Australians dedicate memorial to Jewish service members

JTA

(JTA) — Australia has opened a new war memorial in memory of the hundreds of Jewish service members who have died for their country, the Brisbane Times reported.

The cenotaph bearing the names of the fallen was dedicated at the National Jewish Memorial Centre in Canberra on Sunday in the presence of governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove and Defense Force chief General Angus Campbell.

According to the Times, around 9,000 Australian Jews have served in their country’s armed forces since the late 19th century with 341 of them dying in the line of duty. The dedication was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the knighting of Sir John Monash, Australia’s most famous Jewish soldier and one of the most-decorated commanders of the First World War. Last month, a sculpture of General Monash was commemorated at the Australian War Memorial, the Australian Jewish News reported.