Inscribed Tanakh given to Dr Kerryn Phelps AM
Object numberM2023/062
TitleInscribed Tanakh given to Dr Kerryn Phelps AM
DescriptionHebrew-English Tanakh with inscription and bookplate inside. This object was gifted to Dr Kerryn Phelps AM for her swearing in as the first female Jewish MP in November 2018.
In her first speech in Parliament as the Independent Member for Wentworth she stated; 'Extraordinary events, personal and political, have coalesced to bring me here to take my seat amongst you... I bring to this House a wealth of life experience as a doctor, a businesswoman, an author, a mother, a grandmother, a health advocate, and a marriage equality and social justice advocate. It is through this multifocal lens that I view the contribution I'm able to make in whatever time I might be granted in this role. I have a strong belief in the principle of secular government. That said, it is a great honour for me to know that I am the first woman of the Jewish faith to be elected to the Australian parliament. I am Jewish by choice, rather than by birth, having converted later in life, about 20 years ago. This was a very conscious decision, and I bring this spiritual framework to my personal and my professional life. It is also a great honour to know I am the first woman to be elected to represent Wentworth in its 117-year history.
While I stand here as an individual, I do not stand here alone. My journey to this place has come with the help of some amazing people. First, my family: my wife, Jackie Stricker-Phelps, as always, and quite literally, my other half- my partner in life, in love, in business, in parenting and in activism.'
Dr Kerryn is one of Australia's most recognised doctors and human rights advocates. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the Australian Medical Association and continued in representative roles as a City of Sydney Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayer of Sydney (2016-2017).
Kerryn and her wife Jackie met in 1997 and kept their relationship private. They married in a religious ceremony in New York City a year later. 'We couldn't get married anywhere else... I wanted to really make a statement to Jackie and to myself and to our family and friends that it was our intention to be together forever.'
Originally planning to go public regarding their relationship, they were 'outed' by Australian Sunday newspapers in 1998. Their relationship was continuously in the spotlight and subject to extensive negative public comment. On reflection, Kerryn states; 'We could have chosen to hide, to wait for it to blow over, but that is not in either of our DNAs. Instead, we resolutely began our long battle for marriage equality. We sacrificed our personal privacy and Jackie her teaching career. We became accidental activists.'
Kerryn and Jackie were actively involved in campaigning for adoption reform, becoming the first same sex non-kin couple to adopt a child in New South Wales. They were also key campaigners in Australian marriage equality reform in 2017. They continue to advocate for issues including climate change, COVID, domestic and family violence and the human rights of asylum seekers.
In her first speech in Parliament as the Independent Member for Wentworth she stated; 'Extraordinary events, personal and political, have coalesced to bring me here to take my seat amongst you... I bring to this House a wealth of life experience as a doctor, a businesswoman, an author, a mother, a grandmother, a health advocate, and a marriage equality and social justice advocate. It is through this multifocal lens that I view the contribution I'm able to make in whatever time I might be granted in this role. I have a strong belief in the principle of secular government. That said, it is a great honour for me to know that I am the first woman of the Jewish faith to be elected to the Australian parliament. I am Jewish by choice, rather than by birth, having converted later in life, about 20 years ago. This was a very conscious decision, and I bring this spiritual framework to my personal and my professional life. It is also a great honour to know I am the first woman to be elected to represent Wentworth in its 117-year history.
While I stand here as an individual, I do not stand here alone. My journey to this place has come with the help of some amazing people. First, my family: my wife, Jackie Stricker-Phelps, as always, and quite literally, my other half- my partner in life, in love, in business, in parenting and in activism.'
Dr Kerryn is one of Australia's most recognised doctors and human rights advocates. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the Australian Medical Association and continued in representative roles as a City of Sydney Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayer of Sydney (2016-2017).
Kerryn and her wife Jackie met in 1997 and kept their relationship private. They married in a religious ceremony in New York City a year later. 'We couldn't get married anywhere else... I wanted to really make a statement to Jackie and to myself and to our family and friends that it was our intention to be together forever.'
Originally planning to go public regarding their relationship, they were 'outed' by Australian Sunday newspapers in 1998. Their relationship was continuously in the spotlight and subject to extensive negative public comment. On reflection, Kerryn states; 'We could have chosen to hide, to wait for it to blow over, but that is not in either of our DNAs. Instead, we resolutely began our long battle for marriage equality. We sacrificed our personal privacy and Jackie her teaching career. We became accidental activists.'
Kerryn and Jackie were actively involved in campaigning for adoption reform, becoming the first same sex non-kin couple to adopt a child in New South Wales. They were also key campaigners in Australian marriage equality reform in 2017. They continue to advocate for issues including climate change, COVID, domestic and family violence and the human rights of asylum seekers.
Production date 2018
Production period21st Century
Object nameTanakh
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 155.00 mm
height: 235.00 mm
Language
- Hebrew
English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, donated by Dr Kerryn Phelps AM and Jackie Stricker-Phelps