George Bergman was a leading pioneer in the study of Australian Jewish History.
Born in Gerrmany in 1900, he lead an amazing life of both study and adventure.
In World War 2. he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion, was interned in
the Sahara desert after the Franco-German armistice, but after the
Allied invasion of North Africa he joined the British army.
He came to Australia after 1947, where he commenced his extensive
study of Australian Jewish History.
He capped off a progious output of publications on this history
when, with
co-author, Rabbi John Levi, he wrote the classic account of Australian Jewish History
from the First Fleet to the establishment of self-governing Australian colonies:
J.S. Levi and G.F.J. Bergman, Australian Genesis: Jewish Convicts and Settlers 1788-1850,
Rigby, 1974.
Bergman started the collection that grew to become the archives of the Australian
Jewish Historical Society Inc [NSW], His two filing cabinets of
material have become five housing 2000 files as well as shelving holding 300 archive boxes.
These archives, as described at www.ajhs.info/arc
also include a number of historic portraits and illuminated addresses.
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