Hort, Abraham
HORT, ABRAHAM
HORT, ABRAHAM (1790–1869), founder of the New Zealand Jewish community. In 1843 Hort – generally known as Abraham Hort, Senior – a prominent member of the London Jewish community, landed at Wellington with his wife and family, bringing with him young David Isaacs to act as shoḥhet, mohel, and reader. He had been preceded by his two sons, Abraham Hort, Jr. (1840) and Alfred Hort (1842), who engaged in partnership in New Zealand commercial enterprises and the South Pacific islands. Abraham Hort, Sr. came to explore the suitability of New Zealand as a field for Jewish immigration, to relieve pressure on Jewish charities in England. He carried with him the written authority of Chief Rabbi Solomon *Hirschell to establish a Jewish congregation and to promote Judaism in whatever way he thought fit. His dreams of extensive, planned Jewish emigration to New Zealand were not to be realized, while the gentile, colonial environment proved too strong for most members of his own family. However, from 1843 until his return to England in 1859, he put the Wellington Jewish community on a firm foundation, acting as religious leader, assisted by David Isaacs. He applied for crown grants of land for a cemetery and a synagogue, but was successful (1843) in the former application only. Hospitable and philanthropic, a supporter of worthy causes, Jewish and otherwise, Hort was elected an alderman in 1843 and became one of Wellington's leading citizens. He was among the founders of many organizations including the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. His daughter Margaret was the mother of Sir Francis Henry Dillon *Bell (1851–1936), who briefly served as New Zealand's prime minister in 1925.
bibliography:
Journal and Proceedings of the Australian Jewish Historical Society, 1 (1939–40), 53–55; 3 (1949–53), 334–50; L, M. Goldman, History of the Jews in New Zealand (1958), index. add. bibliography: S Levine, The New Zealand Jewish Community (1999), 22–23; idem., "Abraham Hort and His Family," in: idem. (ed.), A Standard for the People: The 150th Anniversary of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation, 1843–1993 (1993), 31–49.
[Maurice S. Pitt]