Immigration before and after World War II had an enormous impact on Australian Jewry. Until the 1930s, the Jewish community was governed in an authoritarian fashion from the leadership of the synagogues. The struggle for democratic leadership, spearheaded by the pre-war Jewish refugees, is a fascinating chapter in Australian Jewish history. The diversity of communal organisations indicates the many forms of Jewish identification in Australia – whether religious, Zionist, cultural or ethnic.

A representative structure

Until World War II, there was no federal body representing Australian Jewry. When the Australian colonies federated in 1901, an attempt was made to create a federal structure, but failed due to intense Melbourne/Sydney rivalry. The organisational structure changed radically following Hitler's rise to power and the refugee crisis, which challenged the comfort and complacency of the established Australian Jewish leadership. In New South Wales, the Advisory Board formed in 1932 to represent the synagogues was forced to broaden its structure, with other community organisations gaining representation in 1936. Formed in 1921, the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board was restructured in 1938. However, it was not until the devastation of European Jewry became known that a representative federal body for lay leadership was created, in August 1944. Named the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), its formation marked a watershed in Australian Jewish history.

The catalyst for the creation of the ECAJ was the formation of the Australian Council of UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) to assist in solving the problem of the ‘displaced persons’.