Treasured Benefactors

Madeleine & Louis Carrier

Raised in London, Lou Carrier arrived in Melbourne in 1939 when he was 16, together with four younger sisters and his parents, Marcus and Hetty Carrier. A natural performer, Lou worked the Tivoli circuit before joining the army in 1941, serving in the tank corps before transferring to the entertainment unit. He and Madeleine met after the war and married at East Melbourne synagogue. Working initially as a salesman in his father-in-law’s business, Lou made his way into radio and later television, assuming the stage persona of Lou Carr and working alongside  well-known personalities such as Bert Newton, Bill Collins, Peter Finch and Bruce Mansfield. Lou and Madeleine purchased a tobacconist and hairdressing shop in 1962 in the legal precinct on Queens Street where they served a loyal customer base of high profile lawyers and judges for over 21 years. Generous supporters of local and overseas charities, the couple remained devoted to one another throughout their 61 years of marriage and surrounded themselves with a close network of family and friends.

Ella and Cyril Goldberg

Both Cyril and Ella Goldberg migrated to Melbourne with their families after World War II. Cyril arrived from Romania in 1941 and Ella from Shanghai in 1954. Meeting on the iconic St Kilda Beach, the pair shared 50 happy years devoted to children and grandchildren. Cyril’s family, being furriers, founded Seymour Furs in Collins St and Cyril established its wholesale division, Sabego Furs. He later sold out and started his own businesses, the first of which was an aged care nursing home in Templestowe. Nicknamed “The Professor” by his family, Cyril was interested in intellectual pursuits, word politics and social justice, while Ella worked as an interpreter for Jewish Welfare where she assisted in the integration of Russian migrants, work she undertook with great pride and commitment. Their bequest to Jewish Care acknowledges their connection to the organisation and their joint commitment to supporting the elderly and less fortunate.

Heidi Goldstein

Heidi was born in Potsdam, Germany in 1939. Her father, Friedrich Wilhelm Fischer, was betrayed by a neighbour and shot by the Nazis when Heidi was only 3 years old. After the War, her mother Irmgard married Jacob Goldstein and the family immigrated to Australia in 1950. Encouraged by her stepfather’s career in bespoke cabinetry, Heidi took up jewellery-making. She worked at Dunklings and later in a hotel jewellery store, completing a jewellery course at RMIT to further her skills. Heidi loved to travel, and her mother accompanied her on many overseas trips to Europe and Germany. She was also a passionate animal-lover. Both Heidi and her mother were committed to helping others in the Jewish community and they established a holiday home for Jewish children in Healesville. Her generous bequest to Jewish Care Victoria reflects Heidi’s lifelong commitment to helping those in need.

Simon and Dora Rothberg

Simon Rothberg was born in 1867 in Gmina Tarnow in Poland, the fourth son of Leib and Sheindl Rottenberg. Immigrating to Australia as a young man, Simon anglicized his name to Rothberg and married Dora Norma Lewis, also of Polish heritage. A tailor by trade, Simon became part-owner of an import business located at 257-259 Swanston Street called Swift and Rothberg which sold furniture, drapery, outfits and tailoring until it was sold in the 1970s. Simon passed away when he was 66 years old while on one of his numerous buying trips to Mumbai, India. An esteemed member of the Jewish community, he was known for his generous support of many community organisations. His bequest to Jewish Care Victoria supports the wellbeing of the Jewish community to this day.

Tova Tauber

Born in Lodz, Poland in 1928 to a traditional Orthodox family, Tova Tauber was the sixth of eight siblings. Her sisters worked on knitting machines at home while her parents – Moshe Szya and Masza Manel Cykiert – ran a coffee shop in the town centre. Following the Nazi invasion, the family was interred in the Lodz Ghetto. In 1945, Tova and her brother Abraham, an Auschwitz survivor, were miraculously reunited. They were sent to Lugano, Switzerland by the Jewish Agency to prepare for life in the nascent Jewish state but chose instead to go to Australia, where in 1948, they were welcomed by Mina Fink, a leader of the Jewish Welfare Society. Tova married George Tauber, a pioneer of the toy industry in Australia, and raised three children – Geoffrey, Marsha and Judy. Together with her brother, she facilitated the immigration of their one surviving sibling in 1956. With the passing of George in 1996, Tova maintained an active lifestyle, and published her biography through Makor Library when she was 83. Keen to help those less fortunate, a bequest to Jewish Care was provided through her estate.