List of Oceanian Jews

The vast majority of Jews in Oceania (estimation 120,000) live in Australia, with a population of about 7,000 in New Zealand (6867,^[1] according to the 2013 NZ Census). Most are Ashkenazi Jews, with many being survivors of the Holocaust arriving during and after World War II. More recently, a significant number of Jews have arrived from South Africa, Israel, the United Kingdom and Russia. The official number of people who practised Judaism in the 2001 census was only 121,459 but this number is expected to be much higher, as it did not count those overseas (i.e. dual Australian-Israeli nationals) or many non-practicing Jews who prefer not to disclose religion in the census are more common. Since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia's Jewish population has hovered around 0.5% of the total counted.

The vast majority of Australia's Jews live in inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney with smaller populations, in numerical order, in Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Adelaide. Currently, there are also recognised communities in Ballarat, Bendigo/Castlemaine, Canberra, Geelong, Gosford, Hobart, Launceston and Newcastle.

In Melbourne, the Jewish population centre is Caulfield where there are streets with nearly a 100% Jewish population; the main areas of settlement spread out from Caulfield in two arcs: south through St Kilda, Elwood, Elsternwick, Brighton, Moorabbin and right down to Frankston; east through Toorak, Malvern, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn to Doncaster. In Sydney the major areas of Jewish settlement are in the east and on the North Shore, in particular the suburbs of Bondi, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, St Ives and Hunters Hill.

In New Zealand, most Jews live in Auckland and Wellington with smaller populations in Dunedin and Christchurch. Dunedin synagogue has possibly the world's southernmost Jewish congregation.^[2]

The following is a list of prominent Oceanian Jews, arranged by country of origin.

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Australia

Academic figures

Roy Clive Abraham, linguist^[3]
Samuel Alexander, philosopher
Neal Ashkanasy, psychologist and emotional intelligence academic
Phillip Blashki, successful businessman, magistrate, JP
Bernard Boas, marriage guidance counsellor, broadcaster, author of biblical treatises^[4]
Ron Castan, barrister and rights advocate
Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General (1977–1982), lawyer, university lecturer (including past appointments as Provost, Dean and Vice-Chancellor)
Linda Dessau, 29th Governor of Victoria, and former Family Court Judge
Marcus Einfeld, former Federal Court judge
Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist
Sir Otto Frankel, geneticist^[5]
Bryan Gaensler, astronomer and former Young Australian of the Year
Fred Hilmer, academic, lawyer and businessman
David Isaacs, architect and structural engineer, musician and composer^[6]
Phillip Isaacs, architect and structural engineer^[7]
Joseph Jacobs, historian and folklorist^[8]
Justice Stephen Kaye, judge of the Court of Appeal
William Kaye, judge of the Supreme Court 1972–1991^[9]
Kurt Mahler, mathematician
Robert Manne, academic and social critic
Sir Matthew Nathan, British soldier and judge, Governor of Queensland 1920–1925, after also serving as Governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Hong Kong and Natal; the Brisbane suburbs of Nathan and Nathan Heights are named after him, as is Nathan Street, in the Canberra suburb of Deakin
Bernhard Neumann, mathematician
Gustav Nossal, immunologist (Jewish father)
Robert Richter, barrister and human rights advocate
Hilary L. Rubinstein, historian
William D. Rubinstein, historian
Suzanne Rutland, historian
Peter Singer, philosopher
Julius Stone, distinguished legal theorist, professor of jurisprudence and international law^[10]
Louis Waller, public teacher of law and law reformer
James Wolfensohn, World Bank president
Sir Albert Wolff, Chief Justice of Western Australia
Ghil'ad Zuckermann, linguist and language revivalist

Business figures

Sir Peter Abeles, former chairman of Ansett Transport Industries
Rodney Adler, CEO of HIH Insurance, convicted criminal
Peter Alexander, fashion designer
Albert Bensimon, Adelaide jeweller and businessman
Harold Boas, architect, Perth councillor, Jewish community worker
Albert Dadon, businessman
John Gandel and Marc Besen, founder/owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre and Sussan fashion chain
David Gonski, public figure and businessman, philanthropist
Joseph Gutnick, mining magnate and ex-President of Melbourne Football Club
Poppy King, cosmetician
Frank Lowy, co-founder of the Westfield Group, philanthropist
Sidney Myer, founder of Myer department store and philanthropist
Leon and Richard Pratt, founder/owners of Visy
Rene Rivkin, stockbroker and convicted insider trader
Helena Rubenstein, cosmetician (business started in Melbourne), philanthropist, art collector
Sheree Rubinstein, entrepreneur
Abe Saffron, nightclub owner, underworld figure
Joe Saragossi, founder of G.James Glass & Aluminium, glass and window manufacturer
John Saunders, co-founder of the Westfield Group^[11]^[12]
Harry Seidler, architect
Sidney Sinclair, men's fashion label founder
Smorgon family, founder/owners of Smorgon Steel and other businesses
Harry Triguboff, property developer founder of Meriton

Cultural figures

Oren Ambarchi, musician
Louis Abrahams, businessman, artist, and later a patron of the artists of the Heidelberg School^[13]
Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-born musician, born to a Jewish mother but raised Christian^[14]
Eric Baume, broadcaster/journalist
Arthur Benjamin, composer
Danny Ben-Moshe, writer
Rachel Berger, comedian
John Bluthal, actor
Lily Brett, writer
Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer^[15]
Saskia Burmeister, actress
Judy Cassab, painter
Deborah Conway, singer-songwriter
Ed Doolan, Australian-born British broadcaster
George Dreyfus, composer
Jon Faine, radio presenter
Alex Fein, community activist, writer, and businesswoman^[16]
Jack Feldstein, scriptwriter/neon animator
FourPlay Electric String Quartet (3/4 Jewish)
Louise Fox, television writer-producer
Isla Fisher, Omani-born actress
Tim Freedman, musician
Amelia Frid, former child actress
Renée Geyer, soul singer
Henry Gilbert, actor
Alan Gold, author
Libby Gorr, comedian
Yoram Gross, producer
Michael Gudinski, record executive
Osher Günsberg, television/radio presenter and journalist
Alexander Gutman (aka Austen Tayshus), comedian
David Helfgott, pianist
Elena Kats-Chernin, composer
Danny Katz, writer/comedian
Inge King, sculptor
Steve Kipner, songwriter
Barrie Kosky, creative director
Ben Lee, singer-songwriter
Jack Levi (aka Elliot Goblet), comedian
Lior Attar (aka Lior), Israeli-born singer-songwriter
Sam Lipski, newspaper writer and editor, radio and TV broadcaster and commentator, CEO of the philanthropic Pratt Foundation
Tziporah Malkah, actress, model
David Malouf, writer (Jewish mother)
Miriam Margolyes, actress
Bill Meyer, artist
Margaret Michaelis-Sachs, photographer
Isaac Nathan, Australia's first composer
Helmut Newton, photographer
Olivia Newton-John, singer-songwriter, actress
Eva Orner, film-maker
Elliot Perlman, writer
Linda Phillips, composer^[17]
Bram Presser, author and singer for Yidcore
Ohad Rein, musician
Lara Sacher, actress
John Safran, comedian/documentarian
Hermann Schildberger, choir leader, organist (secular and in synagogues)^[18]
Michael Schildberger, radio and TV broadcaster and commentator
Athol Shmith, photographer
Michael Shmith, journalist and music critic
Cate Shortland, screenwriter and director (Convert)
Larry Sitsky, composer
Troye Sivan, actor, singer-songwriter
Nathan Spielvogel, writer, particularly about Jewish life in early Ballarat; lay communal leader of the Ballarat synagogue^[19]
Yael Stone, actor
Simon Tedeschi, pianist
Harry van der Sluys (aka Roy Rene and Mo McCackie), music hall, theatrical and radio comedian
Felix Werder, composer
Tal Wilkenfeld, musician ^[20]
Yitzhak Yedid, composer
Yidcore's members (Bram, Myki, Tim and Rory), Jewish punk band, from Melbourne, Australia
Allan Zavod, musician

Political figures

National figures

Julian Leeser, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2016–present)
Moss Cass, former Labor cabinet minister
Barry Cohen, Labor government minister in the Federal Parliament (1983–1987)
Michael Danby, Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–2019)
Mark Dreyfus QC, Attorney-General of Australia 2013–2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (2007–present)
James Edelman, High Court Justice
Jason Falinski, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2016–2022)
Josh Frydenberg, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2010–2022), Minister for Environment and Energy 2016–2018, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party 2018–present.
Stirling Griff, Centre Alliance, senator for South Australia in the Upper House of Parliament (2016–present)
Sir Isaac Isaacs, Governor General (1931–1936), prominent solicitor, member of Victorian colonial parliament, one of the drafters of the Australian constitution, member of first Australian parliament, Chief Justice of the High Court
Josh Burns, Labor member of the House of Representatives (2019–present)
Mark Regev, Israeli Ambassador in Kensington, London, England (2015–2017)
Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing 2007–2011, Attorney-General of Australia 2011–2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–2013)
Elias Solomon, former member of Federal Parliament
Vaiben Louis Solomon, premier of South Australia and member of the House of Representatives for South Australia

Local body politicians

Maurice Ashkanasy, Vice-chairman of Victorian Bar Council and member of Australian Labor party
Hajnal Ban, politician, author
Peter Baume, Liberal cabinet minister, chancellor of the Australian National University
Joe Berinson, Member of Federal Parliament, Minister in Whitlam's third Cabinet, State Upper house member, State Labor cabinet minister and Attorney General of Western Australia
Ian Cohen, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1995–2011)
Philip Dalidakis, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria (from 2015)
Marcus Einfeld, human rights activist, former Federal Court judge and convicted perjurer
Sydney Einfeld, New South Wales Minister for Consumer Affairs (1976–1981)
Vida Goldstein, suffragette
Jennifer Huppert, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council (2009–2010)
Martin Indyk, United States ambassador to Israel (1995–1997 and 2000–2001)
Walter Jona, Victorian State Minister
Dr John Kaye, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Sir Richard Kingsland, Public Servant, RAAF pilot who rescued two senior British WWII leaders in Morocco in 1940
Paul Landa, solicitor, barrister, N.S.W. Labor politician, and minister in the Wran Government (1976–1984)^[21]
Henry Ninio, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, co-founder of Progressive Judaism in Adelaide
Martin Pakula, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Attorney-General 2014-Since
Leo Port, Lord Mayor of Sydney (1975–1978)
Julius Roe, Fair Work Australia Commissioner, former head of Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Eric Roozendaal, NSW Labor cabinet minister (2008–2011)
David Southwick, Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
James Wolfensohn, World Bank president
Sir Albert Wolff, Chief Justice of Western Australia

Religious figures

Rabbi Dr Joseph Abrahams, prominent Melbourne rabbi of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was unsuccessful as a candidate in 1911 for the position of Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth^[22]
Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney, Senior Rabbi to the Australian Defence Force, Registrar of the Sydney Beth Din, author of OzTorah.com, and the leading spokesperson for Jews and Judaism in Australia from 1972 to 2005
Rabbi Elias Blaubaum, rabbi at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation for 40 years, newspaper editor^[23]
Rabbi Abraham Tobias Boas, rabbi in Adelaide for about 40 years^[24]
Rabbi Rudolph (Rudie) Brasch, senior reform rabbi in Sydney for over 30 years, a well-known author and broadcaster
Gen. Paul Cullen, founder of Emanuel Synagogue, Sydney, Army General
Rabbi Francis Cohen, prominent Sydney rabbi in the early 20th century^[25]
Rabbi Jacob Danglow, rabbi at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation 1905–1962, one of the most prominent rabbis in both the Jewish and the general communities^[26]^[27]^[28]
Rev Alexander Davis, over 30 years as minister of the York Street and Great synagogues^[29]
Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, Rabbi of the Yeshiva Centre
Rabbi David Freedman, rabbi in Perth for over 40 years^[30]
Rabbi Harry Freedman, rabbi in Sydney and translator for Soncino Press
Rabbi David Freilich, rabbi in Perth 1988–2012^[31]
Rabbi Ralph Genende, rabbi at Caulfield, and prominent in interfaith dialogue^[32]
Rabbi Lazarus Goldman, rabbi at Toorak Road synagogue, author and historian, died on the bimah in 1960 whilst conducting a Kol Nidre service in Adelaide^[33]
Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, director of many Chabad operations in Victoria
Rabbi J. L. Guerewitz, long serving rabbi at Carlton United synagogue
Rabbi Chaim Gutnick, formerly rabbi of Elwood Synagogue for over forty years and life president of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria
Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick, rabbi at Elwood and member of the Beth Din
Rabbi Sholom Gutnick, rabbi at Caulfield for about 40 years, and Av Beth Din
Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn, Rabbi Emeritus and long-serving rabbi at St Kilda^[34]
Rabbi John Levi, first Australian-born rabbi, prominent Progressive rabbi, teacher and historian^[35]^[36]
Rabbi Ronald Lubofsky, rabbi at St Kilda for over 30 years^[37]
Joseph Marcus, convict who trained as a rabbi and is reputed to have conducted the first Jewish services in Sydney
Rabbi Jerome Mark, the first Progressive rabbi in Australia^[35]^[38]
Rev Joseph Myers, minister in Brisbane for 43 years^[39]
Mrs Ada Phillips, founder of Australia's first permanent Progressive congregation in Melbourne^[35]^[40]
Rabbi Israel Porush, prominent and long-serving Sydney rabbi^[41]
Mr Abraham Rabinovitch, philanthropist and founder of Sydney's main Orthodox Jewish educational institutions
Rev Moses Rintel, first minister of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, and later of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation
Rabbi Louis Rubin-Zacks, rabbi in Perth for 25 years
Rabbi Dr Herman Sanger, important Melbourne progressive rabbi, responsible for the spread of progressive Judaism to other parts of Australia^[42]^[35]^[43]
Rabbi Max Schenk, first Progressive rabbi in Sydney, early Zionist^[44]

Sports figures

Ben Ashkenazi, cricketer (Victorian Bushrangers)
Ashley Brown, football (soccer) player Melbourne Victory
Jordan Brown, midfielder (Melbourne Victory)^[45]
David Emanuel, Australian rugby union player
Gavin Fingleson, South African-born Australian, Olympic silver medalist^[46]
Jessica Fox, French-born Australian 3-times Olympic gold medallist in K-1 and Canoe slalom
Noemie Fox, Olympic gold medallist in Kayak cross
Peter Fuzes, soccer goalkeeper for Hakoah and Australia, Maccabi Hall of Fame 2003; played 1st grade 1964 till 1976; international career 1966–72, against Scotland 1967, Greece 1969, Israel 1969 and 1972; played against various European clubsides including AS ROMA 1966, Manchester United at the time of Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law
Jake Girdwood-Reich, footballer for St. Louis City SC and the Olyroos
Todd Goldstein, Australian rules footballer (Essendon)
Todd Greenberg, former CEO of the National Rugby League
David Horwitz, rugby union fly-half / centre, New South Wales Waratahs
Eban Hyams, India-Israel-Australia, Australian National Basketball League & Israeli Super League 6' 5" guard, first-ever Indian national to play in ULEB competitions^[47]
Tal Karp (born 1981), female Australian football (soccer) player
Michael Klinger, cricketer; an ex-collegian at Mount Scopus Memorial College
Gary Lazarus, ARF Fitzroy Lions
Leonard "Jock" Livingston, cricketer
Jonathan Moss, former first-class cricketer for the Victoria cricket team (2000–07); played for Australia at the Maccabiah Games in Israel
Phil Moss, current manager of the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League; former soccer player in the National Soccer League
Jacob Muir, footballer, Perth Glory
Ray Phillips, cricketer, NSW and Queensland
Myer Rosenblum, rugby union player and solicitor, father of Rupert Rosenblum, who notably employed John Howard as an articled clerk
Rupert Rosenblum, rugby union player and solicitor, son of Myer Rosenblum
Albert Rosenfeld, rugby league player
Ian Rubin, Russian-born player for South Sydney Rabbitohs
Zac Sapsford, footballer for Western Sydney Wanderers
Geoff Selby, played for St George Dragons, tragically died in car accident in 1989.
Harry Sheezel, Australian rules footballer (North Melbourne)
Mark Shulman, rugby league player
Steven Solomon, Olympic sprinter; Maccabiah Games medalist
Jordan Swibel, footballer, Valour FC
Ian Synman, Australian Rules footballer with St Kilda 1958–69, notorious for playing in St Kilda's only Premiership (1966) on Yom Kippur
Lionel Van Praag, speedway champion
Julien Wiener, cricketer
David Zalcberg, Australian Olympic table tennis player; also an ex-collegian at Mount Scopus Memorial College

Other figures

Frances Barkman, schoolteacher and charitable worker
Dunera boys, group of mainly Jewish British detainees who were deported to Australia in horrific circumstances; many of them later becoming prominent Australian citizens
Esther Johnston, first fleet prisoner
Solomon Levey, transported convict who later became a successful businessman
Sir John Monash, World War I general, engineer, first chairman of Victoria's State Electricity Commission
Lisa Jackson Pulver, first Indigenous Australian to serve as a Synagogue President
Ikey Solomon, First Fleet prisoner, the person on whom Charles Dickens based the character of Fagin

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Fiji

Alexander Schmerrill Bowman, businessman, early settler
Sir Henry Marks, businessman, politician

French Polynesia

Guam

Evan Montvel Cohen, businessman
Edward D. Taussig, Governor of Guam (1899)