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The Role of Australian Jews in the Military and the Importance of Remembrance. 
With Major-General (Dr) Professor Jeffrey V Rosenfeld AC OBE KStJ (Ret’d)

Jews have served in all our wars and have always stepped up to join in the defence of Australia when the nation calls. More than 7000 Australian Jews have served in the defence of Australia and in all our military operations, including some 400 who have made the supreme sacrifice. The most recent Jewish soldier to die in war was Private Gregory Sher whilst serving in Afghanistan in 2009. There have been three Australian Generals, the first being one of Australia’s greatest citizens, General Sir John Monash. Two Jewish soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross. The Associations of Jewish Ex Servicemen and Women perpetuate the memory of those Australian Jews who served in war and particularly those who paid the supreme sacrifice. I will highlight some of those Jews who served our nation with distinction. Rampant antisemitism and gross ignorance about Jews, Judaism, Zionism and Israel has blighted Australia. It is education and remembrance of our past which are essential elements for the restoration of a harmonious society where antisemitism is shunned.

Major-General (Dr) Jeffrey Rosenfeld AC, OBE, FRACS, FRCS(Ed.), FNNSA, FACS, FAHMS, FTSE, IFAANS is a distinguished neurosurgeon and military surgeon. He is Senior Neurosurgeon, Alfred Hospital and Emeritus Professor of Surgery, Monash University. His research interests focus on traumatic brain injury and bionic vision. He was the Founding Director of the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering. He is an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Surgery, the F. Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; past Honorary Professor of Surgery at University of Papua New Guinea; and past Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Chinese university of Hong Kong; Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Australian Academy Technological Sciences and Engineering. He is a retired Major General in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and was the Surgeon General, ADF-Reserves 2009-2011. He has served on eight ADF Operations including Rwanda, East Timor, Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Iraq. He is Patron-in-Chief of Victorian Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (VAJEX); Patron of Federal Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women; Patron of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps Association (Vic); and in 2025 was appointed Patron, Australian Jewish Historical Society (Vic).

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