Australia
The continent of Australia is a large land area located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean on the bottom side of the Earth. This continent is considered the smallest among the seven continents, and its population numbers about 25 million people living in a federation of six states.
Most Jews on the continent live primarily in Sydney and Melbourne, and their number reaches one hundred thousand souls. The Jews of Melbourne immigrated to the place mostly after the Holocaust from Poland, and the Jews of Sydney are mostly of British origin. Unlike other Jewish communities around the world, the Jewish connection of the inhabitants of the continent is considered especially high, and many percentages of them are educated in Jewish institutions and only a few percentages fail in mixed marriages.
Rabbi Shneur Chaim Gutnick was considered the unofficial Chief Rabbi of the entire country.
Chabad in Australia[edit | edit source]
The first Chabad chasid to come to live in Australia was Rabbi Moshe Zalman Feiglin who was among the chasidim of the Rebbe Rashab and settled in the town of Shepparton where he established a small Chabad community around him. At that time, the state of Judaism in the country was extremely poor, and the Rebbe Rashab commented on the activities of Rabbi Feiglin: "The Holy One, blessed be He, sent the English to Australia to settle it, and Rabbi Feiglin to bring Yiddishkeit there." Rabbi Feiglin worked there alone for decades, until in 5699 (1939) the Rebbe Rayatz sent Rabbi Azriel Zelig Slonim to also open Chabad institutions in the country.
Before that, Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Schneerson visited Australia in 5621 (1861) to collect funds for the Jews of Eretz Yisrael. While in Melbourne, his speech, "Yeshuat Yisrael," was published as a pamphlet in English.
After leaving Russia in 5706 (1946), the Rebbe Rayatz instructed six additional chasidim to immigrate to Australia, and they were the ones who brought about the development and strengthening of the Chabad community in the country. The members of the group included: Rabbi Betzalel Wilshansky, Rabbi Isser Kluwgant, Rabbi Shmuel Betzalel Althaus, Rabbi Nachum Zalman Gurevich, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Serebransky, and Rabbi Yisrael Abba Pliskin. Some of the group members emigrated over the years to other countries with the approval of our Rebbeim, and the main shliach from this group who worked to establish institutions was Rabbi Serebransky.
In 5716 (1956), the Chabad institutions for girls "Beis Rivkah" and "Beis Sarah" were established, and at a farbrengen held near the cornerstone-laying ceremony, the Rebbe instructed those present to say mazel tov for the occasion.
In 5719 (1959), the Rebbe added Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Groner to the local shluchim, who brought with him a new momentum in all local activities.
Besides these chasidim, additional Chabad chasidim arrived in the area who also assisted in the Chabad development on the continent, led by Rabbi Chaim Gutnick and his brother Rabbi Shalom Dovber Gutnick who established the local Chabad yeshiva in the city of Melbourne on 11 Shevat 5726 (1966), and Rabbi Asher Abramson.
In 5728 (1968), the Rebbe sent Rabbi Pinchas Feldman to settle in Sydney and establish a Chabad community center there as well.
Rabbi Feiglin lived a long life and merited to have a yechidus with the Rebbe together with his son R' Dovid Feiglin, and when he entered, the Rebbe stood in his honor and thanked him for his activities to revive Judaism on the continent. Later, during the farbrengen, the Rebbe also spoke publicly about the Jewish revolution he brought about in Australia.
In 5739 (1979), the Rebbe established a kollel for married men in Melbourne.
Chabad chasidim held prominent positions in the country, including Rabbi Shneur Chaim Gutnick who served for many years as the Chief Rabbi of the Australian Army, and was considered the unofficial Chief Rabbi of the entire country.
The Chabad activities in the city received special attention from the Rebbe, and for many years the Rebbe even sent a group of temimim from the best students of the central Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva to the Chabad Yeshiva in Melbourne.
Notable Figures in Australia[edit | edit source]
- Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Groner - Chief Shliach in Melbourne
- Rabbi Feitel Levin - Head of the "Machon Chaim" Semicha Institute in Melbourne
- Rabbi Levi Minkowitz - Director at Melbourne Mesivta
- Rabbi Shalom Dober Dickstein - Shochet and Bodek, among the Rebbe's Shluchim in Melbourne
- Rabbi Tzvi Telsner - Son-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Groner and Rabbi of the Lubavitch community in Melbourne
- Rabbi Shalom Dober HaCohen Feldman - Among the Rebbe's Shluchim in Sydney
- Rabbi Meshulam Zusya Shtilerman - Mashpia in Australia
- Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gafni - Native of the country
- Rabbi Mordechai Tzvi Liberow - Among the Rebbe's Shluchim in Melbourne
- Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gutnick - Australian-born Chassidic philanthropist who contributed greatly to the development of the local Chabad community
- Rabbi Yaakov Eliezer Herzog - Rosh Yeshiva for many decades
- Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Perlov - Mashpia at the Chabad Yeshiva in Melbourne
- Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun - Previously served as Rabbi of the Tzemach Tzedek community in Sydney, and currently serves as Rabbi of Crown Heights
- Rabbi Pinchas Feldman - Rabbi of the 'Yeshiva Center' community in Sydney
- Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gordon - Shliach in Tasmania
- Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Yehoshua Hecht - Among the Rebbe's Shluchim in Melbourne, Kollel Avreichim and 'Ohel Devorah' synagogue
- Rabbi Aharon Serebryanski - Among the Rebbe's Shluchim in Melbourne
- Rabbi Dovid Baruch Lider - Director of Chabad House for Israeli travelers in Melbourne
- R' Shneur Zalman Nachum HaSofer - Native of the country and famous musician
- Rabbi Nir Gurevitch - Shliach and Rabbi of the 'Gold Coast Hebrew' community in Gold Coast, expert in ancient manuscripts, and Torah author
Further Reading[edit | edit source]
- Avraham Yeshaya Reinitz, VeNichbesha Ha'aretz - A review of the activities of the Temimim Shluchim to Australia and the instructions received from the Rebbe in connection with this, on the 40th anniversary of their Shlichus, Melbourne 5769 (2009).
External Links[edit | edit source]
- Historical film: The pioneer period in the activities of the Shluchim in Australia