Bernard Jacoby
“I would play soccer one weekend, and go to the synagogue another weekend.”
I was born in East End of London, England in 1934.
My mother, father, sister and I arrived in Australia in August 1949.
Coming to Australia
My grandmother who was very keen for us to come to Sydney said, "Well, I'll find you a place to live in.” I would say that one of the other things that my grandmother did prior to our arrival in Sydney was to buy us a seat at the Central Synagogue in Bondi Junction. So we not only had the house to come to, we also had a synagogue to go to.
Saturday - The soccer and pray routine
Soccer was always my sport. Playing football for the school in England, I had to deal with my dad, so I would play soccer one weekend, and go to the synagogue another weekend. Saturday would be the routine of soccer and prayer until we left when I was 15.
Key Migration Wave - British 10 Pounder
The British 10 pounder is a reference to British immigrants who arrived in Australia under the £10 assisted passage scheme between 1945 and 1960. Many on the “£10 Poms’ came from London’s East End working-class. Many of these were Jewish families.
Listen to Bernie's Eat, Pray, Naches stories
Full Transcript available here
Migration
Soccer one Shabbat and shule the other. Hear Bernie’s account of his life in London and how his grandmother was instrumental in helping his family come to Australia.
Eat
Bernie talks about his parents starting one of Sydney’s first Continental delicatessens and how he loves his wife’s cooking; she was originally from Vienna.
Pray
On alternate London Saturdays, after shule, Bernie and his father would go and watch Arsenal play.
Naches
Bernie’s relationship with the Hakoah Club, his soccer days and his family has given him lots of naches over the years.