Anzac Day – Remembered in Israel as we prepare for the 100th
Anzac Day was commemorated in Semakh at the souther end of Lake Tiberias…and at the War memorial in Darlinghurst, Sydney, where plans are underway for next year’s centenary.
In Sydney, those attending traditional wreath-laying at the War Memorial in Darlinghurst heard from NAJEX president Charles Aronson that a book project to mark next year’s Centenary of ANZAC Jewish program had been placed in the hands of distinguished author and journalist Mark Dapin…and that funding was in place from the Federal Government.
In a statement received from the Federal Government, the department said: “The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, announced more than $274,000 in funding to support projects of national significance that will honour the service and sacrifice of Australia’s servicemen and women.
“It’s vital in the lead up to the Anzac Centenary that we honour and tell the story of those brave Australians who have served our nation in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations,” Senator Ronaldson said.
“Each of these projects highlight different aspects of our military history and will provide an additional place of commemoration and detailed histories and resources that can be used to assist in honouring our servicemen and women.”
The grants, allocated under the Major Commemorative Grants category of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Saluting their Service grants program include $83,024 to the Naval Heritage Foundation of Australia to build a memorial in Port Phillip. The memorial, to be completed by Anzac Day 2015, will honour the Naval servicemen and women of Victoria.
Another grant of $62,500 has been allocated to the Royal Australian Regiment Association (SA Branch) to publish a book titled ‘A Duty Done’ summarising operations by the Royal Australian Regiment in the Vietnam War 1965-1972. An e-version of the book will be made freely available online.
Mark Dapin
The Sydney Jewish Museum will receive $99,000 to publish a book that will outline the contribution of Jewish Australians to our military history. The book will be distributed free of charge to national and state libraries and some school and council libraries.
A final grant of $30,000 has been allocated to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to assist with the running of a competition, in conjunction with Radio New Zealand Concert, allowing Australian and New Zealand composers to submit compositions that commemorate the Gallipoli campaign. The compositions will be used during the Gallipoli 2015 broadcast and will be widely available nationally and internationally.”
The proposed author Mark Dapin told J-Wire: “I am proud and honoured to have been chosen to write this project. My father did his National service and my grandfather was an air raid warden in the Second World War in the East End of London. That part of the city was forever in the sights of Hitler’s bombers. We did have one fighting Dapin. My great granddad fought in the Boer War.”
Anyone with stories of hitherto unknown should make contact with Mark Dapin at [email protected]
The 3rd Rose Bay Scouts – honour guard at the wreath laying
Charles Aronson and Peter Allan show the letter granting funding to the Mark Dapin book project on Jewish military history
In Sydney, those attending traditional wreath-laying at the War Memorial in Darlinghurst heard from NAJEX president Charles Aronson that a book project to mark next year’s Centenary of ANZAC Jewish program had been placed in the hands of distinguished author and journalist Mark Dapin…and that “significant funding” was in place from the Federal Government.
NAJEX president Charles Aronson said the funding had been granted to the Sydney Jewish Museum and that work would start on the book “as soon as contracts were signed”.
Warren Austin (co-President WAJEX) and Brenda Austin, Warwick Abadee (Secretary FAJEX) and Yvonne Abadee, Rabbi Chaplain Yossi Friedman, Brian Nebenzahl (President FAJEX) and Jocelyn Nebenzahl.
In Semakh, a study tour of the Holy Land from the St Ives Uniting Church of New South Wales, Australia, held a small service at the memorial to the Australian soldiers who lost their lives in the 25th of September 1918 battle of Semakh.
As part of “The Land of Israel Studies Center” situated in the historical and reconstructed Semakh train station, the Kinneret Academic College intends to commemorate the fighting spirit and heroism shown by the ANZAC soldiers of the 11th and 12th Light Horse Regiments from the 4th Light Horse Brigade, who carried out the task of capturing the important railway station at Semakh.”
Commemorating Anzac Day is an important event in the Scouting calendar. All sections of the 3rd Rose Bay (Judean) Scouts involve themselves in several different Anzac ceremonies including the Dawn Service, the March, the NAJEX (Jewish Ex-Serviceman Association) commemoration at the Sydney Jewish Museum, as well as the Anzac commemorative service at the Emanuel Synagogue.
The Joey mob also participated in their own ceremony at the Nth Bondi RSL cenotaph. At the Joey meeting beforehand, their Leaders taught them about Anzac Day through games and stories and they decorated their own wreaths.
The Joeys then went to the RSL cenotaph at Bondi Beach with their wreaths where they were met by the Honorary Secretary of the RSL Subbranch James Usbell. James spoke to the Joeys about Anzac Day and assisted them with laying their wreaths. One of the Joeys read The Ode. The Joeys listened intently to the Last Post and the Reveille then after some reflective silence sang Advance Australia Fair to close the ceremony.
The 3rd Rose Bay (Judean) Joeys are 6 and 7 year old girls and boys who meet at the Scout Hall in Wairoa Ave, Bondi from 5.30-6.30pm every Tuesday night during school term.
Scouts make friends, do community service, learn life skills and enjoy adventures in fun and friendly meetings and excursions with trained leaders.
