Sir Asher Alexander Joel (4 May 1912 – 12 November 1998) was an Australian public figure and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for 20 years. Although he was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, he received a papal knighthood in 1994.

Career

In the 1930s he worked in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...

and

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he enlisted in the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initia ...

in 1942, then transferred to the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

, joining the staff of General Douglas MacArthur between 1944 and 1945. He was discharged with the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 17 August 1945. In 1946 he founded Asher Joel Pty Ltd, a

firm. He was instrumental in the 1949 founding of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. In 1958, Joel was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council as an Independent, but joined the then Country Party (now the National Party) the following year. In 1971–1972, he served as party treasurer, and in 1971, he served on the central executive. He retired from the Legislative Council in 1978. In 1975, he established the Sir Asher Joel Foundation to assist Macquarie University students to participate on

archaeological dig In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

s with

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

. During the course of his career, he helped to organise a number of large-scale events, acting in an honorary capacity: * the visit of

Princess Alexandra of Kent Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Alexandra were first cousins through their fathers, King George V ...

in 1956 * the visit of U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1966 * the visit of

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

in 1970. He was also heavily involved with the establishment of the Sydney Opera House. He was also a member of NAJEX (NSW Association of Jewish Service & Ex-Service Men & Women); is one of the oldest Jewish organisations in Australia.

Death

At Joel's funeral in 1998,

Rabb Rabb ( ar, رب, ''Rabb'', sometimes "''rabb'' (-i/-u/-a)"), is often used to refer to God in Arabic ('' Allah'') as the "Lord" or "master". It is used by adherents of various religions, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs across the M ...

i Raymond Apple of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, described Joel as an "Australian legend", having "walked with kings, queens, princes of the Church... with a genuine aristocracy of personality and presence. He had elegance, style and bearing, but humanity too." Joel was survived by his wife Sybil (née Jacobs), children Richard, David, Michael, Alexandra and grandchildren Natasha, Phoebe, Bennett, Alina, Arabella and Nicholas.

Honours

The honours Joel received included: * U.S. Bronze Star Medal, 1945 * Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1956 *

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

, 1971 * Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), 1974 * Maginoo (Officer) of the Ancient

Order of Sikatuna The Order of Sikatuna ( fil, Orden ng Sikatuna) is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippin ...

, Philippines, 1975 * Torch of Learning Award of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1978 * Knight Commander of Rizal, Philippines, 1978 * Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 1986 * Citation of Honour, New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, 1992 * Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester ( papal knighthood), 1994State Library of New South Wales – Manuscripts, oral history and pictures: Sir Asher Joel – further papers, 1893–1998, together with associated papers, 1998–1999
Retrieved 17 February 2014 * Certificate of Honour from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Books

*''Australian Protocol and Procedures'', 1982 *''Without Chains, Free'', 1977

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joel, Asher 1912 births 1998 deaths Australian Army soldiers Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian politicians awarded knighthoods Independent members of the Parliament of New South Wales Jewish Australian politicians Knights of the Order of St. Sylvester Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Officers of the Order of Australia Royal Australian Navy officers Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian businesspeople Australian Army personnel of World War II