Leslie Massey
Australia has a thriving Jewish community, with a long history in the country. The first Jews to arrive in Australia were a group of eight convicts transported to Botany Bay in 1788 aboard the First Fleet, though there were likely more, as transportation records did not indicate the religion of convicts. Since then, Australia has seen several waves of Jewish immigration, including German Jews escaping the Nazis before and after World War II, and refugees from Iraq and Egypt. The most recent census data from 2021 shows that 99,956 people identified as Jewish in Australia, with the actual number likely being higher due to undercounting. The states with the highest proportion of Jews are Victoria and New South Wales, with strong communities in Melbourne and Sydney.
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What You'll Learn
Jewish Australians in Victoria
Victoria is home to the largest Jewish community in Australia. The Jewish Community Council of Victoria estimates that 60,000 Australian Jews live in the state, with the majority living in Melbourne. Victoria has the highest proportion of Jews among all Australian states and territories at 0.71%.
The Jewish community in Victoria is well-established and diverse, with people of Jewish ancestry arriving in the state from many countries, including Great Britain, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Poland, South Africa, China, and Israel. The first Jewish people arrived in Victoria in 1788, and the community has since experienced several waves of migration. From 1991 onwards, there has been a steady arrival of Jewish people to Victoria, with many arriving from Israel, the United States, and South Africa.
Jewish people in Victoria are linguistically diverse, with some newer arrivals speaking French, Spanish, Russian, and Hebrew. The community is also diverse in terms of age, with the largest cohort aged over 70 (18.4%). The Jewish community in Victoria celebrates various cultural and religious holidays, following the Jewish lunisolar calendar.
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, has a significant Jewish population and a rich history of Jewish contributions to the city's culture and society. Synagogues were established in central Melbourne, East Melbourne, and surrounding towns in the 1850s. The city also has a number of courts, including the Melbourne Beth Din, which serves the Jewish communities in Victoria and is the main Beth Din outside of Sydney.
Jewish Australians have made notable contributions to various aspects of Victorian society, including politics, arts, and sports. Linda Dessau, who became the first female Governor of Victoria in 2015, is the first Jew to serve in this position. Other notable Jewish Australians from Victoria include Dr John Levi AM, the first Australian-born Rabbi and founder of The King David School in Melbourne, and Jonathan Moss, a former first-class cricketer for the Victoria cricket team.
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Jewish immigration to Australia
The history of Jewish immigration to Australia dates back to the late 18th century, when Jewish convicts arrived with the First Fleet in 1788, establishing the first European settlement in what is now Sydney. Over the next 60 years, over a thousand more people of Jewish descent were transported to Australia as convicts, and Jewish free settlers began arriving in the 1820s. By 1901, when Australia became an independent country, it is estimated that there were over 15,000 Jews in the country, with some of the founders being Jewish. Before 1901, most Jewish immigrants to Australia were from Britain, but in the early 20th century, prejudice and discrimination in mainland Europe led to an influx of Polish, Russian, and German Jews.
The Victorian Gold Rush in the 1850s attracted a wave of immigrants, including Jewish immigrants, who soon outnumbered native-born Jews. This led to the construction of larger synagogues in Melbourne, with a 600-seat synagogue built in South Yarra in 1855. Other Jewish congregations were formed in Geelong, Bendigo, and Ballarat during this time. The Jewish community in Australia during the mid-to-late 19th century was primarily Ashkenazi, but some Sephardi Jews also immigrated, forming a congregation that lasted about twenty years before declining and disbanding in 1873.
Following World War I, another wave of Jewish immigration occurred, with many German Jews arriving in Australia as the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s. Initially hesitant, the Australian government allotted 15,000 visas for "victims of oppression" in 1938, and about 7,000 Jews were able to enter the country before World War II halted the program. After World War II, Australia's immigration policy shifted away from its previous Anglo-centric focus, allowing large numbers of continental Europeans, including Holocaust survivors, to immigrate.
In the aftermath of World War II, Australia granted refugee status to Iraqi Jews facing persecution in 1969. Additionally, during the Suez Crisis in 1956, Egyptian Jews were permitted entry, and the government became more receptive to the entry of Mizrahi Jews due to advocacy from Jewish communities.
Today, the Jewish community in Australia continues to thrive, with an estimated population of 99,956 to 150,000 individuals as of the 2021 census. The actual number is likely higher as the census data is based on religious affiliation, and secular Jews may not identify as such. Melbourne and Sydney have the strongest Jewish presence, with thriving diaspora communities and various synagogues catering to their religious needs.
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Jewish intermarriage in Australia
The Jewish community in Australia is predominantly made up of Ashkenazi Jews, but it also includes Jews from various other traditions and levels of religious observance. According to the 2021 census, there were 99,956 people who identified Judaism as their religion and 29,113 who identified as Jewish by ancestry in Australia. However, the actual number of Jewish Australians is likely higher, as census data is based on religious affiliation, and many secular Jews do not identify solely with the religious aspect of Judaism. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz estimates the Jewish Australian population to be between 120,000 and 150,000.
Jewish intermarriage has been a topic of discussion and concern within the Australian Jewish community. Historically, the intermarriage rate in the community was around 30% before 1933. However, the arrival of Jewish refugees before and after World War II changed the pattern of assimilation, and the intermarriage rate dropped significantly in the post-war years. By 1971, almost 90% of Jewish men and over 90% of Jewish women were married to Jewish partners.
Despite efforts to strengthen Jewish identity and connection to traditions, intermarriage remains a prevalent issue within the Australian Jewish community. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach highlighted the high rate of assimilation and intermarriage, estimated at around 50%, despite significant investments in Jewish outreach programs. Smaller Jewish communities in Australia tend to have higher rates of intermarriage. For example, in rural areas of New South Wales, where only 5% of the state's Jewry reside, the intermarriage rate rises to 84%. Similarly, in Queensland, South Australia, and other parts of the country with smaller Jewish populations, Jews are more likely to have non-Jewish partners.
On the other hand, some studies and community efforts suggest that support and outreach to interfaith couples can have positive outcomes. An American study found that about 60% of children from intermarried households are raised as Jewish. This highlights the importance of acknowledging intermarriage and providing resources to support these families. Some rabbis and community leaders have recognized the need to welcome intermarried couples and their children, understanding that exclusion could lead to further alienation from Jewish life.
Overall, while intermarriage is a complex issue for the Australian Jewish community, there is a growing recognition that inclusion and outreach can play a vital role in strengthening Jewish identity and ensuring the community's continuity.
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Antisemitism in Australia
However, antisemitism in Australia became more pronounced in the late 19th century and continued to rise in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Suzanne Rutland, an expert on the topic, argues that antisemitism became prevalent in the 1880s, coinciding with the rise of Australian nationalism and the campaign for Federation. During this period, trade unions, politicians, and the media displayed hostility towards the small number of Russian Jewish immigrants in the country.
In the early 20th century, there were several notable instances of antisemitism. In 1915, a Labor Party politician, Frank Anstey, published a pamphlet titled "The Kingdom of Shylock," which contained antisemitic content. In 1920, a synagogue in Toowoomba, Queensland, was targeted in an arson attack. During the wave of Jewish immigration in 1938-1939, the second wave of Jewish refugees, the Australian press, and politicians made anti-Jewish statements. Local Nazi sympathizers carried out antisemitic attacks, and antisemitic propaganda was circulated in Sydney suburbs.
In the post-World War II period, antisemitism persisted in Australia. The Bulletin, a publication, featured antisemitic cartoons opposing Jewish immigration. Arthur Calwell, the minister of immigration, implemented measures to restrict the Jewish population in Australia to 0.5% and halted the immigration of Jews of Middle Eastern origin.
In recent years, Australia has witnessed a surge in antisemitic incidents, particularly after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Jewish and Muslim organizations have recorded significant increases in hate-fueled incidents targeting both communities. Sydney and Melbourne, home to 85% of Australia's Jewish population, have experienced some of the most severe and public episodes of antisemitism. These incidents have sparked rallies and protests by the Jewish community and their supporters, calling for unity and a zero-tolerance approach to hate.
While the exact number of Jewish people in Australia is unknown, estimates range from 91,020 to 150,000 individuals. The 2021 census recorded 99,956 people who identified Judaism as their religion and 29,113 who identified as Jewish by ancestry. The states with the highest proportion of Jewish residents are Victoria (0.71%) and New South Wales (0.49%), with significant communities in Melbourne and Sydney.
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Jewish Australians in New South Wales
The Jewish community in Australia has made significant contributions to the country's society and culture since the establishment of the colony in 1788. The first synagogue in Sydney, New South Wales, was built on York Street near Sydney Town Hall and consecrated in 1844. According to the 1846 census, there were 603 members of the Jewish community living in Sydney at the time. Today, Sydney is home to a thriving and dynamic Jewish diaspora community, with an estimated 50,000 Jews in New South Wales out of an Australian Jewish population of around 120,000.
Jews in New South Wales can be found throughout the Greater Sydney area, with approximately two-thirds residing in the eastern suburbs, from Vaucluse through Randwick, Bondi, and Double Bay to Darlinghurst-East Sydney, where many Jewish service organizations are located. Smaller but active pockets of the Jewish community reside in areas such as Maroubra, Coogee, Leichhardt, Newtown, and Marrickville. Strathfield, in the Inner West, was historically a center for Sydney's Jewish community, but the population dwindled in recent decades, and the synagogue closed in 2013.
The intermarriage rate within the Jewish community in Australia has varied over time and across different communities. Prior to 1933, the intermarriage rate was approximately 30%, but the arrival of Jewish refugees before and after World War II changed the pattern of assimilation, and the intermarriage rate dropped. In 1996, the overall intermarriage rate for Australian Jewry was 15%, with smaller Jewish communities exhibiting a higher rate of intermarriage. In rural areas of New South Wales, where only 5% of the state's Jewry reside, the intermarriage rate rises to 84%.
The Jewish community in New South Wales has a strong presence in various media forms. Publications such as the Jewish Report are published monthly in Sydney, and international Haredi magazines like Mishpacha and Ami are printed weekly in Melbourne. Notable writers, academics, journalists, and broadcasters within the community include Arnold Zable, Elliot Perlman, Mark Baker, John Safran, Raphael Epstein, Jon Faine, Ramona Koval, and Libby Gorr.
The success of the Jewish community in New South Wales extends beyond media and the arts. According to one source, "We as a community have incredibly high levels of education relative to everyone else. We occupy the most prestigious jobs. We live in some of the nicest parts of the nicest cities, and we have some of the highest incomes of any group." This socio-economic success is accompanied by a strong sense of community and cultural identity, with synagogues and service organizations playing vital roles in fostering connections and continuity.
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Frequently asked questions
Estimates vary depending on the source. The 2021 census recorded 99,956 people who identified as Jewish in Australia. However, this number is likely an undercount as some Holocaust survivors and secular Jews may not have indicated their religion. Accounting for this, there are probably as many as 120,000 Jewish Australians today.
Sydney has a thriving and dynamic Jewish diaspora community. There are an estimated 43,738 Jews in Sydney, with approximately two-thirds residing in the eastern suburbs.
Australian Jews have never constituted more than 1% of the total population. According to the 2021 census, 0.38% of Australians identified as Jewish.
Melbourne has the highest number of Jewish residents, with an estimated population of 53,373. This represents 0.71% of the state of Victoria.
Yes, there are several notable Jewish Australians. For example, Eva Duldig was a top tennis player for Australia. Her parents, Karl and Slawa Duldig, were also notable figures in their own right as a sculptor and artist/inventor respectively.
