Benjamin Miller Print
Written by Gil Miller   
Sunday, 05 April 2009 13:39

Benjamin Miller was born on the 5th of March 1909 in Bialystok, Poland. He was the youngest of five children, three brothers Herschel, Yaakov and Avraham and a sister, Sonia. His parents, Freda and Itzhak Mlynarzewicz, were traditional, orthodox Jews.


Benjamin left Poland in 1932 as a tourist to Palestine on a one-way ticket never intending to return. Like so many others, most of his family perished in the holocaust.

In his early years in Palestine he joined the Hagannah. Then, during the War, he served in the British Army in North Africa and Italy. At the end of the War, he returned to Palestine and, as a lieutenant in the Israeli army, he served in the War of Independence in 1948 and in the Sinai Campaign in 1956.

In 1942 he married Tamar who was his wife for more than 60 years and in 1950 their first child was born, their daughter Judith; the second in 1952 was their son Gil.

Benjamin spoke six languages fluently; English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, Russian and Italian. He appreciated all the fine arts and his time in Italy during the War sparked his creative passion that influenced his artistic talents and made him an avid artist in his spare time.

As a pioneer of the newly founded State of Israel, Benjamin was involved in the setting up of various trade exhibitions in Israel and abroad. His artistic flair was well suited to this type of work. Later he went into the building trade which experience was to also serve him well in Australia.

With a large family of Mlynarzewicz descendents in Melbourne, he was persuaded by the family to join them in Australia. This decision, based on an opportunity for a better future for their children, has been justified many fold by his children, grand children and great-grandchildren.

Although only becoming a father in later years, Benjamin was always there for his children well beyond the time that they were dependent on him. To his grandchildren he was a living history of an unimaginable past - his memories and knowledge serving to inspire.

Benjamin passed away peacefully on 22nd of June 2002.

Over the years, many of the original family in Australia passed away. He was the last of his generation.

Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2009 06:03