Lexi Webster
Australia has a long history of Jewish immigration, dating back to the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Since then, several waves of immigrants have repeatedly changed the Australian Jewish community. Today, the Jewish population in Australia is estimated to be between 99,956 and 250,000 people, with the majority living in Sydney and Melbourne and smaller communities in other cities. This diverse community offers a wide range of cultural, social, and religious organizations, media outlets, and educational institutions that serve its needs and protect its interests.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Jews in Australia | 99,956 (2021 census data), 116,967 (2021 estimate), 120,000 (newspaper estimate), 250,000 (community estimate) |
| Percentage of Australian Population | 0.4% (2021 census data), 0.46% (2021 estimate), 1% (community estimate) |
| Number of Synagogues | 80 |
| Number of Jews in Melbourne | 53,373 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Sydney | 43,738 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Perth | 5,520 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Brisbane | 4,300 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Adelaide | 3,400 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Hobart | 1,300 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews in Canberra | 1,200 (estimated) |
| Percentage of Jews in Capital Cities | 94% |
| Percentage of Jews Born in Australia | 57% |
| Percentage of Jews with at Least One Overseas Parent | 81% |
| Number of Jews with South African Heritage | 15,368 (estimated) |
| Number of Jews with Israeli Heritage | 8,077 (estimated) |
| Percentage of Jews with a Mental Health Condition | 9.4% |
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What You'll Learn
Jewish population in Australia: Census data
Census data shows that the Jewish population in Australia has grown over the years, with an estimated 80 synagogues across the country. In the 2021 census, 99,956 residents identified as religious Jews, an increase from 97,355 in 2016. However, the actual number of Jews in Australia may be higher as census data is based on religious affiliation, and many secular Jews do not identify with organised religion. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimates a Jewish-Australian population of 120,000–150,000, while other estimates based on death rates in the community put the number at 250,000, which would be 1% of the population.
The Jewish community in Australia is diverse, with various levels of religious observance and participation. The majority are Ashkenazi Jews, but there are also Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and Jews from other traditions. Melbourne and Sydney have the largest Jewish populations, with smaller communities in Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart. The states with the highest proportion of Jews are Victoria (0.71%) and New South Wales (0.49%), while the Northern Territory and Tasmania have the lowest (0.05%).
Jewish immigration to Australia has a long history, dating back to the British settlement of Australia in 1788. The first Jews arrived as convicts transported to Botany Bay in 1788, representing 0.4% of the first cohort of British convicts. The Jewish population grew with several waves of immigration, including refugees from the pogroms in Russia and Poland in the 1890s and early 1900s, and later from eastern Europe in the 1920s. During the interwar period, antisemitism and the White Australia policy impacted Jewish immigration, but a new Sephardic community emerged after World War II.
The Jewish community in Australia has been successful and influential, with many prominent civic leaders and individuals in the arts. Jewish cultural life expanded during the 1970s, and today there are various cultural and social organisations, media outlets, and museums dedicated to Jewish culture. However, intermarriage rates are high, and the small Jewish communities in Queensland, South Australia, and other remote areas have higher levels of intermarriage.
While the Jewish population in Australia continues to grow, demographers have noted that the rate of growth has slowed in recent years, reaching a plateau. Immigration remains a significant driver of the Australian Jewish story, with recent migration from Israel and the former Soviet Union contributing to the diversity and growth of the community.
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Jewish immigration history
The history of Jewish immigration to Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, which signalled the beginning of European settlement on the continent. Among the convicts transported to Botany Bay aboard the First Fleet were Jewish people from London, marking the first known Jewish presence in the country. Over the next century, waves of Jewish immigration to Australia contributed to the growth and diversity of the Jewish community.
In the 1830s, free Jewish settlers arrived and established congregations and synagogues in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. The 1841 census showed that New South Wales Jewry accounted for 65.3% of the total Australian Jewish population, with a significant presence in Melbourne as well. The gold rush of the 1850s attracted a new wave of immigrants, including Jewish immigrants who soon outnumbered native-born Jews. This led to the construction of larger synagogues in Melbourne and the formation of congregations in other towns.
Towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Australia experienced another significant wave of Jewish immigration. Refugees from Russia and Poland, fleeing pogroms and persecution, began arriving in the 1890s. This group of immigrants stood out due to their distinct dress, language, and customs, causing some tension within the existing Jewish community. By 1901, when Australia became an independent country, it was estimated that there were over 15,000 Jews in Australia, and some of the country's founders were Jewish.
The rise of Nazism in Germany and the outbreak of World War II had a profound impact on Jewish immigration to Australia. Between 1938 and 1939, around 7,000 to 8,000 refugees from Nazism found a safe haven in Australia. During the war, transportation for civilians was limited, and the Australian government's pre-war anti-Jewish refugee sentiment persisted, making it challenging for Jewish orphans and refugees to enter the country.
In the post-war period, Australia's immigration policies shifted, and large numbers of Holocaust survivors and refugees from Europe were welcomed. Between 1946 and 1961, more than 17,000 Jews arrived, significantly shaping the country's Jewish community. The next phase, from 1961 to 1981, saw a consolidation period with smaller numbers of immigrants, mainly from South Africa and the USSR. Since 1981, immigration has increased again, with a diverse range of Jewish immigrants continuing to contribute to Australia's multicultural society.
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Jewish communities and institutions
The Jewish community in Australia is diverse and dispersed across the country, with a range of institutions catering to their needs, protecting their interests, and expressing support for Israel. The community is predominantly composed of Ashkenazi Jews, but Jews in Australia come from many different traditions and levels of religious observance. The states and territories with the highest proportion of Jews are Victoria and New South Wales, with the majority of Jews living in the capital cities of Melbourne and Sydney. Smaller communities can also be found in Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart.
Melbourne has had the largest Jewish population in the country since the 1850s, with a significant wave of immigration during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, founded in 1841, built its synagogue building in 1848. The city is also home to a range of Jewish cultural and social organisations, radio shows, newspapers, and museums. Melbourne's annual Chanukah in the Park event attracts an estimated 10,000 attendees from across the spectrum of Jewish observance.
Sydney also has a significant Jewish population, with a congregation formed in 1831 and the first purpose-built synagogue opened in 1844 on York Street. The city is home to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the leading communal organisation for the Australian Jewish community and the Australian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress. Sydney's Jewish community also offers a range of cultural and social activities, including public celebrations of Hanukah, which are popular with the community.
Outside of these major cities, there are Jewish communities in other parts of Australia, such as Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania. However, these communities tend to be smaller and have higher intermarriage rates with non-Jewish partners.
The Australian Jewish community has a range of educational institutions, including 19 Jewish schools throughout the country, catering to approximately 10,000 students. There are also opportunities for Jewish higher education, with the University of Sydney and Monash University in Melbourne offering full Jewish Studies departments. The Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand offers post-high school education in Jewish studies.
The community is served by a range of media outlets, including traditional print media, podcasts, online magazines, and blogs. The Australian Jewish community has a strong presence in Australian society, with prominent figures such as Sir John Monash and Sir Isaac Isaacs, who have held positions of national leadership.
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Intermarriage rates
Historically, the intermarriage rate in the Australian Jewish community was approximately 30% before 1933. This high percentage was seen as a potential threat to the continuity of the community. However, the arrival of Jewish refugees before and after World War II changed the pattern of assimilation, and the intermarriage rate dropped.
Demographic research shows that by 1971, almost 90% of Jewish men and over 90% of Jewish women in Australia were married to Jewish partners. The 1996 census revealed a further decrease, with an intermarriage rate of 15% for all Australian Jews. Smaller Jewish communities within Australia tend to have higher intermarriage rates, with Melbourne's rate notably lower than that of Sydney.
More recent studies, such as the Sydney Jewish Communal Appeal in 1999, found that one-third of the generation had a non-Jewish partner. Additionally, Jews from the former Soviet Union who immigrated to Australia between 1986 and 1991 exhibited a considerably higher intermarriage rate compared to Jewish immigrants from other regions, such as South Africa.
The intermarriage rate has implications for the Jewish community's continuity and the religious upbringing of the next generation. Studies show that while almost all children of married Jewish couples are raised as Jews, only about one-third of the children of intermarried couples are. This contributes to the complexity of determining the size of the Jewish community in Australia, as census data relies on religious affiliation, and intermarriage can lead to lower rates of religious observance and identification.
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Jewish education
The Jewish population in Australia is estimated to be between 99,956 and 250,000 people. They make up about 0.4% to 1% of the total population of the country. The Jewish community of Australia is composed mostly of Ashkenazi Jews, although there are Jews in Australia from many other traditions and levels of religious observance.
For Jewish students who do not attend Jewish Day Schools, there are organizations like the United Jewish Education Board in Victoria, which provides Jewish education outside of the traditional school setting. Additionally, the NSW Board of Jewish Education is an invaluable resource for every Jewish student in New South Wales, offering spelling competitions and other educational programs.
At the higher education level, both the University of Sydney and Monash University in Melbourne have full Jewish Studies departments. Students can pursue studies in a variety of disciplines within Jewish Studies, including Jewish Civilization, Hebrew (Modern and Classical), Holocaust Studies, Yiddish, and Zionism.
Adult Jewish learning is also popular in Australia. The Melton Adult Education Program, linked to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, offers a range of well-received programs. Additionally, the Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand provides post-High School education in Jewish studies.
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Frequently asked questions
The exact number of Jews in Australia is unknown. In the 2021 census, 99,956 residents identified as religious Jews, but only 29,115 identified as Jewish by ancestry. Other estimates place the number of Jews in Australia at 116,967 in 2021, or between 120,000 and 250,000.
Jews make up about 0.4% to 0.5% of the Australian population.
84% of Australian Jews live in Melbourne or Sydney. Smaller communities can be found in Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart.
The Jewish population in Australia has grown over time due to immigration. Between 1938 and 1961, the Jewish population nearly tripled from 23,000 to 59,000. In the 1980s and 1990s, immigration from the former Soviet Union and South Africa drove further growth. However, by 2016, the rate of growth had slowed.
