Two Australian Jews were awarded the nation’s highest honor.Philanthropic arts patrons Victor Smorgon of Melbourne and David Gonski of Sydney were among five people made Companions of the Order of Australia on Monday. They head a list of more than 15 Jews – including a clown – honored for their contributions to Australia. In total, 524 Australians received awards.The Order of Australia, established in 1975, has four main grades of awards that are distributed by an independent committee twice a year.
Keep Jewish Stories in Focus.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.