Franz and Margot Neumann were refugees from Hitler’s Germany who met and married in Wellington and settled in Invercargill.

Janine Bensky Nathan: Fencing International and Trans-Tasman medallist. Local success earned Janine her selection to represent New Zealand at the Australian Amateur Fencing Federation Trans-Tasman games in Adelaide in 1967, where she won two medals.

Eve Poole, the first Jewish woman Mayor of Invercargill 1984-1992. She was considered by contemporaries, a ‘Leading Lady’, acknowledging both her commitment to the city and to her acting achievements.  

Abie Wachner was Invercargill’s 35th mayor and a man with a great social conscience.

Hersh is the band leader of The Jews Brothers Band, which has been entertaining New Zealand with Klezmer music since 1994. Hersh also founded The Nairobi Trio and played with them in the late 80s.  

Christopher Johnstone’s mother and grandmother left Vienna in March 1939 for England. This is his story of how he managed to reclaim Austrian citizenship.

Diana Wichtel in her book, Driving to Treblinka, takes us on a highly personal journey of discovery in memory of her father.

David Robinson recounts the story of how his grandparents escaped from an unpleasant life in Russia, immigrating to New Zealand in 1910. They were grateful to be in a place like NZ where they could practice their religion and live their lives without fear of constant persecution.

Amongst his many achievements, Ted Friedlander was for over 50 years, the CEO of leading clothing retailer, Hallensteins. A successful businessman and a respected member of Dunedin's public sector earned him an OBE and a place in New Zealand's Business Hall of Fame

Emily Hancock Siedeberg was born in 1873 and was New Zealand's first female medical doctor, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. Her contribution to the New Zealand health system and in particular, the health and welfare of New Zealand women, was awarded a CBE in 1949. 

Born to an Orthodox Jewish family in Dunedin in 1875, Ethel was the oldest of seven children. At 18 she became the first woman in New Zealand and all of Australasia to be accepted to study law.

Sir Dove-Myer Robinson was the longest-serving mayor of Auckland city, holding office for 18 years between 1959 and 1980, an achievement made all the more impressive by the fact that he came to the position as a largely self-educated Jewish man. 

In Irene’s oral history interview with her husband Stuart they both reflect on how difficult it was to sit down with Irene’s mother to talk about the war years. “We didn’t want her to have to go through the details again and again. People who went through it all had gone through hell and survived.”

Dame Lesley Max, has, in her career had a particular focus on the wellbeing of children. She was appointed an OBE in the 1994 New Year Honours, and became a Dame in the 2010 New Year Honours for her work in the service of children.

Bob Narev and his wife Freda were both child survivors of the Holocaust. They are active in Holocaust teaching and believe that information and education are the way to combat prejudice.

Deb Filler is an internationally acclaimed comic, musician, writer-performer, producer and character actor, as well as being New Zealand’s only Jewish comedian. Her Jewish identity forms the basis of much of her work, creating humour from domestic and everyday situations and observations.