Syd Einfeld

Sydney David Einfeld AO (17 June 1909 – 16 June 1995) was an Australian politician and Jewish community leader. Einfeld is credited with changing Australia's immigration policy to provide a refuge for Holocaust survivors. As a result, Australia accepted more refugees per capita than any other country in the world, and more Jewish refugees than anywhere except Israel.[1]

Syd Einfeld
AO
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Phillip
In office
9 December 1961 – 30 November 1963
Preceded byWilliam Aston
Succeeded byWilliam Aston
Personal details
Born(1909-06-17)17 June 1909
Kings Cross, New South Wales, Australia
Died16 June 1995(1995-06-16) (aged 85)
Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLabor Party
ChildrenMarcus Einfeld
OccupationCompany manager

Early life

He was born in Sydney in 1909, three weeks after his parents arrived in Australia – hence his name, Sydney.[2] He was the son of Rabbi Marcus Einfeld (1874-1937) who came to Australia in 1909 (becoming the chazan and the Second Minister of the Great Synagogue) by way of London, England, which he had immigrated to from Jarosław in Galicia, with his wife Deborah (Gabel) Einfeld (d. 1957).[3][4][5]

Einfeld attended Bourke Street Public School and Paddington Public School before completing his secondary education at Fort Street Boys High School. After leaving school he worked as a salesman and became manager of a merchandising company. He was active in various Jewish community groups from a young age, including as an inaugural member of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies in 1945.[6]

Political life

Einfeld is the man credited with changing Australia's immigration policy after World War II to provide a refuge for Holocaust survivors.[2] As a result, Australia accepted more refugees per capita than any other country in the world, and more Jewish refugees than anywhere except Israel.[1] In 1948, Einfeld was elected to the Board of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society. In 1952 he was elected President of the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Societies. He held the position for 25 years. He was also President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry between 1953 and 1954, 1957–58, and 1961–62.[1]

In 1961, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Phillip, defeating Liberal MP William Aston.[7][4] At the time, he was only the fourth Jew to be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament.[4] He was defeated by Aston in 1963. The Australian Council for International Development, an independent national association of Australian non-government organisations working in the field of international aid and development, was founded in 1965 with Einfeld as chairman.[8]

In 1965 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Bondi at a by-election.[9] In 1966 he became Deputy Leader of the Opposition.[10] In 1971 he transferred from Bondi to the seat of Waverley.[11] He was New South Wales Minister for Consumer Affairs in the Wran Government from 1976 to 1984, when he retired from politics.[10] In 1982 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.[12]

Personal life

Einfeld died in 1995, at 85 years of age.[2] A major bypass road in Bondi Junction is named Syd Einfeld Drive.[13][14]

He married Billie (Rosa) Appelboom on 2 June 1934 in the Great Synagogue, whereupon they lived in Newcastle, New South Wales, and had one son, Marcus, and a daughter, Robyn.[15][4] His son Marcus Einfeld was a judge of the Federal Court of Australia from 1986 to 2001.[16][17]

References
  1. "Sydney David Einfeld, Politician and Community Leader (1907-1985)". Archive of Australian Judaica. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  2. "Australian Parliamentarian, Jewish Leader Dies at 85". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 19 June 1995. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. Apple, Raymond (2008). The Great Synagogue: A History of Sydney's Big Shule. UNSW Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-86840-927-6.
  4. "Sydney David Einfeld, Politician and Community Leader (1907-1985)". Archive of Australian Judaica. University of Sydney. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  5. Debrett's Handbook of Australia and New Zealand. Debrett's Peerage. 1984. ISBN 978-0-949137-00-5.
  6. Smith, Rodney (2019). "Einfeld, Sydney David (Syd) (1909–1995)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  7. Carr, Adam. "1961 legislative election: House of Representatives, New South Wales". Psephos, Australian Election Archive. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. Kilby, Patrick (13 August 2015). NGOs and Political Change: A History of the Australian Council for International Development. ANU Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-925022-47-6.
  9. Green, Antony. "1965 Bondi by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  10. "The Hon Sydney David Einfeld (1909-1995)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  11. Green, Antony. "1971 Waverley". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  12. "Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) entry for The Honourable Sydney David Einfeld". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 1982. Retrieved 28 June 2020. In recognition of service to politics, to government and to the community
  13. A Tragedy In Two Acts: Marcus Einfeld And Teresa Brennan - Fiona Harari
  14. Harari, Fiona (1 September 2011). A Tragedy In Two Acts: Marcus Einfeld And Teresa Brennan. Melbourne Univ. Publishing. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-522-86046-7.
  15. "Weddings: Einfeld Appelboom". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 14 June 1934. p. 10. Retrieved 28 June 2020 – via Trove.
  16. "Einfeld jailed". ninemsn. 20 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  17. Einfeld v R [2010] NSWCCA 87 (5 May 2010).

 

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