Joel, Asher

Personal Papers Archives

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Authority Biography/Administrative History

Asher JOEL

Housing: 1 box Period: 1955-1998

Sir Asher Joel was a well-known community personality and author, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for twenty-one years, and recipient of a Papal knighthood in 1995 in recognition of his long-standing involvement with the Catholic Church. He was the first Australian Jew to be honoured in this way. In 1975 he set up the Sir Asher Joel Foundation to assist Macquarie University's ancient history and archaeology students to participate on archaeological digs sponsored by Tel Aviv University. He supported Moriah College, the Montefiore Jewish Home, Masada College, Yeshiva College as well as a number of other communal, cultural and business organisations. Sir Asher was a Knight Bachelor (Kt conferred in 1971), Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) 1974 (the OBE was conferred in 1956), and an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 1986. In 1978 he was presented with the Torch of Learning Award of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Throughout his life he was prominent for his role in public offices for the organisation and supervision of arrangements to celebrate significant events. Acting in a strictly honourary capacity, he organised: the visit of Princess Alexander of Kent (1956); Visit of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson (1966); Pope Paul's Visit to Australia (1970); and was Chairman of the Citizens' Committee to organise the Official Opening of the Sydney Opera House (1973). He performed many more public functions.
His papers include: The Cousins. Descendants of Solomon and Caroline Phillips by A.S. Ellis, a mounted certificate from Tel Aviv University, a photo of Sir Asher Joel's "swearing in" as a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly (23/4 1955), and two scrolls of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel (1948) in Arabic and Hebrew.

ProvenanceJOEL, Asher (JOELA)
Dates(s)1955 to 1988