Australia Day naches
THE Australian Jewish community was well represented on this year’s Australia Day Honours list, with 16 eminent members receiving nods for their distinguished service in a range of fields.
THE Australian Jewish community was well represented on this year’s Australia Day Honours list, with 16 eminent members receiving nods for their distinguished service in a range of fields.
Jewish Australians made up 2.8 per cent of the overall recipients in the general division, including two Officers of the Order of Australia (AO), five Members of the Order of Australia (AM) and nine recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Among the exemplary citizens to receive an AO, the second-highest general-division honour, were patron of the arts Peter Weiss and Australian film-industry mainstay Natalie Miller.
Miller, who was acknowledged for services to the film industry, told The AJN she was “humbled” to receive the award and described as “gratifying” the attention it brought to the film industry.
AM recipients included prominent businessman and former Carlton Football Club president Graham Smorgon, Associate Professor and forensic psychiatrist Jonathan Phillips, Emeritus Professor Philip Foreman, Professor Stephen Davis and Mark Tedeschi QC.
An effusive Foreman, who was recognised for his work in helping children with a disability to receive an education, said he didn’t believe he had “achieved a great deal”, but receiving the honour was “very nice”.
Jewish Australians to receive an OAM include Jules Feldman, Pamela Mendels, Theda Lowe, Rosalie Silverstein, Jack Fisher, Sydney Grolman, Eddie Jaku, Dr David Rosenthal and George Klein.
“Seventy years ago I never would have imagined even having a wife, let alone children and grandchildren because I was really in trouble,” said Holocaust survivor Jaku, who was honoured for his contribution to Sydney’s Jewish Museum.
For full coverage, see this week’s AJN.
ADAM KAMIEN
Film-industry mainstay Natalie Miller was awarded an AO.
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