From Australia’s Jewish past

Rachel Holzer – one of the greatest internationally acclaimed Yiddish Actors of the Twentieth Century Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Sir John Isaacs Loewenthal – a talented and remarkable military surgeon and academic Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Dr Doreen Miriam Bridges AM – an eminent early childhood music educator Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Charles K Bliss – the inventor of a universal language employing symbols Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Walter Diesendorf – well-respected and acknowledged for his work on the Snowy River Hydro-electric Scheme Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Dr Ernst Leslie Fuchs – a key advocate of the International Modern Movement in Australian architecture Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Stefan Friedrich Smerd – world-renowned solar physicist Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Isaac Henry Cohen KC – one of Melbourne’s leading barristers and well-known politician Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Hyman Herman – geologist and engineer and a leader in all avenues of professional life Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Naomi Wolinski – lawn bowls champion and administrator Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past

Nahum Barnet – one of Melbourne’s most productive commercial architects Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Continuing Lena Brasch’s story from artist model to her theatrical career

Part 2: Read Part One. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Lena Brasch – Actor and Artists Model – Part 1

Selina Venus Brasch was born in North Melbourne on 9 November 1874. She was the youngest child of Wolfe and Esther Brasch. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Lalla Miranda – a forgotten brilliant soprano

Lalla was born in Melbourne in 1874 and grew up in a house named ‘Natal House’ after her parents had visited South Africa before settling in Fitzroy. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Esther Kahn – one of Australia’s most successful women composers and the first music therapist in Australia

Esther was born in 1877 in London of German/Jewish descent.  At the age of five, she made her first public appearance in London as a pianist and won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music – an amazing opportunity for such a young child – but unfortunately, she was not able to take it up as the family moved to Sydney in 1883, just before her sixth birthday. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Florence Menk-Meyer – known as The Greatest Living Female Pianist

Florence was born Catherine Florence Meyer in 1860 to Menk and Rebecca (nee Fink) in St Kilda Melbourne and was one of six gifted children. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Sir Archie Reuben Louis Michaelis – Businessman, Politician and Jewish Leader

Archie was born on 19 December 1889 in St Kilda, Melbourne. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Sir Julian Emanuel Salomons (Solomons) – barrister and politician extraordinaire

Julian was born on 4 November 1835 in Birmingham, England and emigrated to New South Wales in 1853, working first for a bookseller and then for a ‘stock jobber’ – now known as a stockbroker – moving on to study law. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Abraham Benjamin – a family business in its one hundred and forty-second year – David Benjamin – a family business in Dunedin, New Zealand

Abraham and his wife Theresa Falk came to Melbourne in 1865 by boat from Bristol, UK. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Percy Marks – Sydney’s four generations of jewellers fame

Percy was born on 6 July 1879 in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of London-born John Marks a jeweller, and his New Zealand-born wife Eliza Jane Levy. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Sidney Myer – creator of a department store empire

Sidney Baevski was born on 8 February 1878, in Krichev, then part of the Russian Empire and now known as the country of Belarus. Read more