Visiting A Jew in Kalgoorlie, Australia

Not every Chabad of RARA trip goes to the ‘real’ outback of Australia, but sometimes they do. This was one of them.

Yisroel and Zelig spent two days in the famous mining town of Kalgoorlie during their recent trip to Western Australia. Now home to some 30,000 people, Kalgoorlie was a major hub during the Gold Rush of the 19th and 20th centuries.

All sorts of denominations were drawn to the precious metal, including, of course, members of the Jewish tribe.

Found more commonly off the actual mines, and rather dealing with brokering and transporting gold, Kalgoorlie and nearby Coolgardie were home to a large Jewish population. While it is hard to know exactly how many Jewish people lived there, there are records of a Synagogue that once stood in Kalgoorlie.

More than that, the local cemetery has a large Jewish section, with burials going as far back as 1899.
The most recent burial in the Jewish section appears to be that of Robert Arthur Almon in January of 1994. Yisroel and Zelig spent some time at the cemetery, saying the traditional Tehillim that is said at such sites.

“But, as we always say here at RARA, we’d much rather meet up with one living Jew,” Chabad of RARA wrote on social media. “And indeed, the rabbis were able to connect with Sharon, a Jewish nurse that is working in the area.”

It had been some time since Sharon had seen another Jewish face, and was very appreciative of the visit.

“We’ve been in touch with Sharon for some time now, and indeed, most of these photos of the cemetery were provided by her,” they wrote. “Thank you Sharon!”