Silas Isaacs – Born Shanghai China 1932
His parents had migrated from Baghdad Iraq. I met Silas through his late wife Anna. All of you who knew Silas would know he was everyone’s friend and he became my friend.
Silas loved to tell people he was Chinese and he spoke Chinese better than the Chinese, which was true.
Silas often reminded me he went to the synagogue in Shanghai as a small boy and he remembers holding his father’s hand on the walk to Shul.
During WW2 during the Japanese occupation, the Shanghai Jews eventually were concentrated into the Shanghai Ghetto.
Conditions were not as bad as for European Jews and the Japanese couldn’t understand why the Nazi’s wanted the Jews liquidated.
After liberation there was the civil war and life changed for the worse. Isaac and famliy came to Melbourne, Australia.
I was Anna’s GP and I got to know Silas on home visits to their unit in Hawthorn. Silas did everything for Anna until eventually she moved to a nursing home. Anna died 4 years ago.
Silas loved coming to Ark Shul on Friday night. Silas developed a taste for herring, but never developed a taste for scotch, preferring orange juice.
Silas put on phylacteries– Tephillin – every day except of course Shabbath and always said the Shema.
Silas leaves behind Florence an elderly cousin in San Francisco and many good friends.
My last memory of Silas was his laughing face on that Friday night at the synagogue. Later that evening he fell, which lead to his passing.
Thank-you all for coming for Silas’ last journey.
ARK Centre acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our organisation is located and where we conduct our activities. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. ARK Centre is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.