‘Visionary, innovator, family man’
Krycer became active in the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies (now Jewish Community Council of Victoria) and in B'nai B'rith, campaigning to free Soviet and Ethiopian Jewry.
Tributes have flowed for Australian Jewish community figure Joe Krycer who has passed away in Israel. In his 17 years as JNF Victoria’s executive director, he made dozens of trips to Israel, led many touring missions and made lifelong friends.
The Melbourne father of two and grandfather made aliyah in 2015, living in Jerusalem. He developed deep bonds with Yeshivat Hesder, an army program combining Talmudic studies with military service. He organised Hesder visits to Sderot, which was under constant Hamas rocket fire, telling The AJN in 2016, “I thought the best way to familiarise people with the situation in Sderot is to get them to meet locals and talk to people who have lived through the crisis.”
Born in 1948 to Regina and Harry Krycer, he became involved in Jewish communal life in Melbourne in his teens. A year after his marriage to lifelong partner Anna, he completed his law degree, establishing a partnership.
Krycer became active in the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies (now Jewish Community Council of Victoria) and in B’nai B’rith, campaigning to free Soviet and Ethiopian Jewry.
In her eulogy, Anna said his role at JNF Victoria “combined his passions for Israel, for large-vision thinking, for innovation in matters of environment, water, education, and for motivating and mentoring the next generation of communal leaders”.
She recounted, “Joe headed our Shabbat table like a conductor, engaging our frequent guests, sharing words of Torah, raising a glass, singing, joking, demonstrating his passions, and melding it all together to spread the music that is Shabbat, the focal point of the week.”
Daughter Elissa eulogised him, “Dad, you were the ultimate family man and a people’s person.”
JNF Victoria noted Krycer “embodied the heart of Zionism and was the perfect champion to represent JNF, which he did in an exemplary fashion for 17 years”.
“In a strangely coincidental way – bashert? – our JNF representatives from Melbourne, the people who knew and loved him from his years at the helm, were in Jerusalem in time to visit and give honour to Joe in the hours before his passing.”
Zionism Victoria president Yossi Goldfarb described him as “a lion of our community”.
“His tireless dedication to JNF and Israel were inspiring. I got to know him as a younger community leader and always welcomed his insight, passion and good humour.”
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