Nadene Goldfoot
New Zealand has been under British dominion. Jews originally from England arrived in New Zealand in the first immigrant ships in 1840. They had been in other places since since they were expulsed from England in 1290, and would not be allowed to return to England until 1655.
From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. By 1831-1837, Joel Samuel Polack, Jewish, arrived who was one of the earliest writers about New Zealand. "Joel Samuel Polack, an Anglo-Jew, wrote two widely read books on his 1831–1837 travels. He detailed his interaction with the Maori people, made notes on flora and fauna and concluded that commercially lucrative flax production on an immense scale was possible."
"As early as the 1820s, Jewish traders were among the shifting group of whalers, whaling crews, mariners, and missionaries who explored New Zealand. Three Jews came in the first 700 colonists to settle at Port Nicholson.
"In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving Māori the same rights as British subjects. However, disputes over the differing translations of the Treaty and settler desire to acquire land from Māori led to the New Zealand Wars from 1843." "By 1848 there were 61 Jews in the colony of Port Nicholson. Ten years later there were 188, mostly in Auckland."
"Quite a number arrived during the gold rush days and were to be found predominantly on the West Coast of the South Island. In 1890 Polish and Russian Jews arrived, fleeing oppression under the Tsar." The first Aliyah to Palestine had already started in 1880. The would be four more throughout the years. Jews were also starting to immigrate to the United States during that deplorable period.
"Abraham Hort Senior saw New Zealand as a possible haven for impoverished English Jews and a potential refuge for oppressed Jews of eastern Europe and elsewhere. ""The first Jewish settlers to arrive were Abraham Hort, Jr along with two brothers, Solomon and Benjamin Levy in 1840.
Elizabeth Levy and Esther Solomon: The Jews' Hospital (Neveh zedak, which was largely funded by the Goldsmid family) sponsored two Jewish women to emigrate (from England to New Zealand) in 1841 on the ship, "the Birman" :The Jewish community in WELLINGTON was founded by Abraham Hort of London under the authority of the chief rabbi in 1843. "About 500 came to Wellington. " "David Isaacs, came with Abraham Hort, also an alumnus of the Jews Hospital."
Some Jews had been subsidized by a Jewish charity in London which had a mission of caring for the poor and orphaned young people in the community. These "subsidized" Jewish immigrants were also intended by their benefactors to be devout members of the fledgling Jewish community in Wellington, to which the respected English business leader Abraham Hort, Senior, was sent from London to organize along London religious lines. The difficulties of life in early colonial New Zealand, together with historically high rates of intermarriage, made it hard to maintain strict religious observation in any of the new congregations.
Subsequent small waves of immigration were associated with the Hungarian uprising in 1956 and the attempts by HIAS (the Hebrew Immigration Assistance Society) to bring Jews here from the former Soviet Union. Most recently there has been a small influx from South Africa, most of whom settled in Auckland. A great many South Africans were from Lithuania. A number of Israelis have also settled in New Zealand in recent years."
Jewish Communities were later established in AUKLAND and other centers. Jews have actively collaborated in New Zealand public life and have occupied the highest positions including those of administrator, prime minister and chief justice.
"Sir Julius Vogel, who served twice during the 1870s, was the only Premier (Prime Minister) to practice Judaism." "In this respect the most notable was Sir Julius Vogel, who at various times held the portfolios of colonial treasurer, commissioner for stamps and customs, and postmaster-general. He served as premier from 1874 to 1876, and held the office of agent-general in London from 1876 to 1881. He is best remembered for his vigorous policy of public works, by which the North Island was opened up. To him also are due the establishment of the San Francisco and New Zealand mail service, the completion of the London and New Zealand cable, the system of government life-insurance, and the creation of the Public Trust Offices."
Sir Dove-Myer Robinson was Mayor of Auckland City from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office. He was a colourful character and became affectionately known across New Zealand as "Robbie"
Myers was a New Zealand politician and Mayor of Auckland from 1905 to 1909, and member of the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1921, and a Cabinet Minister. Today he is remembered mainly for the public works constructed in Auckland during his term as Mayor, and partly from his donations, including Grafton Bridge and Myers Park..
John Phillip Key, Current Prime Minister of New Zealand, whose mother was Jewish. Key was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to George Key (1914–1969) and Ruth Key (née Lazar; 1922–2000), on 9 August 1961. His father was an English immigrant and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Key and his two sisters were raised in a state house in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr, by his mother, an Austrian Jewish immigrant. Key is the third prime minister or premier of New Zealand to have Jewish ancestry, after Julius Vogel and
Francis Bell.
March 31, 1851-March 13, 1936
Bell was born in Nelson, the eldest son of Sir Dillon Bell. His mother was Margaret Hort (who was Jewish, but became a Christian). He was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 10 to 30 May 1925. He was the first New Zealand-born prime minister, holding office in a caretaker capacity following the death of William Massey.
The Jewish community, at first mainly English, was reinforced by immigrants from Eastern Europe from 1882 and Central Europe from 1933 at the start of Germany leading into WWII and onward.
The Jewish population of New Zealand in 1990 was 4,800. People were living in
1. Wellington: 2,300.
2. Auckland: 2,350
3. Christchurch: 80
4. Dunedin: 60
5. Hastings: 50
"The largest centre of Jewish population in New Zealand is Auckland, which, with a population of around 1.1 million, is New Zealand’s largest city. New Zealand’s total population is 3.7 million. Three quarters of the resident population lives in the North Island. The self-identified Jewish population is around 4,700 (1996 census) which is 0.13% of the overall population. (Jews of the USA make up 2% of that population.) Numbers have been higher (around 5 – 6,000) but many Jewish families, or young people, have moved to larger communities overseas (especially Australia)." My neighbor in Israel was from Australia, so even those Jews had lost some to making Aliyah to Israel, but it has continued to grow.
With this, anti-Semitism is on the rise, even on these two small islands.
"Anti-Semitism is increasing in New Zealand and those responsible need to better understand the implications of their actions, a Jewish leader says.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_Zealand
facts about Israel
http://www.sinai.org.nz/jewish-new-zealand/
https://shalom.kiwi/2016/07/personal-perspective-anti-semitism-new-zealand/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91187873/queenstown-police-pursue-alleged-antisemitic-poster-plasterers?rm=m
https://www.geni.com/projects/Jews-in-New-Zealand/14502
https://www.israellycool.com/2016/12/27/an-open-letter-to-new-zealand/
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11503-new-zealand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Key
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Vogel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove-Myer_Robinson
From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. By 1831-1837, Joel Samuel Polack, Jewish, arrived who was one of the earliest writers about New Zealand. "Joel Samuel Polack, an Anglo-Jew, wrote two widely read books on his 1831–1837 travels. He detailed his interaction with the Maori people, made notes on flora and fauna and concluded that commercially lucrative flax production on an immense scale was possible."
"As early as the 1820s, Jewish traders were among the shifting group of whalers, whaling crews, mariners, and missionaries who explored New Zealand. Three Jews came in the first 700 colonists to settle at Port Nicholson.
"In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving Māori the same rights as British subjects. However, disputes over the differing translations of the Treaty and settler desire to acquire land from Māori led to the New Zealand Wars from 1843." "By 1848 there were 61 Jews in the colony of Port Nicholson. Ten years later there were 188, mostly in Auckland."
"Abraham Hort Senior saw New Zealand as a possible haven for impoverished English Jews and a potential refuge for oppressed Jews of eastern Europe and elsewhere. ""The first Jewish settlers to arrive were Abraham Hort, Jr along with two brothers, Solomon and Benjamin Levy in 1840.
Elizabeth Levy and Esther Solomon: The Jews' Hospital (Neveh zedak, which was largely funded by the Goldsmid family) sponsored two Jewish women to emigrate (from England to New Zealand) in 1841 on the ship, "the Birman" :The Jewish community in WELLINGTON was founded by Abraham Hort of London under the authority of the chief rabbi in 1843. "About 500 came to Wellington. " "David Isaacs, came with Abraham Hort, also an alumnus of the Jews Hospital."
Some Jews had been subsidized by a Jewish charity in London which had a mission of caring for the poor and orphaned young people in the community. These "subsidized" Jewish immigrants were also intended by their benefactors to be devout members of the fledgling Jewish community in Wellington, to which the respected English business leader Abraham Hort, Senior, was sent from London to organize along London religious lines. The difficulties of life in early colonial New Zealand, together with historically high rates of intermarriage, made it hard to maintain strict religious observation in any of the new congregations.
Subsequent small waves of immigration were associated with the Hungarian uprising in 1956 and the attempts by HIAS (the Hebrew Immigration Assistance Society) to bring Jews here from the former Soviet Union. Most recently there has been a small influx from South Africa, most of whom settled in Auckland. A great many South Africans were from Lithuania. A number of Israelis have also settled in New Zealand in recent years."
Jewish Communities were later established in AUKLAND and other centers. Jews have actively collaborated in New Zealand public life and have occupied the highest positions including those of administrator, prime minister and chief justice.
 |
| Julius Vogel Sir Julius Vogel (24 February 1835 – 12 March 1899) was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works. He was the first Jewish prime minister of New Zealand. Benjamin Disraeli, of Jewish descent but Anglican, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom contemporaneously to Vogel's premiership. |
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| Sir Dove Myer Robinson June 15, 1901 in Sheffield, England August 14, 1989 in Ackland, New Zealand |
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| Sir Arthur Mielziner Myers (19 May 1868 – 9 October 1926) |
Myers was a New Zealand politician and Mayor of Auckland from 1905 to 1909, and member of the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1921, and a Cabinet Minister. Today he is remembered mainly for the public works constructed in Auckland during his term as Mayor, and partly from his donations, including Grafton Bridge and Myers Park..
John Phillip Key, Current Prime Minister of New Zealand, whose mother was Jewish. Key was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to George Key (1914–1969) and Ruth Key (née Lazar; 1922–2000), on 9 August 1961. His father was an English immigrant and a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Key and his two sisters were raised in a state house in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr, by his mother, an Austrian Jewish immigrant. Key is the third prime minister or premier of New Zealand to have Jewish ancestry, after Julius Vogel and
Francis Bell.
March 31, 1851-March 13, 1936
Bell was born in Nelson, the eldest son of Sir Dillon Bell. His mother was Margaret Hort (who was Jewish, but became a Christian). He was a New Zealand lawyer and politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 10 to 30 May 1925. He was the first New Zealand-born prime minister, holding office in a caretaker capacity following the death of William Massey.
The Jewish population of New Zealand in 1990 was 4,800. People were living in
1. Wellington: 2,300.
2. Auckland: 2,350
3. Christchurch: 80
4. Dunedin: 60
5. Hastings: 50
"The largest centre of Jewish population in New Zealand is Auckland, which, with a population of around 1.1 million, is New Zealand’s largest city. New Zealand’s total population is 3.7 million. Three quarters of the resident population lives in the North Island. The self-identified Jewish population is around 4,700 (1996 census) which is 0.13% of the overall population. (Jews of the USA make up 2% of that population.) Numbers have been higher (around 5 – 6,000) but many Jewish families, or young people, have moved to larger communities overseas (especially Australia)." My neighbor in Israel was from Australia, so even those Jews had lost some to making Aliyah to Israel, but it has continued to grow.
With this, anti-Semitism is on the rise, even on these two small islands.
"Anti-Semitism is increasing in New Zealand and those responsible need to better understand the implications of their actions, a Jewish leader says.
New Zealand Jewish Council president Stephen Goodman said hate speech towards Jews was particularly prevalent on social media.
"A lot of anti-Semitism comes out of ignorance and thinking this is a fashionable thing to do," Goodman said.
"I don't think that legislating really works. The real issue is education."
"Police have made contact with two men after anti-Semitic posters were placed around Queenstown Resort College.
A security camera image posted earlier on the Southern District Police Facebook page shows two men – one in dark glasses, camo pants and wearing a "Trump" t-shirt – entering the tertiary institute last week. The photo has since been removed from the police Facebook page."
 |
| Maoris pictured in Dance
"New Zealand and a few others stepped forward to lead the battle cry against Israel at the United Nations Security Council. That this resolution came about in the waning days of the Obama administration speaks volumes. Israel and New Zealand are on relatively equal footing in terms of quality of life, modern conveniences, and social status.
New Zealand took a part in helping Israel to be re-established in 1948. They were one of the honorable nations who voted for the Partition Plan in 1947. There would be two nations, the plan offered – a Jewish one on about half the land. Yeah, we got the desert and the swamps, but never mind because we took lemons and made lemonade. We took desert and made it bloom; we took swamps and drained them. And an Arab one on about half the land (not including 2/3 of the land of “Palestine” that had already been given to the Jordanians).
According to the resolution sponsored, in part, by New Zealand, Israel has no legal right, no claim, to the land our forefathers walked, the place where they are buried, where they worshiped and where, to this day, we pray every day.
Have they since changed?"
|
There has been substantial assimilation, perhaps inevitable in a small diaspora community.
The 2006 census data gives the Jewish population as 6,858 out of the total New Zealand population of 4 million.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_Zealand
facts about Israel
http://www.sinai.org.nz/jewish-new-zealand/
https://shalom.kiwi/2016/07/personal-perspective-anti-semitism-new-zealand/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91187873/queenstown-police-pursue-alleged-antisemitic-poster-plasterers?rm=m
https://www.geni.com/projects/Jews-in-New-Zealand/14502
https://www.israellycool.com/2016/12/27/an-open-letter-to-new-zealand/
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11503-new-zealand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Key
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Vogel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove-Myer_Robinson
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