From Australia’s Jewish past

Zosia Mercer OAM– a true community stalwart

Zosia was born in Poland on 26 November 1922 to Sara and David Herbst.  She had a brother, Richard.  It is not clear what happened to the family during the Second World War, but Zosia survived the War in Poland under the Germans, as well as serving time in a slave labour camp in the Soviet Union’s sub-Arctic Circle.  In 1948, she moved to Australia and settled in Melbourne.  She married Julian in Melbourne in 1969, but unfortunately passed away in 1972.

Zosia joined WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organisation) in 1958 and was active in a newly formed group, WIZO Yarkon.  This was one of many WIZO national groups working and raising funds for Israel.  Zosia served three terms as President of her group from 1965 to 1971.  During that time, she had been elected to the State Executive, serving as publicity officer.  In 1970, when the Australian Federation of WIZO’s headquarters moved to Melbourne, she was elected National President, a position she held for 13 years.  In addition to this national position, in 1974 she took up the presidency of the State Executive and held both positions for a period of 7 years.  One highlight was in 1990 when Zosia represented WIZO Australia and met with the first president of WIZO Moscow, Ina-Yaffe Uspensky, at the Plenary Session of World WIZO in Tel Aviv.  Zosia was accompanied to this conference by WIZO stalwarts Nelly Weiss, Marlis Cohen and Miriam Milligen.

Zosia was not one to stand still, and in April 1984 she became the first woman elected to the presidency of the State Zionist Council of Victoria, which she held until 1988; this was followed by her election as Senior Vice President of the Zionist Federation of Australia.  In May 1989, she was elected President of the Australian Federation, a position she held until her death in 1997. Over the years, she also served as Executive Member of the Victorian Jewish Board of Deputies, Councillor of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, a member of the Bialik College Council, and Honorary Vice President of the United Israel Appeal’s Women’s Division.  With her many hats, she travelled extensively, representing all organisations at congresses, conferences and plenary sessions in Australia and Israel.

In an Australian Jewish News article published in August 1995, several stories by women were published, showing appreciation for what was important to them.  One such story was from Zosia:

‘’Many, many years ago, when I was a young girl, I spent a lot of afternoons walking through

Myers. One day, I came across a suit I fancied, but knew that it was completely out of my price range.

For weeks, I kept checking the price, and one day it was reduced by half.  Of course, I bought it immediately, and I have never enjoyed wearing anything as much.’’

Zosia was part of the generation for whom surviving World War II in Eastern Europe and then seeing the establishment of a Jewish state was to stamp their lives as well as those of many others.  She had a love of Israel and the Jewish people, which was her ‘’elan vital’’, the life force that motivated her involvement.

She passed away on 11 September 1997.  Her passing was another sad reminder of the generational changing of the guard in communal leadership – from the generation of founders to the generation of sons and daughters. In Zosia’s case, she was a beloved and widely respected leader.  Her funeral was attended by a large crowd of mourners from across the spectrum of the Melbourne community.  Zosia had no children of her own, but it can be truly said that she had many. She was a mother figure to the young women she recruited to WIZO over a lifetime of active membership; to the boys and girls in the WIZO homes and schools in Israel, on whose behalf she raised funds and worked tirelessly – most notably as WIZO Federal President from 1989 until her health failed.  She inspired women everywhere she went.  Her passing was a great loss to the Australian Jewish Community.

She had many legacies, including that on her retirement from WIZO’s State Presidency, a playground in the Raya Jaglom Day Care Centre in Tel Aviv was named in her honour.  In recognition of her many years of distinguished service to the Zionist Movement, she was awarded the prestigious Chaim Weizmann Award.  In January 1995, she was named a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to the Jewish Community.

 

The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:

WIZO Australia; WIZO Victoria; Jewish Women’s Archive; Australian Women’s Register; The Australian Jewish News; National Library of Australia

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From Australia’s Jewish past is edited by Ruth Lilian