ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND PRIORITIES FACING THE AUSTRALIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ITS JEWISH COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS

KEN LANDER Executive Director, NSW Jewish Communal Appeal, Sydney, Australia

The Australian Jewish community is one ofthe few communities in the Diaspora that is increasing in size, and about 70 percent of its children attend Jewish day schools. However, its principal challenge is ensuring Jewish continuity. The community also faces the challenges posed by a disproportionate number ofaged and poor members—and the need to fund services and facilities for them.

t the end of the twentieth century positive impact. AA.ustralia is in many respects the Only one community, Sydney, has a cen­ goldena medina—a land of opportunity and tralized organization akin to a federation. All freedom. Australian Jewry is taking advan­ the other communities operate in an unorga­ tage of these opportunities to build a vibrant nized fashion. and growing community, is confident in hs future, and is willing to meet the challenges THE CHALLENGE OF JEWISH confronting it. CONTINUTTY It is one of the few communities in the The principal challenge facing Australian Diaspora that is increasing in size. It is a Jewry today is no different from that con­ community that has established one of the fronting world Jewry—to ensure the survival, best day school systems in the world, with growth, and vibrancy of the Jewish commu­ over 9,000 children attending Jewish schools nity. Australian Jewry in total comprises (reaching approximately 70 percent of chil­ approximately 100,000 people, but outside of dren). It boasts a wide range of community Sydney and Melbourne the problems of small services, is acknowledged as one ofthe stron­ communities with limited opportunities for gest Zionist communities, and supports a young adults to meet and attract partners plethora of charitable and educational en­ loom large. Even in the larger communities deavors. the pool of available partners is not great. Overall intermarriage figures,relativ e to PROFILE OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY other overseas communities, are low (about Australia's Jewish community is concentrated 36 percent), but they can be deceptive. Recent in the nation's capitals, with Sydney and analysis of the 20-30 age cohort indicates Melbourne together accounting for over 80 that rates are approaching the North Ameri­ percent of the population, followed by Perth can levels of 50 percent. Australia is a free and Brisbane with about 10 percent. The and open multicultural society where the smaller communities of Adelaide, Canberra, pressures of modernism are great, and it is and Hobart complete the main tapestry. easy to assimilate culturally. For many in our Over half of Australian Jewry was born community, and these are not always the overseas, reflecting the waves of Jews who young, our creed seems increasingly irrel­ have sought refuge here since the Holocaust. evant. Australian Jewry has the highest per capita Recent census statistics indicate that the percentage of Holocaust survivors of any coun­ birth rate of Australian Jewry is 1.54 com­ try outside of Israel. In recentyears the influx pared to the national average of 1.8. This of Jews from South Africa has had a major natural increase is well below replacement

152 The Australian Jewish Community / 153 level, and the community is in fact dependent litical, and financial—for the State of Israel. on immigration to provide its population Today the community is torn between its love growth. for Israel and coming to terms with the reality Across the country individual communi­ of modern Israel. ties have been attempting to grapple with Although the issues of Orthodox versus some of these continuity issues. In Sydney a Reform and land versus peace have served to study was undertaken and a controversial shake the relationship, the Maccabiah bridge report was presented that put the issue on the disaster—in which four Australian athletes communal agenda and has provided the im- lost their lives and scores were injured, many petusfor some initiatives tobe undertaken. In seriously—had the effect of "shattering the the other communities it has fallen much dream." The failure ofthe Israeli authorities more to individuals, both lay and profes­ to respond to Australian Jewry's concerns, sional, to try and take the lead. The challenge anxieties, and criticisms has created a psy­ in these cases is to work together in a coordi­ chological divide that will be difficult to nated response. reverse. Communal professionals have gen­ erally been slow to understand this wider TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY phenomenon, but nevertheless have attempted to lead the way in helping the community The tension between Orthodox andReform is understand that a new and different relation­ one that usually remains below the surface; ship is required. however at the time of the writing of this article it has broken out into the public arena. CHALLENGES FACING THE The Australian community is generally tradi­ AUSTRALIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY tional in its approach and for most of its history has been typified by a pragmatic, An Aging Community moderate Orthodox, religious approach. In recentyears the moderate religious center has As a result of higli levels of immigration to shrunk, and viewpoints have shifted to the Australia, coupled with the high percentage left and to the right. The issue is part of the of Holocaust survivors, Australian Jewry has broader clash ofphilosophies thatflowwithin a disproportionate number of aged members, the major streams of Judaism. something in the order of one and half times the national average. Changing government Lay and rabbinic leaders on an individual policies, coupled with the special needs of basis struggle to find solutions, but constantly many of these people, create dilemmas in find themselves mired in the framework of determining priorities for the provision of their inherited philosophies. As the pres­ facilities and services. sures of modernity have increased, spiritual The community prides itself on caring for leaders have had difficulty in rising to the its aged, but this is an extremely expensive challenge. Although it may be too much to business, one in which for the foreseeable expect that we, in far-away Australia, will fiiture the needs will continue to outstrip the find the solution that eludes the greatest available resources. minds in Jewry today, the challenge in our community is to maintain respect for each Poverty other and a tolerance of each other's views. It falls to the lay leaders and professionals to On the whole, the Australian Jewish commu­ take a lead and find common ground. nity is a wealthy one. It is often overlooked, however, that up to 20 percent of the commu­ ISRAEL AND THE ZIONIST DREAM nity live below the commonly accepted pov­ erty line. Most of these poor Jews are the aged Australian Jewry has traditionally been one without dependents, large Orthodox fami­ of the most ardent of Zionist communities, lies, and single parent or dysfunctional fami- unwavering in its support—emotional, po­

WINTER/SPRING 1997/98 Journal of Jewish Communal Service / 154 lies. The community is generally served by practical way that does not result in an ongo­ good community service organizations, but ing burden for the community. At the lay they face the dual challenge of lack of re­ level there are simply not enough people to go sources andthe inherent reluctance of people round, and often one person is forced to wear to come forward and seek assistance. many hats. At the professiona] level the community as Resources a whole has two, problems. On the one hand it does not have the resources to attract the The pressure to provide facilities and services best people into professional communal ser­ at a pace commensurate with community vice. Yet on the other hand, even when it can growth is a constant problem, especially where attract good, particularly young, people it is both present and projected needs continue to hard to retain them because there are not the outstrip the capacity to fund programs. opportunities for career development and Sydney, the only commumty with a combined promotion. The community is constandy campaign, the Jewish Communal Appeal, is faced with a lack of good professionals. actively grappling with these issues and is attempting to be innovative in its approaches to resource allocation and fund raising. In CONCLUSION Melbourne and the smaller communities, the The Australian Jewish community cannot strong organizations with strong fmancial afford to be complacent. The very social resources and leadership dominate at the fabric that allows it to prosper and thrive at expense of smaller and weaker organiza­ the same time provides a freedom of choice tions. that is often inimical to its own continuity. Yet, Australian Jews believe that they are Leadership building one of the great modern Jewish communities of the world and that despite For a community to thrive it needs practical being at the edge of the Diaspora, they will, visionaries—people who are able to think with vision, meet the challenges and continue beyond today and enthuse others with their to thrive. vision, but with the capacity to do so in a

IVINTER/SPRING 1997/98