From: Jewish Herald VIC,
Friday 24 January 1908, page 10
Mark Lewis was born in 1874 in Filipow, Poland, Russia. He was the son of Hirsch SHEDLOWSKI (Szydlowski) and Bailah GILLOND. Mark must have assumed the name of LEWIS when he came to Australia. On 17 Jun 1903 Mark Lewis married Ada BOOK (daughter of Aaron BOOK and Elizabeth COCKRAM) at the Synagogue, Bourke St, Melbourne Victoria.
The couple had twin sons born in Mt Magnet WA in 1904. They were Norman Ephraim Lewis and Rupert Joseph Lewis. The mortality rate for twins in the Goldfields at this time was very high, but it seems that both babies survived. However, Rupert (first born twin) was to die aged 11mths in Mt Magnet. Sadly Ada also died very young at the age of 35yrs in 1910 and is buried in the Jewish Section of the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth WA.
The following year Mark re-married to Hettie CAHN and they had one child, a daughter, Melva Esther Lewis born on 3rd April 1912. Hettie was also to die quite young at the age of 47yrs on 3 May 1922 and is also buried in the Jewish Section of the Karrakatta Cemetery Perth.
Westralian Judean Perth – 1 July 1930, page 11
Celebrity Column (Each month the ‘Judean’ will feature a Special Article dealing with those men whose work has been of outstanding importance to the communal welfare.)
MR. MARK LEWIS.
The tenth man to hold the honoured and important position of President of the Perth Hebrew Congregation was Mr. Mark Lewis, who was elected to the post in 1927 and 1928. Prior to that, Mr. Lewis had served as a member of the Board of Management. and later as Treasurer, and had proved himself a keen and sincere worker for the communal weal. During Mr. Lewis’ regime as President, and under his guidance, alterations were made to the Synagogue which has beautified it almost out of recognition, and brought it to a size compatible with the dimensions of the community. Few people know of the enormous time and interest Mr. Lewis devoted to this glorification of the House of God.
For months he visited the Synagogue every day in his labour of love, sparing no effort to ensure the successful completion of the work Typical also is Mr Lewis association with the Jewish Tennis Club of which he is at present a vice-president. The two extra courts which were laid down at the foot of the grounds were built under the entire supervision of Mr Lewis and at a considerable saving of expense to the Club, indeed, without his co operation their construction would have been an impossibility
Mr. Lewis experience of public life dated back some years earlier to his association with Perth Jewry. In 1902 he was elected to the Municipal Council at Mt Magnet shifting to Day Dawn, which at that time was a flourishing mining town, he was elected Mayor in 1908 holding that office till he left the Goldfields. In all his activities Mr. Lewis has proved himself a practical man, no dreamer of idle fantasies He has been engaged in primary and secondary industries in the State a man of action and a builder
Murchison Times and Day Dawn Gazette Tuesday 22 August 1911, page 4
Matrimonial – MR MARK LEWIS RE-MARRIED.
The marriage of Mr. Mark Lewis, of “Riverview,” Cannington, Perth, and formerly Mayor of Day Dawn, to Miss Hettie Hedwig CAHN, only daughter of Mrs. J. Cahn and the late Benjamin Cahn, of Beechworth VIC, was celebrated at the East Melbourne Synagogue by the Rev. J. Lanzer, on Tuesday, July 11. The bride was given away by her brother, Mr. Chas. Cahn. She wore a beautiful gown of white crepe de chine over satin charmeuse, a short train festooned and embroidered with roses and orange blossom, falling from her shoulders, a shower bouquet of white camellias and roses intermingled with maiden-hair fern, made an effective finish.
Mark then married for the third and final time to Leah Rose ROTENBERG in Perth WA in 1923, the couple had no children. Mark himself died on the 8 Jul 1940 aged 66yrs and is also interred in the Jewish section of Karrakatta Cemetery.
Cue-Big Bell Chronicle and Reedy Recorder 19 July 1940, page 4
OBITUARY
The Late Mr. Mark Lewis
DAY DAWN
The funeral took place in the Jewish cemetery, Karrakatta, on Tuesday, July 9, of the late Mr. Mark Lewis, of 28 Melrose Crescent. Mt Lawley, and managing director of Apex Ltd, Manufacturers of Perth. In the presence of a large gathering, the Rev L Rubin-Zacks conducted the burial service. A resident of Western Australia for 45yrs the late Mr. Lewis spent many years on the Goldfields and was for some time the Mayor of Day Dawn. Some years ago he held the position of President of the Perth Hebrew Congregation for two years. he is survived by a widow, two sons, and a daughter. The chief mourners were Mr. Norman Lewis (son) and Mr. A H Kahn (Brother in law).
Moya Sharp
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