Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple AO RFD
OzTORAH
In 1995, Rabbi Raymond Apple of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, inaugurated a weekly pamphlet to provide congregants with insights into the weekly Torah reading. From 1997 the publication was distributed to a limited number of community members by email and requests were soon received from Jews across Australia and worldwide to join its distribution list. Today the OzTorah emails continue to inspire hundreds of people across the globe. Subscribers receive two emails a week: a short, pithy exposition on the weekly Torah reading that seeks to impart messages relevant to contemporary Australian society, and an "Ask the Rabbi" forum focusing on Jewish practice and belief.
In 2007 the OzTorah website was launched, offering a comprehensive archive of the publication since its inception.
The "Oz" in OzTorah is a colloquial name for Australia and is also Hebrew for "strength". Torah has indeed been - and continues to be - a guiding source of strength for the Jewish people.
THE AUTHOR
Rabbi Raymond Apple was for many years one of Australia's highest profile Orthodox rabbis and its leading Jewish spokesman.
After serving London congregations at Bayswater and Hampstead, he was senior rabbi of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, from 1972-2005 and guide and mentor of many other synagogues and organisations.
Born and educated in Melbourne, he pursued further studies in London, where he received his s'michah. He has academic qualifications in arts, law, history, religion and education; he is a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of New South Wales and an Honorary Fellow of Sydney University and holds the Distinguished Alumni award of the University of New England.
He was an Australian Army reserve chaplain for 15 years and from 1988-2006 senior rabbi to the Australian Defence Force. He also served for two terms as chairman of the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services, the first Jewish representative to hold this office.
He taught at Sydney and NSW Universities and is Master and a Trustee of Mandelbaum House, the Jewish college at Sydney University. He has lectured at tertiary institutions in several countries.
For 30 years he was dayan/registrar of the Sydney Beth Din. He is life rabbinic governor of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australia and New Zealand, of which he was president for two 4-year terms. He is patron and past president of the Australian Jewish Historical Society and religious consultant to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and has held other community and public offices.
Interfaith dialogue has been a lifetime interest. He is joint president and a former chairman of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews and a life member and former chairman of the NSW Council. He founded the Christian-Jewish Luncheon Club in Sydney and has been a leader in dialogue with Islam.
In Freemasonry he is Past Junior Grand Warden and Past Grand Chaplain of the United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT and was a Grand Lodge lecturer for several years.
He is an Officer of the Order of Australia and holds the Reserve Force Decoration, the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal and the Centenary of Federation Medal.
Now retired, Rabbi Apple lives in Jerusalem with his wife Marian, where he spends his time studying, writing articles and books, doing freelance editing, delivering shiurim and Divrei Torah, and spending time with his family.
SITE CREDITS
Content: Rabbi Raymond Apple AO RFD
Editing and adaptation: Benseon Apple
Site design, maintenance and hosting: Alastair Bor