Australia Day honours: Religious leader John Levi is a pioneer of peace

Rabbi Dr John Levi is proud of Australia’s Jewish history, dating back to the First Fleet, the first Australian-born governor-general Sir Isaac Isaacs, and General Sir John Monash.

Rabbi John Levi at home in Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

Rabbi Dr John Levi is proud of Australia’s Jewish history, dating back to the First Fleet, the first Australian-born governor-general Sir Isaac Isaacs, and General Sir John Monash, who has a ­university named after him.

Through his work with the Jewish community in Melbourne, Australia and internationally, Rabbi Levi has shared the history of the Jewish faith with modern generations, making up for the “sense of lack” that he said was part of his own journey to becoming a rabbi.

Now he has been awarded the highest honour, the AC, for his eminent service to Judaism through seminal roles with religious, community and historical organisations, to the advancement of interfaith understanding, tolerance and collaboration, and to education.

As a child, Rabbi Levi said he was a “complete cuckoo in the nest”, attending a mainstream school and learning about the ­English kings while listening to a rabbi with a heavy accent at the temple.

“I didn’t know anyone born in Australia who had become a rabbi … the rabbinical seminaries were all in Europe,” he said.

He went on to co-found The King David School in Melbourne to meet the need for a school “where Judaism was a part of everyday life”.

He has also been involved with the regional and World Union for Progressive Judaism, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, and was also a founder of Progressive Jewish Congregations.

“There’s such a thing as Australian Judaism, growing up very diverse from their Yiddish speakers who don’t really care for religion, and to the fundamentalists who don’t really talk to anyone except God,” he said.

In line with Rabbi Levi’s progressive beliefs, he has also been heavily involved with interfaith organisations such as Religions for Peace and the Australian Council of Christian and Jews.

“Christianity and Judaism are very closely linked, so is Judaism and Islam — but that time hasn’t come yet,” he said.

During his lifetime, Rabbi Levi said he had witnessed the Jewish state of Israel form “an amazing experience” and the media stop portraying Jews as terrorists.

“I think Judaism has changed a lot. Judaism in Australia has changed a lot, but Judaism in the world has changed tremendously,” he said.

Rabbi Levi said he understood the alarm when swastikas appeared on walls around Melbourne, but said anti-Semitism was not a fact in Australian life and the Australian community was amazingly tolerant.

“It’s on the fringes, so much on the fringes that it doesn’t exist,” he said.

Rabbi Levi said he hoped he had taught his congregation to be open to change.

“That doesn’t mean less Jewish. It means to be more truthful and hopeful,” he said.

“I hope that being Jewish in Australia will always be testing, fun, demanding, controversial.

“I think that will be there. I think the seeds are already there.

“Judaism is not a faith, it’s a questioning. You can’t ask questions, you can’t be Jewish.”

Rabbi Levi has received the General Sir John Monash Award for Outstanding Service to the Jewish Community of Victoria, and also the Queen Elizabeth ­Jubilee Medal and the Australian Centenary Medal.

He has advised Australian ­galleries and museums on Jewish religion and Australian Jewish history, and has authored and co-authored several books.