Links to additional resources
World War 1, Western Front, France, FREEDMAN, Anzac Torah, 1917
Overview
Photograph of Chaplain Freedman and the Anzac Torah in France, 1917
Historical information
In 1915, rabbi David Yitzchak Friedman, who served as the rabbi of Perth Hebrew Congregation in Western was an AIF chaplain in Egypt. Deployed to Gallipoli, rabbi Friedman carried with him a small Sefer Torah gifted by the Jewish community of Alexandria, Egypt. The ancient Jewish community of that city wanted to show its appreciation for his and the Jewish soldiers’ war effort and to do something to protect them. Throughout the Gallipoli Campaign and beyond to the Western Front, Rabbi Friedman’s steadfast courage and unwavering commitment were epitomized by the presence of the Sefer Torah which accompanied him on every heroic mission.
Details
Details
Registration number
cwa-org-32-55-872
Inscriptions and markings
Rabbi Freedman was born at Budapest in 1874 and educated in London and came to Western Australia in 1896. He served as a chaplain-major in the A.I.F. from 1915 to 1918 at Gallipoli and in France, Belgium, and Palestine. Formerly president and vice-president of the Returned Soldiers League, he was an active member of the State executive and chairman of the State Education Board for Children of Deceased Soldiers. Rabbi Freedman was identified with various cultural organisations, but he was also widely known for his work for children's welfare institutions.
Contextual Information
After the war, rabbi Friedman returned home, but the journey of the ANZAC Torah continued, albeit with twists and turns. Rabbi Friedman passed away in 1939, and somehow, the Sefer Torah found its way to the Western Australia Museum but for many years was missing in storage until located in 2003. Today, the ANZAC Torah resides in the Perth Hebrew Congregation,
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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