Obituaries Australia

Rebecca Cohen with her husband George Judah Cohen, c.1925, Fairfax Corporation

National Library of New South Wales, 51771920

The death, of Mrs. George J. [Rebecca] Cohen on Thursday, April 15 (the eve of her 84th birthday) at her residence, 'Engadine,' Elizabeth Bay Rd, Sydney, evoked much sympathy for Mr. Cohen, the father of our community, and his family.

The markedly eloquent testimony of the large and fully representative attendance at the funeral obsequies was a response to the years of endeavour to promote the welfare of their native land and the philanthropic progressive work for the betterment of all people, irrespective of creed.

It is intriguing to endeavour to look back 84 years and picture conditions in New South Wales in those early days, and to follow on through the years the history of those times. The parents of Mrs. Cohen were the highly esteemed Hon. L. W. Levy, M.L.C. and Mrs. Levy, and the Cohen family with which she became associated by marriage did much to promote the stability and progress of the period is well known — to follow along in detail would be to classify almost everything that has benefited the masses. The Metropolitan press has given much space to this, and we will content ourselves by remarking the characteristic consistency of the traditional Jewish home life which has impressed itself upon their children who are carrying on unostentatiously the wont set for their hands to effect good purposes of far-reaching importance.

Mrs. Cohen was born at Tamworth. When she was 12 years of age she went to England, where she was educated. Returning to Australia when she was 18 years of age, she was married in Sydney a month before she was 19, while Prince Alfred was visiting New South Wales. She and her husband resided at Maitland until 1880, when they came to Sydney, and moved into their Elizabeth Bay home, which they occupied up to the time of Mrs. Cohen's death.

Mrs. Cohen had been married for 65 years. On the occasion of their diamond wedding five years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen received cabled congratulations from the King and Queen.

Mrs. Cohen held many positions of public responsibility during her long life. She was an original member of the committee of the Queen's Jubilee Fund. For a number of years she was a member of the committees of the Blind Institution of the Ashfield Infants' Home, and of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, and a member of the council of the Women's College at the Sydney University until a few years ago.

Besides her husband, five sons — Messrs. S. S. (president of the Kindergarten Union), L. W. (Hon. Treasurer of the Sir Moses Montefiore Home), Reginald, Alroy and Sefton — and two daughters — Mrs J. N. Joseph and Mrs. R. H. Marks — survive;

There was a large gathering at the home when the funeral cortege left for the Jewish Cemetery, Rookwood. The wreaths sent included:— Mr. George J. Cohen the Governor-General and Lady Isaacs, Mrs. R. H. Marks,. Mrs. J. N. Joseph, Mr. and Mrs. S. S. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Alroy M. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Sefton Cullen, George and Tony, Mrs. Burnett D. Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Sep. R. Levy, Mr. K. Marks, Mr. and Mrs. John Throsby, Paddy Throsby, Mr. and Mrs. David L. Cohen; Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Moss, Mr. Tom Cohen, Mr. Frank Throsby, Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Nathan, President and Board of Management of the Great Synagogue, Friends at Denman Chambers, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Knox, Mr. Frank Davenport, The Directors of the United insurance Company, L. C. Brown and Staffi, staff at 'Engadine,' Mrs. T. H. Kelly, The Manager and Staff of the United Insurance Co., Mr. Bris. Marks, Mr. Ernest L. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. George Michaelis, The Secretary and Staff of Kindergarten Union, Mr R. A., D. T. Prevost, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hallenstein, Messrs. L. and C. Solomon and Miss Solomon, Mrs. Sadie Levy, Mrs. Dalbert Baruch and Mr. E. Michaelis, Mrs. H. E. Hart, Directors Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney, General Manager Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney, Mr. L. S. Barnett, Miss I. Moss, Mr. F. Cranston, Sydney Staff David Cohen & Co., Newcastle Staff David Cohen & Co., Mr. Douglas Marsden, Mr. Stuart Thompson, The Directors Kindergarten Union, The Directors Paget Manufacturing Co., Barristers Denham Chambers, Mrs. Ellis Fielding Jones, Mrs. Isabel Pervius, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Benjamin, Mr and Mrs. Fred Michaelis, Mr. Edmund Resch, Mr. Fordyce Wheeler, Mrs. George Cohen Jnr., Mrs. Florence Armitage, Ald. E. R. Marks, Mr. Percy J. Marks, Miss Marks, Committee of the Queen's Jubilee Fund, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Asher, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Edwards, Dr Harold Richie, Mr. R. W. Perkins Employees John McGrath Ltd., Miss Bessie Solomon, Miss Cissie Asher, Mr. and Mrs. Percy Nathan and Dick, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Baruch, Mr. Charles Jacobs, Mr. F. N. Yarwood, The Officers of Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Massie, Mr. and Mrs. M. N. Cuthbertson, Sir George Mason Allard, General Manager, Staff Hunter River S.S. Coy, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Brunton, Mrs. C. W. Marsden, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Friend, Jean and Elizabeth, Mrs. A. A. Levy, Kindergarten College Staff; Mr. and Mrs. Norman Pilcher, Members Kindergarten Union; Mrs. Harold Brash, Mr. and Mrs. Pat Levy, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Michaelis, Mr. and Mrs. Hurbert Solomon, The President and Committee of the Blind Institution, The MacDonald Family (Wallabadah), Mr. John MacDonald, Mr. L. M. and Mr. John Phillips, Sister Hart; Chairman and Members Sydney Stock Exchange, Diectors Nestles Swiss Milk Co., Mr. and Mrs. Alfred H. Phillips and Miss Nora Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Michaelis, Mr. and Mrs. John Goulston, Mr. N. T. Morris, Mrs. A. E. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Hallenstein, Directors and Staff Tooth Coy. Mr. and Mrs. Orwell Phillips Mr A. W. Westen, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis G. Cohen, Mrs. Keith Moss and George and Paul Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Gunning, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Brendon, Mrs. Paul Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Elliott, Mr, and Mrs. Weir Grombech, Mrs. Maud Mylins, Mr. and Mrs. B. G. Cohen, Mr. Theo Marks, Directors of Royal Exchange, Mr. and Mrs. Selwyn King and Miss King, Lady and Miss Knox, Mrs. Eleanor Dibbs, Mr. Fred Sean, Miss Cheriton, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Luxton Loney, Judge and Mrs. J. J. Cohen, Directors Australian Gas Co., Staff Australian Gas Co.

Those present at the graveside included his Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Isaac Isaacs) accompanied by his A.D.C (Captain Bracegirdle, D.S.O., R.A.N.), Sir William Vicars, Sir Kelso King, Sir Allen Taylor, Sir Robert McAnderson, Sir Alexander and Lady Gordon, Alderman E. S. Marks and Arthur McElhone (City Council), the Rev. Einfeld, Rev. B. Lenzer (Newtown), Rev. D. Krass and Rabbi Wolinski. The Great Synagogue was represented by Messrs. J. Goulston (president), H. I. Wolff (secretary), and S. B. Glass (treasurer); Eastern Suburbs Synagogue by Mr. F. Freeman (president); the (Bankstown Hebrew Congregation by Messrs. Patmoy (vice-president), H. Barnard (secretary), and M. Solomon (treasurer); the Kindergarten Union by Mr. F. W. Hill; the Maccabean Institute by Mr. G. S. Keesing; the Chevra Kadisha by Mr. L. Packer (president); the Montefliore Home by Messrs. L. M. Phillips (president) and H. Lesnie (secretary); the Jewish ex-Servicemen and Committee by Captain Kensell; the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney Ltd. by the general manager (Mr. J. R. Dryhurst represented by Mr. E. A. Garvin) and Messrs. J. G. Lindeman, W. H. Symington, and R. W. Solomon; the Australian Gaslight Co. by Messrs. W. A. Taylor (acting secretary), H. Wood, A. E. Hutchinson, and T. F. Walugh; Tooth and Co. Ltd. by Messrs. T. Watson (general manager), K. Penton (secretary), J. G. Guthrie;, and H. L. Windon; the AM.P Society by Mr. J. O. Meeks; the Union S.S. Co., Ltd., by Mr. C. H. Hughes; the Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Co., Ltd., by Mr. W. N. Cuthbertson (general manager); the Orient Line by Mr. D. L. Dowdell; Bennie-Cohen and Son, Ltd. (N.S.W.), by Mr L. C. Brown (manager), C. R. Class and T. Harrison; Commercial Steels (Aust.) Ltd., by Mr. R. W. Perkins (managing director); John McGrath, Ltd., by Mr. R. G. Morgan (secretary); Gibbs Parker, and Parker, by Mr B. F. Parker; S. Hoftnung Ltd., by Messrs. A. H. Nathan and C. E. Davis; Edwards Dunlop and Co., Ltd., by Mr. James M. Dunlop; David Cohen and Co., Ltd. (Newcastle), by Mr. F. Cranston (manager); Messrs. Halberg, Parsons, and Anderson by Mr. T. Anderson; J. C .Williamson, Ltd., and J. and N. Tait by Mr. J. McEhone; 'Hebrew Standard' by A. Harris. Colonel Hyman, Captains Labrano and A. E. Saalfeld, Drs. O. Davis, C. Belisario, and G. Harris; Messrs. S. H. Solomon (ex city treasurer), A. Marks, B. J. Marks, H. C. Marks, H. V. Marks, Victor Cohen, B. G. Cohen, H. G. Cohen, D. Levy, C. F. Moses, C. E. Mose's, S. P. Asher, J. S. Lord, R. A. Brasch, B. N. Little, E. R. Knox; R. W. Solomon, E. L. Davis, L. S, Barnett, L. Lipmann, G. Spriggel, J. Phillips, G. Michaelis, A. H. Baumberg A. J. Soutar, P. Jones, O. E. Friend, A. Rothfleld, F. F. Black, S. Marks, G. de Vahl Davis, H. Moss, H. J. Solomon, R. Cullen-Ward, T. P. Sampson; F. C. Young H. H. Massie, H. Brown, A. H. Phillips, E. C. Darvall, V. G. Elliott, G. Belisario, R. B. Asher, A. A. Gaffney, &. G. J. MacIntosh, H. C. Forrest, A. L. Parker, B. F. Parker, E. R. Dryhurst, C. R. Dryhurst, W. T. Morris, E. R. Bafluch, F. S. Black, S. Symonds, N. G. Pilcher, J. Barnard, A. Kaiser, J. Throsby, C. M. Coppin, B. Lash, M. Emdur, F. W. Hixson, J. L. Phillips, S. P. Usher, M. Sallenger, L. Goldberg, C. U. B. Gurnett, A. Ainsley, A. L. and R. L. Macdonald, A. W. Jones, W. J. Considine, J. Michaelis, Mr. P. Cohen.