Remembering Monash
Rabbi Glasman said, "Sir John Monash was a giant of a man … The esteem in which he is held within our Australian Defence Force, the government and indeed the entire Australian population is unparalleled."
Representatives of St Kilda Shule and the wider Jewish community attended the 2023 Monash Melbourne Commemorative Service, hosted by The Spirit of Australia Foundation, at Parliament House on Friday, August 11.
Rabbi Yaakov Glasman and president Janice Iloni-Furstenberg represented St Kilda Shule. Sir John Monash was a longstanding member and served on the shule’s board from 1920-1931.
Iloni-Furstenberg, who laid a wreath on behalf of the Jewish community, said, “It was an honour to represent St Kilda Shule at this most important event commemorating the life and legacy of our shule’s most prominent member, Sir John Monash, who served this country with distinction.”
Ben Hirsh, representing the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex and Servicemen and Women (VAJEX) laid a wreath on the organisation’s behalf.
Rabbi Glasman said, “Sir John Monash was a giant of a man … The esteem in which he is held within our Australian Defence Force, the government and indeed the entire Australian population is unparalleled.”
Senior chaplain to the ADF Rabbi Ralph Genende, who recited the Memorial Prayer in English and Hebrew and a Prayer for Australia, said, “This annual service not only recognises that Sir John Monash was a scholar, engineer, soldier and nation builder but also proudly acknowledges his Jewish identity.
“This was emphasised this year by the eloquent address by Hannah Gandy, the 2022 Victorian government John Monash Scholar … who spoke of her experiences as inspired by the Jewish character of General Sir John Monash.”
The event’s MC, Major General Jeffrey Rosenfeld, is also a St Kilda Shule member.
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