Walking down Jewish Newtown’s memory lane
 
CHANTAL ABITBOL
IT began more than a century ago when Newtown residents Abram and Naomi Solomon invited friends into their home on Georgina Street to form a minyan.
As Jewish migrants poured into Sydney’s western suburbs, the minyan quickly grew.¬†Shortly after, land was purchased to build a shul and on the same street where it all began, the first stones of Newtown Synagogue were laid in 1918.
All this time later, one of the city’s oldest shuls continues to thrive with a nod to its past.¬†Late last month about 60 people took a historical Jewish tour of the area and heard stories of the shul from a bygone era.
“Newtown Synagogue is the oldest suburban synagogue standing in its original location,” said Newtown Synagogue’s Rabbi Chaim Rosenthal, who has been serving as head of the shul since 2005.¬†”A lot of the Jewish migrants moved here, and so many of the people in Sydney have their history in Newtown. There’s a lot of excitement and interest.”
Organised by the Jewish Historical Society, the tour commenced on Wilson Street at Hollis Park and visited Jewish places of interest, including the Solomons’ home.¬†It also stopped by the dwellings of past rabbis, among them the home of Rabbi Ben Zion Lenzer, who served as the congregation’s head from 1921-1935 and installed a ritual slaughterhouse in his backyard.
Participants also listened to stories from the shul’s former rabbi, Yossi Wernick, from the early ’90s, and from the shul’s oldest congregant, 85-year-old Morrie Stein, who has been a member since 1930.¬†Rabbi Rosenthal said: “It was a lovely event. Everyone really appreciate the history of the synagogue, and its current vibrant life. It’s a synagogue that lives forever.”
 
Photo:¬†¬†Newtown Synagogue’s current Rabbi Chaim Rosenthal (left) with the shul’s former rabbi Yossi Wernick (middle) and his son, Shlomoh Wernick (right). ¬† ¬†¬†Photo by: Richard Weinstein
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