Farewelling a Melbourne matriarch

TRIBUTES have been paid to community matriarch Dr Geulah Solomon, who passed away after a short battle with cancer on Monday, aged 80.

The former National Council of Jewish Women Australia (NCJWA) president and staunch community representative was buried on Wednesday.

“It is so remarkable that one woman could achieve so much,” daughter Esther Meltzer told The AJN. “She had undying conviction. She stood up for the community and was passionate about what she believed in.”

Dr Solomon served as NCJWA president and vice-president of International Council of Jewish Women (ICJW), representing both organisations at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.

Among the issues Dr Solomon fought tirelessly for was the rights of agunot, or chained women whose husbands will not give them a gett (Jewish divorce). In 1993, she was selected to present a petition to the Council of Orthodox Rabbis in Israel.

“She was a great leader, an advocate for women. Her priority was her family, but she loved Israel and NCJWA was her life,” current NCJWA national president Rysia Rozen said. “She was my mentor and a mentor to so many. She was very tough and very brave and we were fortunate to have had her as our leader.”

Dr Solomon was involved beyond women’s issues and contributed to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the Jewish National Fund, the Zionist Federation of Australia and outside the Jewish community as well.

“The Australian Jewish community has lost a great champion of Jewish causes, a person who was deeply committed, intellectually driven, passionate and hardworking,” ECAJ president Robert Goot said. “She was part of the Jewish leadership for decades … I will miss her wise counsel and cheery disposition.”

Formerly a university lecturer in women’s studies, Dr Solomon completed her thesis in minority education, examining the history of Jewish education. Retiring from academia in the early ’80s, she dedicated her life to the community and was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal.

In an interview with The AJN in 2003, she spoke of her legacy: “I hope that I’ve provided some kind of example for women to follow.”

DALIA SABLE