A Standard for the People - The 150th Anniversary of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation 1843-1993

The Hazard Press, 1995
Good condition with dustwrapper also in good condition

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first Jewish service in New Zealand, this book provides a fascinating record of a Jewish community which, though small, has had its own distinctive impact both within New Zealand and the wider Jewish world. The story it tells of Jewish life in Wellington from colonial times to the contemporary period reflects the age-old quest of Jews everywhere for freedom, security and dignity for themselves and their families. The book's several sections are a blend of communal history, sketches of synagogue life and family reminiscence, providing an at times poignant and inspiring legacy from one of the most far-flung segments of the jewish Diaspora. Through its many handsome illustrations, the book chronicles the life of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation, from historic paintings of the city in the 1840s to portraits of the most prominent members of Wellington Jewry - its rabbis, presidents and congregational personalities. Recently discovered letters from the first two decades give new and interesting views of New Zealand life in those days, including a first-hand account of the spectacular Wellington earthquake of 1855...