From New Zealand’s Jewish past: Abraham Hort – one of the founders of the New Zealand Jewish Community
Abraham was born in 1790 and was known as Abraham Hort Senior a prominent member of the London Jewish Community.
Abraham Hort
He arrived in Wellington NZ with his wife and family in 1843. Travelling with them was a young man from the Jews Hospital London (an institution that provided relief for the aged and poor as well as an education for the children of poor families) – David Isaacs – who would be the shoḥhet, mohel, and reader. Prior to their arrival, Abraham’s two sons – Abraham Hort Jr and Alfred Hort – had settled in NZ in 1840 and 1842 and were involved in commercial enterprises in the South Pacific Islands. Abraham Sr came to explore the suitability of New Zealand as a country for Jewish immigration for impoverished English Jews as well as a potential refuge for oppressed Eastern European Jews and others from elsewhere, relieving the pressure on Jewish charities in England.
He had brought with him a written authority from the Chief Rabbi of the UK – Solomon Hirschell – to establish a Jewish congregation and to promote Judaism in whatever way Abraham might be able to achieve this. Unfortunately, his dreams of a large planned Jewish emigration to NZ were not to be realised as the gentile, colonial environment proved to be too difficult for most of the members of his family. In a series of letters to the London Voice of Jacob – the first Anglo-Jewish Newspaper – Abraham wrote that “he had had the delight of assembling the first Hebrew congregation to come together in New Zealand, giving his thanks to Almighty God for having graciously protected his family through the perils of their voyage and preserved them from the malady prevalent in their ship.’’ In addition to the Hebrew player, he offered up a prayer in English which he had composed for the occasion. During his sermon he spoke of David Isaacs having found no difficulty in killing two oxen, a calf, three sheep and a lamb, all of which the meat has been excellent. He alluded to the fact that the price was considerably dearer but hoped that with more stock available, the price would gradually decline.
However, from 1843 until he returned to England in 1859, he did manage to establish the Wellington Jewish Community. He was their religious leader, ably assisted by David Isaacs. Abraham was most hospitable and philanthropic, supported many worthy causes, Jewish and otherwise and was elected an alderman in 1843. At the same time he applied for crown grants of land to establish a cemetery and a synagogue, and was advised by the Officer administering Her Majesty’s Government that it was not in his power to grant Crown lands for such purposes. He did add that he would refer the case of the Secretary of the Colonies. In time a small plot of land was provided for a cemetery to be established and Abraham sent the New Zealand Gazette documenting that the Government of Auckland had granted an acre of land for a cemetery and that he would immediately consecrate one quarter of the land so as to be ready in case it would be needed.
Abraham pressed on with the issue and wrote to the Colonial Secretary in London as follows:- ‘’As I imagine that it will not be wholly uninteresting to your readers to know how we have celebrated the Passover in these remote and, until very lately, completely uncivilised regions, I proceed to give you needful information. By a timely application to Sydney we were supplied, in addition to what I carried with me from London, with most excellent “motzoes” which reached us ten days before its commencement. In ease of disappointment I had supplied myself with wheat of this year’s harvest just then commencing, and had arranged with a baker here, quite conversant with their manufacture, to bake them under our supervision.” Abraham and his wife were very pleased to be able to conduct Sedars in their home with a few of the community members.
Abraham managed to bring the community together for Shabbat and other services and was delighted to conduct the first Bris Milah within the community with David Isaacs as the Mohl and Abraham being the godfather.
He was among the founders of many organizations including the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. He became one of Wellington’s leading citizens. He died in England on 18 November 1869. Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell who briefly served as New Zealand’s Prime Minister in 1925 was his grandson, together with William Hort Levin, a prominent Wellington merchant who gave his name to the town of Levin in the South Island.
The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:-
AJHS Journal –1939-40; 1949-53; Wikipedia; National Library of New Zealand; History of the Jews in New Zealand – Lazarus Goldman; A Standard for the People – the 150th Anniversary of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation – Stephen I Levine; Temple Sinai Wellington
