COA Presidents
COA Presidents
Connections
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Dr Ivan Davies 1983-1984
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Aaron Aaron OBE 1984 – 1987
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Frank Schaffer 1987 – 1989
Frank and his wife Rosalie were both stalwart volunteers for COA delivering meals and working on major events. Frank was part of some of COA’s most inventive initiatives to raise funds, and served our community with dignity.
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Myer Kangan AO OBE 1989 – 1991
Myer was the original founder of COA. He retired from a distinguished role as an administrator in the Department of Education, and was the person who originated the idea of TAFE colleges, for which he was honoured by the Commonwealth. He started COA as he was a fully kosher bachelor who was finding it harder to make food on his own at home, thus birthing COA’s signature service to our community as Sydney’s only providers of kosher meals-on-wheels.
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Mark Braham 1991 – 1995
Mark was both well known and well respected in the Sydney Jewish community as a teacher and administrator at Moriah College. At retirement he joined the ranks of COA volunteers, and was encouraged onto the Management Committee in short order. When a piece of land in Glenayr Avenue Bondi was donated to COA, Mark was responsible for the sale of that land by COA to Moriah College for the princely sum of $1, on which they site Moriah setup their first Pre-School.
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Professor Sol Encel 1995-1998
A noted Australian academic, Sol lectured at universities on Sociology and Political Science, as well as publishing two books on Australian society and leadership. Sol worked hard to create an umbrella organisation to oversee the services provided by our community groups to the aged. He led the COA with compassion and wisdom.
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Zelda Feigen OAM 1998 – 2001 & 2005 – 2006
Zelda and her husband Denis were involved in the forming of COA with Myer Kangan, she once said it was created at her kitchen table. She was committed to the ideals COA stove for, keeping seniors independent and living in their own homes for as long as practical. Zelda earned her OAM for her exemplary work with COA. She was such a great supporter of the organisation and its principles that the Management chose to retain her after 2006 in the role of Life President until her recent move to the Monefiore in Randwick.
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Simon Sekel 2001 – 2002
Simon founded the first alternative health shop in Bondi Junction selling vitamins and natural cures. After retirement he and his wife Rae became involved with COA as volunteers. Simon soon joined the Committee of management and brought all his business acumen to bear for COA increasing our reach to new financial supporters and streamlining our finances.
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Philip Frankel 2002 – 2005
Philip was a very down to earth Aussie boy, who had the knack of seeing what may be needed to help COA move forward, and actioned it himself if no other means presented itself. Philip and his wife Nora designed, created and donated the COA “Tree of Life” as a means for COA members and donors to publicly and permanently celebrate their personal milestones and simcha’s buy buying an engraved leaf to hang on the tree.
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Dr David Rosenwax AM 2006 – 2009 & 2017 – 2018
David was a dentist, but more than that he was the person who first championed the use of dental implants in Australia. For this reason he became the expert in this dental technique, lecturing on it well past his retirement. David was a community spirited man, interested in the maintaining of critical thinking and intellectual stimulation in seniors. In the last few years David has been instrumental in bringing the Eastern Suburbs branch of U3A into the COA Centre weekly program as our Friday activity, delivered at low cost for COA members.
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Russell Stern 2009 – 2012
Russell was a very clear minded, practical man who saw solutions where others saw problems. He brought this skill to his tenure as President, helping reformat certain areas of the Management Committee’s work and bringing a sense of order and clarity to the daily work of COA. He made great inroads with funding bodies and impressed other organisations in the community to partner with COA on projects and services.
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George Freund 2012 – 2017
George is a man who knows how to build community. Of Hungarian origin he came to Sydney in his teens, joining Jewish youth groups, making connections and keeping them through the founding of the Tziona social group which still exists today. His father Leslie Freund was a dedicated volunteer at COA organising the lectures which were held each week in the first two decades of COA. George was so impressed with the organisation that he promised himself he would join as soon as he retired, which is exactly what he did. George proved so popular as President that COA took a special vote to change the maximum length of a President’s term from three years to five years in our constitution.
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Justice Francis Marks 2018 – 2022
Frank Marks was a successful High Court Judge and helped formulate ICAC to chase corruption in high places. He came to COA several years prior to his joining the Management Committee. He was asked to step into the Presidents role by members of the committee and held it during the dreaded COVID years, before resigning during hos fourth year in the role.
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Ilona Lee AM 2022 – 2023
Ilona is a very community spirited individual, involved in committees at the Jewish Board of Deputies and other community organisations, as well as being the General Manager of publishing group Plus61J. She orchestrated the movement of COA’s long running Club COA day program to Burger Centre allowing COA to concentrate on the needs of low care seniors for social connection, skills acquisition, and intellectual stimulation at the COA Centre.
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Allen Rosenberg 2023
Allen and his brother Morris have been a dedicated COA member for many years. Both have a passion for bridge and community. Allen is a skilled project manager and has worked in the IT industry for most of his professional life. He brings a host of skills and great ideas for COA;s future direction to the role.