Tributes to Stanley Roth AM

Tributes have flowed in to Stanley Roth AM who passed away in Sydney yesterday at the age of 72.

From: Gary Perlstein – President of UIA NSW

The passing of Stanley Roth is a devastating loss to the Australian Jewish community, and particularly to the Sydney Jewish community. Stanley held a position that was truly unique. There was no one with a greater heart, a greater generosity of spirit, or a deeper commitment to giving than Stanley.

For Stanley, philanthropy was not transactional or theoretical. It was who he was. He gave with his whole heart, with his soul, with his time, and often with his tears. He did not intellectualise his compassion. If he felt something deeply, he acted. Caring was instinctive for Stanley, and giving was at his very core.

No one in our community felt the pain of the October 7 attacks more profoundly than Stanley. He was devastated personally, emotionally, and spiritually. He loved Israel as one loves a child, and he loved the Sydney Jewish community in exactly the same way. His bond with Israel and with his community was visceral, unconditional, and enduring.

In recent weeks, our community has also been shaken by the horrific Bondi Beach attack. Against that backdrop, the timing of Stanley’s passing is felt even more deeply. For so many in our community, Stanley represented safety, certainty, and leadership. He was someone who made people feel grounded in moments of fear and uncertainty. We knew that when difficult moments arose, Stanley would instinctively know how we as a community needed to respond. He set the gold standard for what was asked of us and what was required of us, and his presence gave people confidence that we would find the right path forward together.

Stanley was one of our great leaders. He stood for all that was good in our community, and he led not through title or position, but through example. Within the UIA family, we have lost our greatest supporter and one of our most enduring champions, someone who stood with us for decades, giving tirelessly and selflessly.

This loss extends far beyond his family. It is a loss for our entire community and for Israel itself. Stanley’s passing will be felt for decades to come.

If Stanley was ever criticised, it was only that he cared too much, that he wore his heart on his sleeve. But that was his greatness. There will never be another who loved his community and Israel with such authenticity, such intensity, and such openness of heart.

On a personal note, Stanley was a profound inspiration to me, and I will miss him very much. He modelled a form of philanthropic leadership rooted entirely in care, love, and responsibility. In one of my final meetings with him, he said to me, “We can all do more. We can all give more.” He truly believed that each of us carries a responsibility to step forward for our community and for Israel. I will miss him so dearly.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved family, to Charmaine, Ilana, Danielle, Michael and their spouses and his cherished grandchildren. They should know that the entire UIA family shares in their grief, and that Stanley’s legacy of love, leadership, and generosity will never be forgotten.

From: Steven and Judy Łowy – Steven is a board member and trustee of Keren Hayesod-UIA

Stanley was a role model of Jewish values and Yiddishkeit. 

We are so deeply, deeply sad and shocked, as is the whole community, that his life has been cut so tragically short. Our hearts go out to Charmaine, Ilana, Danielle, Michael and their families. We will always remember Stan for being an extraordinary mensche, a most generous and steadfast man of Jewish values and morals and Yiddishkeit who made a real difference to his people, to our Sydney  community and to Israel. His support and leadership of UIA and for Moriah were second to none, recently and over many decades. He will be a great loss to our community and we wish his family above all, strength at this terribly difficult time. 

From: The Executive Council of Australian Jewry

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry expresses its profound shock and dismay at the tragic and untimely passing of Stanley Roth AM.

Stanley was loved by all his family and greatly respected and admired by vast numbers of friends and colleagues in multiple communities in Australia and Israel. His loyalty was legendary.

Stanley was a true mensch in every sense of the word – a leader, contributor, mentor and activist and a magnanimous philanthropist supporting a great variety of worthwhile causes, including the ECAJ.

The breadth and depth of his involvement in so many organisations of the Jewish community together with his special love for and commitment to Israel, was well known, deeply appreciated and much honoured.

His generosity benefited multiple causes within the Jewish community but also extended to some of the most notable charities in the wider Australian community and to people in need of many backgrounds in several other countries whose plight touched his heart.

Stanley’s commitment to the causes he believed in was wholehearted. He gave as freely of his time as he did with his financial support.  His passing is a huge loss to our community.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Charmaine, his children Michael, Ilana, and Danielle, their spouses, his grandchildren and extended family.  May they be granted strength and long life.

From: Mark Leibler – National Chairman of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council

I have known Stanley Roth AM for close to three decades, and I am proud to have called him my friend. I was shocked and devastated to hear of his sudden passing. Stanley still had so much to give.

I first came to know Stanley in the 1990s, during my time as Federal President of the United Israel Appeal. Even then, he stood out. The extraordinary strength and success of United Israel Appeal in New South Wales in that era owed so much to Stanley’s brilliance, organisational ability and leadership. He was not simply a contributor. He was one of its principal architects.

Stanley was devoted to everything that matters in Jewish communal life. First and foremost, he loved his family: Charmaine, their children and their grandchildren. He also remained deeply involved in communal work long after his formal roles ended. Stanley was never someone who stood back. He leaned in. He looked for solutions. He took responsibility.

His commitment to Israel and to Zionism knew no bounds. He supported that cause with vigour, determination and principle, and he did so consistently, year after year. His philanthropy was legendary, not only because of its scale, but because it came with thoughtfulness, urgency and a deep sense of duty.

Stanley was tenacious in the best sense of the word. If something didn’t look right, he would not let it go. He would keep asking, keep pushing, keep working until it was fixed. He was a man of total integrity, and he was unashamedly principled in everything he set out to do.

I will miss Stanley deeply. I found him to be a wise source of counsel and steady support. I knew and admired him as a friend, a client, a confidant and a communal colleague. He will be missed by all who knew him, but most of all my heart goes to Charmaine, to their children, and to their grandchildren, in their immense grief.

From: Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia

“I am devastated to hear of Stanley Roth AM’s passing. He was the rare kind of man who lived three full lives at once, with equal intensity and purpose: loving fiercely as a husband, father and grandfather, building with brilliance in business and a lifelong commitment to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

Stanley was deeply principled and completely genuine. He could be tough when the moment demanded it, but he was always soft-hearted underneath, always guided by responsibility and care.

He was one of the first people I went to speak to before I took on the role of President of the Zionist Federation of Australia. He encouraged me, he steadied me, and over the last seven years we remained in close contact. He was a mentor and a friend.

Stanley didn’t just believe in Jewish continuity; he invested in it, especially by giving young Jewish Australians the chance to experience Israel and strengthen their connection.

My heart is with Charmaine, and with Michael, Danielle and Ilana, and the entire Roth family. Our community has lost a giant, and we will feel that absence for a long time.”

From Dr Colin Rubenstein, executive director, Joel Burnie, executive manager  and Paul Rubenstein  NSW Chairman of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council

We at AIJAC were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Stanley Roth AM.

Stanley was a wonderful, inspirational, caring and principled person, a pillar of our Australian Jewish community and also devoted to the security and vitality of Israel.

He was a great supporter of AIJAC and, since its foundation almost three decades ago, a dedicated, active member of the committee of our invaluable Rambam Israel Fellowship Programme, which has performed the crucial role of taking so many prominent Australians, New Zealanders and Asians to Israel on week-long study visits.

He was a man of unending commitment, service, principle, sage advice and encouragement .

His passing will leave a massive hole in our community. And we will greatly miss him.

We convey our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife Charmaine and all the Roth family and trust his memory will always be a blessing.

From Ian Sandler: president of JCA

On behalf of the Governors, Honourary Life Governors, Executive Committee, CEO and team at JCA we are deeply saddened by the passing of Stanley Roth AM.

Stan was a man of remarkable integrity, generosity and lifelong commitment, not only to our local Jewish community, but also to the State of Israel. His leadership, vision and quiet strength made a lasting and profound impact on JCA and on the broader communal landscape. His dedication to strengthening Jewish life will be remembered with immense gratitude.His leadership ensured that the community was richer for his insight and steady strength and he enriched the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Charmaine, Michael, Ilana and Danielle at this incredibly difficult time. Stan’s legacy will continue to live on through the countless communities and lives he touched. He will always be remembered with great respect and his generosity will never be forgotten.

From: Greg Shand, President of the Sydney Jewish Museum

The Sydney Jewish Museum is shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our great friend and supporter, Stanley Roth AM.

Stanley, together with his brother John and their generous families, made – and continue to make – an invaluable contribution to the Jewish community in Australia, Israel and globally.

Amongst a wide range of local causes, the Sydney Jewish Museum has been fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of Stanley’s focus, commitment and very generous financial support.

The Roths have been very much part of the process of making our Museum stronger and more impactful – something which has become critical, now more than ever.

Their contribution extends well beyond funding. Over many years, Stanley and Charmaine became intimately acquainted with the Museum, its mission and its people.

This understanding – as well as their extensive involvement and appreciation of historic and contemporary issues affecting our community – enabled them to contribute to the future direction of the Museum.

Stanley was unique in being blessed with extraordinary passion, intelligence and judgement in equal parts. He was a doer – not just a talker – and inspired others to follow his example.

Stanley’s passing is a huge loss for our community and we extend wishes of long life to Charmaine and the Roth family.

From: Tony Ziegler, President, Australian Friends of Magen David Adom

Australian Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) mourns the passing of Stanley Roth, a remarkable philanthropist and deeply cherished member of the Australian Jewish community, who passed away yesterday.

Stanley’s generosity, compassion and unwavering commitment to Israel and Jewish life defined who he was. Together with his family, Stanley made a profound contribution to saving lives in Israel through his support of Magen David Adom, including the donation of a Magen David Adom Medicycle and support for MDA’s new National Blood Bank. These gifts reflect Stanley’s instinctive belief in action, responsibility and care for others, and they will continue to save lives for many years to come.

Stanley led by example. He gave selflessly, loved deeply, and inspired those around him to do more for their community and for Israel. His loss is felt not only by his beloved family, but by all who were touched by his kindness and leadership.

AFMDA extends its deepest condolences to Stanley’s family. May his memory be a blessing, and may his legacy of generosity, compassion and life-saving impact endure.

From: David Freeman, president of the Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home

Stanley Roth AM was a fervent of Sydney’s Jewish community and the Montefiore was no exception. His support contributed to aa high quality of life for our seniors. I wish the family of a long life.