Syd Einfeld

Who was Syd Einfeld?

Sydney David "Syd" Einfeld AO was an Australian politician and Jewish community leader. Born in Sydney, he was educated at Fort Street Boys' High School before becoming a manager of a merchandising company. In 1953 he was elected president of the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Societies, and was also president of the Executive Council of Australia Jewry between 1953–54, 1957–58, and 1961–62. In 1961, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Phillip, defeating Liberal MP William Aston. He was defeated by Aston in 1963. In 1965 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Bondi. In 1966 he became Deputy Leader of the Opposition; in 1971 he transferred from Bondi to the seat of Waverley. He was New South Wales Minister for Consumer Affairs in the Wran Government from 1976 to 1984, when he retired from politics. Einfeld died in 1995. A major bypass road in Bondi Junction is named after Einfeld.

He is the father of Marcus Einfeld, a former justice of the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Courts of New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory and the first Australian superior court judge to be jailed.