1938

Two years after her father fled war-torn Poland in 1936, Zelda Feigen arrived in Australia in 1938 with her mother and four siblings. She was schooled at Bondi Beach Public School and recalls hanging out at the 'Jerusalem Steps' or 'little Jerusalem', the nicknames given to the stairs in front of the Bondi Pavilion.  

Zelda became a significant contributor to the Jewish and non-Jewish community in Bondi. She was president of the National Council of Jewish Women (NSW division), was a founding volunteer of Kosher Meals on Wheels, and president of Diamond Bay Bowling Club and Girl Guides.

Most notably, she helped found the Jewish Centre on Ageing in 1982. For more than 40 years, she has supported and enabled Jewish seniors to continue living independently at home and maintain their quality of life with dignity. After serving the maximum term as president, she became a life president in 2006.

Zelda was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for service to the Jewish community, particularly through the aged. She also received a hero plaque on the Bondi Promenade.