By the features desk on J-Wire…
Abraham was born in 1790 and was known as Abraham Hort Senior a prominent member of the London Jewish Community.
He arrived in Wellington NZ with his wife and family in 1843. Travelling with them was a young man from the Jews Hospital London (an institution that provided relief for the aged and poor as well as an education for the children of poor families) – David Isaacs – who would be the shoḥhet, mohel, and reader.
Prior to their arrival, Abraham’s two sons – Abraham Hort Jr and Alfred Hort – had settled in NZ in 1840 and 1842 and were involved in commercial enterprises in the South Pacific Islands.
Abraham Sr came to explore the suitability of New Zealand as a country for Jewish immigration for impoverished English Jews as well as a potential refuge for oppressed Eastern European Jews and others from elsewhere, relieving the pressure on Jewish charities in England.
He had brought with him a written authority from the Chief Rabbi of the UK – Solomon Hirschell – to establish a Jewish congregation and to promote Judaism in whatever way Abraham might be able to achieve this.
Unfortunately, his dreams of a large planned Jewish emigration to NZ were not to be realised as the gentile, colonial environment proved to be too difficult for most of the members of his family.
Read the full story on J-Wire here.
