AUSTRALIAN JEWRY, ITS RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND THE FIRST STEPS IN JEWISH STUDIES

In the preface of his recent edited study of the relations between China and

Israel over the 50-year period of 1948-98, Jonathan Goldstein noted that

there were eight major players, including two Jewish leaders from Australia:

Isador Magid and Isi Leibler.1 This paper explores the relationship between Australian Jewry and China, and analyzes the contribution made by Leibler

and the World Jewish Congress to the development of Jewish connections

with China over the decade of the 1980s. The Jewish Studies Colloquium

held in Beijing in April 1992, which initially aimed at assisting in developing

formal ties between Israel and China, ended up marking the end of the

gradual movement towards formal diplomatic relations that ended with

recognition in January 1992.