Suzanne Rutland

Suzanne Dorothy Rutland OAM (born 1946 in Sydney) is Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney. She was previously Chair of the Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, at Sydney University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, serving in that position for 11 years. She specializes in the history of Australian Jews and religious education. Her work Edge of the Diaspora: Two Centuries of Jewish Settlement in Australia was first published in 1988 with further editions in 1997 and 2001. Her work The Jews in Australia was published by Cambridge University Press in 2005. Her book co-written with journalist Sam Lipski, Let My People Go: The Untold Story of Australia and Soviet Jews, 1959-1989, Melbourne: Hybrid Publishers was published in 2015 and in 2016 was joint-winner of Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Award (Australian History).

She has held numerous leadership positions, including president of the Australian Jewish Historical Society and Sydney editor of its journal since 1991, as well as serving on its committee. She has been actively involved with the Australian Association of Jewish Studies, has served as its president and been the convenor of a number of its conferences. She is currently a committee member and, as a past president, very actively involved. She is also a Board Member of the Freilich Project, ANU, Honorary Secretary of the University of Sydney Association of Professors’ and a member of Australia’s expert delegation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, on its Education Working Group, as well as being involved with other Jewish community organisations.