What an honour!

EXCELLING in their fields, 22 Jewish Australians have been recognised this week with a Queen’s Birthday Honour, topping last year’s crop of almost 20.

This year’s honorees include Sydney arts patron and collector John Kaldor, 80, who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to contemporary visual art and philanthropic contributions to cultural institutions.

As a 12-year-old, Kaldor escaped with his family from postwar Hungary and they arrived in Paris as refugees. In the winter of 1948, his mother took him to the Louvre, which sparked his lifelong passion for art. The Kaldors arrived here the following year, and by 21, Kaldor had become a collector. In 2013, he donated $35 million in art to the Art Gallery of NSW. “I was so passionate about art that I wanted to share it with the public,” he said.

Former Federal Court of Australia judge Roman Finkelstein, of Melbourne, has been made an AO for his work in the judiciary and law in general. Melbourne academic Dr Edwin Crawcour’s recognition as an AO reflected his significant contribution to higher education, particular in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ten Jews were honoured as Members of the Order of Australia (AM).

They include Melbourne psychiatrist Emeritus Professor Sidney Bloch, Perth psychologist Professor Lynne Cohen, Perth businessman Ronald Cohen, Melbourne philanthropist Deborah Dadon, Perth rheumatologist Dr Jack Edelman, Sydney businessman and philanthropist Leon Fink, Melbourne science writer Dr Elizabeth Finkel, Adelaide academic Professor Adam Graycar, Brisbane urologist Dr Geoffrey Hirst and Melbourne oncologist Professor Max Schwarz.

A rabbi, a painter and two aged-care experts are among the nine Jews who were presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

The OAM recipients included Sydney’s Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins; not-for-profit fundraiser Daniel Almagor of Melbourne; arts patron and JCA vice-president Danny Goldberg of Sydney; Jewish Centre on Ageing CEO Julia Golding of Sydney; community volunteer Leslie Heimann of Melbourne; painter and arts manager Tom Lowenstein of Melbourne; supporter of vision-impaired people, Debra Schaffer of Perth; information technology educator Stephanie Schwarz of Sydney; and supporter of aged services, Daniel Teller of Melbourne.

Teller summed up his motivation for aiding others. “I have a passion for helping people because that’s part of being Jewish.”

Full coverage in this week’s AJN.

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