Rosh Hashanah in Australia in post war years

Going through some old editions of The AJN that are held in our office I found fascinating the advertisements prior to Rosh Hashanah 1952. They are really reflective of an era past even as some refer to forerunners of today’s institutions and establishments.

In Melbourne, a feature of services at Melbourne Hebrew Congregation was to be newly inducted Rabbi Dr I Rapaport. Services at St Kilda were organised by Rabbi Danglow. Caulfield Culture Centre (forerunner to Caulfield Hebrew Congregation) was taking bookings for seats for the High Holy Days. Chazan E Schwartz was to lead services at Elwood Talmud Torah in Avoca Ave while although the new Mizrachi premises were to open for Selichot, main services would take place at popular venue the Empire Ballroom in Chapel St. East Melbourne also advertised its services.

South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation held its services in the Scout Hall in Birch Street, off Hawthorn Road; tickets were available from the 16 Winston Drive home of its founding president Mr S Herz where the congregation had begun as a minyan in their house. The Moorabbin and District Hebrew Congregation announced services in Moorabbin Town Hall. “Good Chazanim will officiate”. Seats were one guinea or two guineas (21 shillings or 42 shillings; $2.10 or $4.20) — these seem to have been pretty standard prices across shules.

Our sister publication particularly read by immigrants “The Yiddisher Nayes” (but not the English language paper) also featured advertisements for minyanim in Thornbury Hascola and the Bialestocker Centre in St Kilda. Residents of Coburg and surrounding districts were invited to a minyan being held for the High Holy Days and every Saturday thereafter at the home of Mr J Ross. Chazans [sic] Mr Applebaum and Mr Bush.

A minyan for the “Yomim Noroim” was also advertised to be held in the Memorial Hall in Acland Street, St Kilda. The Melbourne Yeshivah shule would not come into being until 1954 but in this case proceeds were to go to girls’ orphanages in Jerusalem and the Lubavitch yeshivah in Burwood.