony according to the Hebrew form, and was continued regularly every Sabbath and holiday. From some difference of opinion then existing among the members of this faith, divine service was also performed occasionally in a room hired by Messrs. A. Elias and James Simmons. In this condition everything in connection with their religion remained until the arrival of Rev. Aaron Levi, in the year 1830. He had been a dayyan, and, duly accredited, he succeeded in instilling into the minds of the congregation a taste for the religion of their fathers. A Sefer Torah [scroll of the Law] was purchased by subscription, divine service was more regularly conducted, and from this time may be dated the establishment of the Jewish religion in Sydney. In 1832 they formed themselves into a proper congregation, and appointed Jacob Monteflore as the first president."
used only on the high holy days by the few living at Maitland. Rockhampton, also in Queensland, has
Jewish marriage was celebrated, the contracting parties being Moses Joseph and Miss Nathan. Three years later a Mr. Rose came from England and acted as the hazan, shohet, and mohel. He was succeeded by Jacob Isaacs. The condition of the Jews improved to such an ex-
cities of Australia, as
In the same year the
first
tent that in 1844 they erected a handsome synagogue in York street, in which they continued to worship for more than thirty years. Following upon the formation of the Sydney communit}7 Jews began to assemble in Victoria, and ,
suffered similarly. Perhaps the shortest career was that of the Coolgardie community in western Australia. In 1896
a number of Jews, attracted by the rich Decline of gold-fields, were in that city. They at Cononce obtained a grant of land from the gregations. government, collected subscriptions, and forthwith proceeded to build a synagogue. Within three years, however, such a thinning-out had taken place that the remaining members were unable to pay the debt on the synagogue; and the building was sold by the creditors to a Masonic body and converted into a Masonic hall.
Jews have been mayors
of nearly all the capital well as of many smaller towns. The title of justice of the peace, which is only conferred upon men highly respected by their fellowcitizens, has been gained by an exceptionally large number of Jews, as many as thirteen receiving that distinction at one time (1897) in New South Wales alone. The Hon. H. E. Cohen is on the bench in Sydney; and the appointment of chief justice was offered to, but was refused by, Sir Julian Salomons. The agent-generalship of New South Wales, the premier colony, has been administered by two
