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Sari and Margaret

Former parliamentarian and lifelong worker for a multitude of causes, The Hon Margaret Davis was awarded the National Council of Women’s Foundation Day Award.

The award is given to a woman "who has made a significant contribution to the community and has demonstrated a personal commitment to advance the status of women".

She was nominated for the award by Sari Browne OAM.

Sari and Wesley Browne, Margaret’s husband Neil and Great Synagogue Women’s Auxiliary president Marilyn Jackson, as well as members of the National Council of Jewish Women, all attended the presentation, which was made at the National Council of Women NSW Foundation Day luncheon at Parliament House.

Pictured above: The Hon Margaret Davis (r) with Sari Browne OAM

80th birthday gift to shule collection

When Esther Morrish turned 80 in February, she made a very special donation to The Great Synagogue’s collection.

It is a card given to her father Simon Isaacs calling him to the Torah for Maftir to celebrate Esther’s birth.

“It was an invitation he kept and cherished all his lifetime and which he passed on to me,” she said.

Esther’s father had a distinguished legal career and was appointed a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW. He was also a member of The Great Synagogue’s Board of Management.

Esther’s mother Maria was a long-term member of the “Ladies’ Guild” and served as its president.

One of Rabbi Porush’s “confirmation class” of 1943, Esther remembers being one of the founding members, with her two brothers, of GSY around 1945.

Living now on the Sunshine Coast, Esther is very active with the Jewish community there are was involved last year in a communal seder which drew around 90 people.

Former President active in COSA

Former Great Synagogue President Rosalind Fischl was elected vice-president of the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Australia at its launch in November 2009.

She was also re-elected president of COS NSW for another year.

The initiative of Melbourne’s Romy Leibler, the Australia-wide body of lay people from Orthodox Synagogues was supported by its rabbinic equivalent and also the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

Shira scores in maths competition

Shira dressed for Purim Shira Lawrence, the 14-year-old daughter of Rabbi Jeremy and Mandy Lawrence, has qualified for the final in a world wide mathematics competition.
Called the Ulpaniada, the competition is open to girls from orthodox Jewish schools around the world.
The final will be in Israel in May this year.
Shira, a student of Kesser Torah College, will be the only representative in the Israeli final of the Sydney Jewish community.

She is pictured in her Jane Austen outfit at our recent Purim celebrations.

Deputies honour Joyce Falk

At its February meeting, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies honoured Joyce Falk who, at the age of 88, has completed more than 50 years of service as a deputy.

She was given a framed certificate of service to mark the occasion.

Joyce is the widow of Gerald Falk, a former Board president and one of the founders of the Jewish Communal Appeal.

Her family was there to support her as her fellow deputies praised her devotion to service and the community.

Jumping Joe

To celebrate his 85th birthday, Joe Symon didn't just have a party and a cake. He jumped out of an airoplane and parachuted to the ground! With his son John and Grandson Adam, Joe said the three of them had the time of their lives.

Honour for former judge

Former Supreme Court Justice the Honourable David Levine RFD QC was honoured with an AO in the Australia Day list.

Appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in 1992, he retired in 2005 but during his time at the bench he presided over many fascinating cases, particularly in the area of defamation law.

A keen supporter of the arts, he was for some time president of the Arts Law Centre and also chairman of the Friends of the State Library of NSW.

His personal library is extensive and his knowledge of books and book-lore extensive.