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PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 24 OCTOBER 1977
ADDRESS AT BOOK LAUNCHING OF " AUSTRALIAN JEWS OF TODAY,
AND THE PART THEY HAVE PLAYED"!, SYDNEY
I am delighted to be here today to launch Rabbi Brasch's latest
book, because it provides one of the best opportunities I have
had to pay tribute to the contribution that Australian Jews
and the Australian Jewish comununity have made to our country.
In Rabbi Brasch's thirty four biographies, people excelling in
almost every field of endeavour are represented, including
the military, the arts, sports, commnerce and industry, medicine
and the law. The biographies show clearly the richness, diversity
and significance of the contribution that Australian Jews have
made to Australian-society. They also give an insight into the
diversity of the Jewish experience itself.
The families of some of the people Rabbi Brasch writes about have
lived in Australia for many generation others have come to
Australia more recently. They have come from all parts of the
world, sometimes fleeing from evil or oppressive regimes.
Australia has offered them, as it has offered people from all
nations, the freedom and opportunity to achieve and create,
to rise to the top of their professions and occupations, freedom
and opportunity to retain their. traditional and their religious
and cultural identities. At a time when freedom and opportunity is
still denied to so many people in so many things, when religious,
racial and cultural oppressionr is still in existence, the
freedom and opportunity Australia has to offer is important.
The Australians about whom Rabbi Brasch writes have taken the
opportunity Australia offers and by doing so they have enhanced
all our lives. They have protected Australia as is shown by
Major General Paul Cullens' outstanding career. The have made
Australia laugh at a,, tLtewhen laughter was a very scarce and
precious commodity. Roy Rene Mo is still looked upon as
dpitoinising Australian humour. They have cured the sick and
advanced medical research. They have enriched Australia's culture
and strengthened our commerce and industry. They have gained
Australia international reputation in sport. / 2
1I F.. F. I am particularly glad that Lionel Van Praag was the sportsman
Rabbi Brasch chose to include in his book. It is all too often
that motorcyclists are overlooked and Lionel Van Praag was
one of the world's greatest speed-way racers.
Rabbi Brasch's book was well advanced before it was announced
that Sir Zelman Cowen would be Australia's next Governor General,
but the inclusion of his biography in this volume was inevitable.
Rabbi Brasch well brings out Sir Zelman's outstanding personal and
intellectual qualities. Sir Zelman a past Rhodes Scholar
has had a remarkable career in academic life, administration and
the law, and he has-been actively involved in the arts and
community affairs. Amongst. the many books he has written, is
a biography of the first Australian born and the first Jewish
Governor General of Australia, Sir Isaac Isaccs.
Sir Zelman will be an excellent successor in that office.
The-Australian Jews the . Rabbi writes about have made an
outstanding contribution to our country, as has the Jewish community
as whole. The Jewish community has. been a major force in our
society, establishing a network of institutions, synagogues, schoolswelfare
organisations which have-been-of inestimable value to the
quality of our nation's life, which has made Australia a better
place in which to live.
The Jewish community's commitment to preserving its cultural,
linguistic and religious heritage, while participating in
Australian society,-has-enhanced Australian pluralism.
Rabbi Brasch who has-served the Temple Emanuel as its chief Minister
for almost 30 years, has played a great part in the shaping
Sof the Australian Jewish community. And I pay tribute to the
work he has done for the benefit of his congregation, community
and country. It is only fitting that he should have written this
book on great Australian Jewish figures. He comments that many
more people deserve to. be written about, and seems to promise
us a sequeL.
I very much hope. that this is a promise and it is my very great
pleasure. t-launch"' Australian. Jews of Today, and the Part They
Have Played".
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