More tributes for Brian Fox

January 9, 2020 by J-Wire Newsdesk
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The Union for Progressive Judaism and all the members of the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors of Australia, New Zealand and Asia are mourning the passing of Rabbi Brian Fox.

Rabbi Brian Fox and Mrs Dina Fox

In a statement sent to J-Wire, the UPJ wrote: “Rabbi Fox was one of the leading rabbinic figures within the UPJ (under its former name ANZUPJ) and the Rabbinical Assembly.

He was dedicated to the passing of our tradition to future generations and was therefore closely involved with the foundation of The King David School in Melbourne, the Emanuel School in Sydney and Netzer Australia.

He served congregations in Melbourne, Sydney and the UK with dignity and great success.

Rabbi Fox was indomitable in his work to build Progressive Judaism in our region.  Everyone who knew him felt his kindness and charisma.

As a colleague, he was wise and trusted, loving and kind, admired and witty.  He was always eager to share words of praise, encouragement, and advice.  He will be greatly missed by all of us.

Our hearts go out to Rabbi Fox’s wife Dina and the family, and we send them prayers of healing and hope.
May the Eternal comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

The message was endorsed by

David Knoll and Brian Samuel, Co-Presidents of the Union for Progressive Judaism

Rabbi David A. Kunin, Chair of the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors of Australia, New Zealand and Asia

Rabbi Nathan Alfred, Vice-Chair of the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors of Australia, New Zealand and Asia

Rabbi Nicole Roberts, Treasurer of the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors of Australia, New Zealand and Asia

Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky, Secretary of the Assembly of Rabbis and Cantors of Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

We are republishing the tribute from Rabbi John Levi which appeared in a late edition yesterday…

Rabbi Brian Fox AM. DD and his wife Dina are our dearest friends. So we are heartbroken.
Our friendship goes back to 1959 where I served as a student rabbi to the newly founded Temple Shalom.
He came to Australia to work with our Youth camps which became Netzer the international youth movement with branches around the world. He helped establish two Jewish Day Schools —King David in Melbourne and Emanuel in Sydney.
He worked as rabbi at three congregations -the Leo Baeck Center in Melbourne, Emanuel in Sydney and Menorah in Manchester. His long-held ambition was to live in Jerusalem which he did until Parkinson’s brought him back to Sydney where his children and grandchildren live.
He was an enthusiast. He was a member of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He served as President of the Council of Christians and Jews in New South Wales and he was Vice President of the Zionist Council. He loved Jewish art and Jewish humour. He collected books. In Israel, he volunteered to be a salesman in a little book shop in Baka.
Brian was never boring.
As the Sydney Morning Herald wrote in the course of an interview with us both in 1979  “ A fellow once said to me ‘ You two are dangerous. You could do anything together. Thank goodness you’re rabbis’” I thank God for Brian.

 

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