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.

Temple Beth Israel High Holy Day services were to take place at St Kilda Town Hall but a youth service would be held at the Alma Road premises. Chazan S Gescheit was to officiate at the Beth Bachman synagogue of the Kew Jewish Centre already then at Walpole Street, Kew.

You could take the holidays at the strictly kosher Carmel Kosher Guest House in Hepburn Springs, one of a number of such kosher (and “continental” rather than kosher) establishments in the Hepburn/Daylesford area. Rollers Continental House in Hepburn Springs clearly directed their advertising to new immigrants saying that Hepburn was the Karlsbad (known in prewar Europe for “taking the waters”) of Victoria.

There was hot and cold water as well as inner spring mattresses in every room. A continental table was complemented by gardens and lawns. And Willowlake at Gladysdale in the Warburton district also advertised “book now for Rosh Hashanah”. It too was famous for its modern furnished rooms with hot and cold water. Mr and Mrs B Opat provided “best continental cooking — own farm produce used”.

Vouchers could be purchased at a number of listed outlets to be sent to relatives and friends in Israel as a New Year gift. Vouchers could be used in Israel to purchase parcels of meat fat milk cheese and other essentials; a special chocolate package was also an option. Separately, Continental Kosher Butchers advertised tinned meats which “are the best gifts for your family and friends in Israel”. Also in regard to meat Hoffstatter and Lowy announced opening of a poultry shop — this was actually the forerunner of today’s Eshel shop and catering.

In South Melbourne, Coventry Stores (J and M Erenhaus) offered wines, beers, liquors, whiskies and kosher wines — they were now also catering for bar mitzvahs and weddings. All such products were also available from Fishelsons Wine and Spirits store in Peel Street, Melbourne. Jacobowitz’s bookstore in Rathdown Street, Carlton advertised taleisim, tefillin, siddurm and candelabras. Kantors in Little Bourke Street had etrogim and hadassim from Israel with rabbinic hechsher as well as kittels, shofarot and machzorim (these were also advertised in Sydney).

A good selection of Rosh Hashanah cards was available from the office of the Australian Jewish News – then in Faraday Street, Carlton. They were also available from the Sydney Jewish News office in King Street. A Elbaum of Newtown sold machzorim and other ritual needs — taleisim (silk and woollen) tzitzit, tefillin, mezuzahs and yarmulkes.

Sydney had services at The Great Synagogue, Central, Bondi Mizrachi, Temple Emanuel, North Shore, South Head, Bankstown, Strathfield and the Western Suburbs synagogue. Those aside, The Maccabean Hall was going to be busy. The Sydney Jewish News had an advertisement for Sephardic High Holy Day services at the Maccabean Hall. They also carried an advertisement for “Orthodox minyan Szeairith Jisroel. Prayers in HOMELY RENDITION on the High Holidays.” Judging by the accent implied in that advertisement it was a forerunner of the Adass. Referring to the influx of new immigrants, newly inducted Rabbi I Swift of Central Synagogue stated, “The orthodox synagogues will determine which road we will take. Stifle the synagogue and we will start on the road to oblivion. The principles to which I set my hand are allegiance, acceptance of mitzvoth and faith.”

Rosh Hashanah services were also to be held at “the Mountains leading guest house” in Leura while (as was the case in the hills around Melbourne) various other resort/guest houses advertised holiday availability though they were not kosher and presumably without services.

Dare I conclude by prompting the inevitable “you missed out xxxx” complaints that readers may have – my intention was just to give some indication of the community as it was in the early 1950s. Indeed, albeit in their own way, Australian communities of that era too were well prepared for the High Holy Day period.

Yossi Aron OAM is The AJN’s religious affairs editor.