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Special to the Southern Israelite
This resume of Liberal Judaism in Australia, headed
by Rabbi Jerome Mark, formerly of Selma, Alabama,
i< interesting to Southern Jewry because of the high
esteem with which Rabbi Mark is held throughout the
South. Since his departure from Selma in 1930, this
outline is based on the progress made by him from the
time of his arrival in time to conduct the services for
the High Holidays in 1930. The success of Liberal
Judaism in Australia is based on the fine character of
Rabbi Jerome Mark, upon whom the central responsi
bility rested.
T HE history of Liberal Judaism in Aus
tralia as an organized movement commenced
when Rabbi Jerome Mark arrived from
Selma, Alabama, in time to conduct the services
for the High Holy Days in 1930.
The initiative had been taken hy Mrs. Ada
Phillips, of Melbourne, who, during a visit to
England, had been impressed by the services at
the London Liberal Synagogue. On her return
she gathered a small but interested group around
her, and, with this nucleus was able to accept the
suggestion of the World Union for Progressive
Judaism that a minister he invited for six months
to test the possibilities of the establishment of
Liberal Judaism in this new field.
'Pile need for such an effort was evident. At
the census of 1921—to go back no further—there
were 7,677 Jews in Victoria, the smallest of the
mainland states but the most compact and thickly-
populated of all. Most of these are congregated
in the metropolitan area, yet Melbourne only holds
four orthodox congregations, leaving at least half
the Jewish population unaffiliated and dispersed.
In all Australia there are only slightly more than
20,000 Jews most of whom are resident in the
cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. No big
communal center is possible,
therefore, while the attitude
of the older congregations
has been that those who
could not, or did not. sub
scribe to their particular
form of worship could be al
lowed to drift.
Consequently, the intro
duction of an alternative
ritual was made under fa
vorable auspices; in fact, the
founders could not have been
accused of undue optimism if
they envisaged the Liberal
Temple as the largest Vic
torian synagogue of a few
years hence. Moreover, the experiment could be
tried in circumstances of full freedom, a radiant
contrast to those of Jewish communities in other
parts of the world.
RABBI JEROME
MARK
. . . his enthusiasm
evoked an answer
ing enthusiasm. . . .
A member of our faith, Sir John Monash, had
been commander-in-chief of the Australian Im
perial Force during the Great War. Another,
Sir Isaac Isaacs, became Governor-General of the
Commonwealth during the first weeks of 1931.
His appointment as the King’s representative was
criticized in some quarters on political grounds,
as this was the first occasion on which an Aus
tralian instead of an Englishman had been ap
pointed to the high position. 1 he nomination was
made to His Majesty by the Labor Government
in accordance with the party’s platform, but no
demur was made because of religious reasons.
At present a State minister in Victoria is a
Jew while another is an ex-Attorney-General.
North of the Murray one is Speaker of the lower
house in the Parliament of New South Wales
while others are ex-Lord Mayors of Sydney and
Adelaide.
in Austra
By Alan Cross
Everything, then, pointed to an auspicious start,
and this impression was heightened when Rabbi
Mark brought his fine personal qualities to the
leadership. This is not the place to attempt a
character study of the man on whom the central
responsibility rested. For the moment it js only
necessary to record that his evident anxiety to
understand the local standpoint, was noted with
appreciation; a scholarly and eloquent series of
addresses made clear to us the principles of Liberal
SIR JOHN MONASH
. . . Commander-in-Chief of the
Australian Imperial Force. . . .
Judaism; and his enthusiasm evoked an answering
enthusiasm so that before the period fixed for pro
bation had expired the new congregation had been
formed and Rabbi Mark was invited to become
its first incumbent minister.
I he location was made in temporary premises
at St. Kilda, a marine suburb about three miles
from the city. I he reason for this will not be
apparent, but St. Kilda has always been a centre
of Jewish activities and seems to possess some in
explicable fascination. When to ride on the Sab
bath was a fault and the community had to clus
ter round the house of prayer, the chief suburban
synagogue acquired a certain “tone,” but such a
consideration should not have weighed with Lib
erals who do ride on the Sabbath and are spread
o\er a wide suburban area. Yet even they seem
to come under the spell, and a belated attempt to
move to an excellent hall in the acknowledged
religious centre in East Melbourne has not been
successful. A return to St. Kilda has therefore
been decided upon.
I he new movement went from strength to
strength. A public Seder, the first of its kind to
be celebrated in Australia, proved its integration
into a religious unit capable of exercising the func
tions and influence of such a body. This was fol
lowed by the first Confirmation Service which
was attended by over 600 people. A Religious
School was established and a monthly Bulletin
published. While this has been written locally,
we . have lately had the privilege of publishing
articles by the Hon. Lily Montagu and Dr. Claude
G. Alontefiore.
The first year of its existence, then, was one
of sustained progress. Members’ interest was held
throughout. Much that was new to us was intro
duced, and, on the whole, was well received. Yet
there were storm-clouds on the horizon that
grew until they threatened to engulf the whole
movement before the second annual meeting.
First of these was the depression which struck
Australia, as a primary producing country, early.
There is no need to enlarge upon this the facts
have come to be only too well understood univer
sally—but it proved a cruel hardship to so young
a congregation. Members
who had promised definite
measures of assistance found
themselves unahle to honor
their undertakings. Other*
who were sympathetic had to
decline to incur any fresh
i ^ subscription.
"HiW Another major trouble ha*
WjL. been the hitter animosity
r* the Orthodox congregations.
It was not to he expected
that those who are still at
tached to the old ritual
would welcome what they
may have regarded, although
unjustifiably, as an attempt at its supercession, hut
their unreasoning opposition has had in it a meas
ure of intolerance which has shown in sorry con
trast to the helpfulness of the representatives of
two Christian churches with whom we have come
into contact during the search for a location. I
may be that the true line of demarcation lies
tween a reformed and an unreformed belief and
that this cuts deeper than religious affinities, j 1
the attitude of certain of our orthodox C0' rcl
gionists has been calculated to shatter a few i ms.
Finally, there is always the point of danger e "
the pristine enthusiasm of the many is so ere
down to the resolute loyalty of the few.
However difficulties may be overcome, and t .
as yet, little Liberal Synagogue Beth ^ srae ^f?
to be established in its latest location at t.
SIR ISAAC
ISAACS
. . . his appointment
was criticized. . . .
The present congregation contains a
of loyal adherents who have faced their f ro . u .
with determination. They have had practiea
dence of the support of the World nl ° ,
the sympathy of Progressive Jews in ot cr
Any history of so young a movement mus
record of the ministry of one man, an 1 .
Mark they have a leader who matches is *- ^
culture with religious faith, one ot sc o
of constructive and prehensile mm • a ,... • j s
ister whose conception of his tespons
not bounded by the walls of his ^> na 2 , entu re
No man may read the future, hut rf .
to assert that the years to be wi " n , j oun( J.
suits of his ministry and the wim “ 0 ^ ave re al-
ers of the Australian movement. , enriching
ized the ideal of an alternative ' !^ u . ’ t j ie Com*
and widening the basis of Jewi 1 e . j s ignili*
monwealth, and have given a a mold:
cance to the fine saying of Mat 'V , prophet-
this sense we should read the , re tell curio u -
viz.: that they did not foresee a> • . f 0 rctold
coincidences, but that they fo '' s ”
the inevitable triumph of rigs '
, HERN ISRA el1TE
number
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* THE SOU