Raymond Apple (born 27 December 1935) is an emeritus senior

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

. He was the Senior Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Sydney between 1972 and 2005. In this role, he was one of Australia's highest profile rabbis and the leading spokesman for

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

in Australia.

Early life

Born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Apple was educated at the selective

Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1905, the school caters for boys from Year 9 ...

. His

rebbe A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...

was Dr Samuel Billigheimer (1889-1983). He continued his education at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, then at the University of New England in Australia, gaining a Master of Literature degree, and finally at the Jews' College, now called the

London School of Jewish Studies The London School of Jewish Studies (commonly known as LSJS, originally founded as Jews' College) is a London-based organisation providing adult educational courses and training to the wider Jewish community. Since 2012 LSJS also offers rabbinic ...

, where he received a teaching diploma and a

semikhah Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination. The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 ...

, or rabbinic diploma. Apple has received a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) ''honoris causa'' from the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

and Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) from the Australian Catholic University. Apple is also an Honorary Fellow of the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni award of the University of New England.

Religious leadership

Between 1960 and 1972 Apple served London congregations at Bayswater and Hampstead before returning to Australia to take up the role of senior rabbi at the Great Synagogue in Sydney. In Sydney he also served as a dayan (rabbinic judge) and registrar for the Sydney

Beth Din A beit din ( he, בית דין, Bet Din, house of judgment, , Ashkenazic: ''beis din'', plural: batei din) is a Rabbinic Judaism, rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of ...

. Interfaith dialogue has been a lifetime interest of Apple and one which he pursued in Australia. He is a patron and a former joint president and chairman of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews and also a life member and former chairman of the New South Wales Council. He founded the Christian-Jewish Luncheon Club in Sydney, and has been a leader of dialogue with Islam.

Other roles

Apple was an

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...

Reserve chaplain for fifteen years, and in 1988-2006 senior rabbi to the Australian Defence Force. He also served, for two terms, as chairman of the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services, the first Jewish representative to hold this office. He was awarded the Reserve Force Decoration and the Australian Defence Medal. He was also a chaplain to the NSW Police. Apple is prominent in

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, being a Past Deputy Grand Master, Past Junior Grand Warden, and Past Grand Chaplain of the

United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory is the main governing body of Freemasonry within the Australian state of New South Wales that also wholly encloses the Australian Capital Territory containing the nat ...

Retirement

Apple retired from his Sydney position in 2005, made aliyah in 2006, and has lived in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

since then. While based in Jerusalem, Apple served as president of the Israel Regional section of the

Rabbinical Council of America The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union (OU). It is the main p ...

between 2016 and 2018.

Honours

Apple is an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

for his services to the community, as well as holding the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal and the Centenary of Federation Medal. He has received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

s of Doctor of Laws from the

and

Doctor of the University An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

from the Australian Catholic University (2016). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the

and has received a Distinguished Alumni award from the University of New England.Crown Content, ''Who's Who in Australia'' 2007 page 150

Selected publications

Apple has written a number of books, including: * * * * * * * * * * * * * He has also published numerous articles on Jews, Jewish history, the Jews in Australia, and various Jewish and interfaith themes. He is the author of "OzTorah", a weekly e-mail service and website presenting insights into the Torah reading, an Ask the Rabbi forum, and articles on Freemasonry, interfaith issues, British Jewish history, and the Australian Jewish community and its history. The OzTorah archives are available on his website at http://www.oztorah.com

References

External links

The Hampstead Synagogue

The Great Synagogue, Sydney

OzTorah
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apple, Raymond 1935 births Living people 20th-century Australian rabbis 21st-century Australian rabbis Alumni of the London School of Jewish Studies Australian Army chaplains Australian emigrants to Israel Australian Freemasons Australian military chaplains Australian Orthodox rabbis 20th-century English rabbis Melbourne Law School alumni Modern Orthodox rabbis Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at Melbourne High School Rabbis in the military Religious leaders from Melbourne Religious Zionist Orthodox rabbis