Nathan Spielvogel


Nathan Frederick Spielvogel was an Australian author of Jewish origin, whose work has been compared to that of Judah Waten.

Early life

Spielvogel was born in Ballarat, Victoria, a son of Neuman Frederik and Hannah Spielvogel née Cohen . His father, generally called "Newman", was a tailor and pawnbroker, born in Kolomea, Galizia, Austria and his mother in Chodsiesen, Prussia. They married at Ballarat Synagogue on 25 December 1867.
Spielvogel was educated at Dana Street State School, Ballarat, and had his Bar Mitzvah at Ballarat Synagogue on 21 May 1887.

Career

His first published poem, "Mike Hardy's Fate" was published in the Ballarat Courier of 1894, and in 1898 The Bulletin began publishing his verses and stories under several noms de plume.
He taught in various Victorian rural schools, including Dimboola, Orbost Longwood, where a whispering campaign accused him of being German, Mitcham, Wangaratta, and back to his old school at Dana Street, Ballarat, retiring in 1939.
His Jewish identity was also part of his writing. In 1903, six years after the First Zionist Congress and the stirrings of Zionism, he published his ballad, The Wandering Jew in The Bulletin:
In 1904, he visited Egypt, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, writing of his experiences in A Gumsucker on the Tramp, "gumsucker" being a colloquialism for a country Victorian. The book sold 10,000 copies and encouraged him to write another book, The Cocky Farmer.
He contributed to The [Lone Hand (magazine)|The Lone Hand], The Bulletin, and Dimboola Banner as "Genung", "Eko", "Ato", "Ahaswar".

Personal life

He fell in love with a non-Jewish woman, but following his mother's wishes married Jessie Muriel Harris, daughter of Henry Harris at the Great Synagogue, Sydney on 6 September 1911.
On Thursdays he dined at Fasoli's restaurant with the writers and artists, E.J. Brady, Hal Gye, Louis Esson, C. J. Dennis and Norman Lindsay.

Family

Spielvogel had two brothers: Frederick Isaac Spielvogel and Solomon "Sol" Spielvogel
He had three sons with Harris, Laurie, Bill and Phil:
  • Newman Laurence Spielvogel known as Laurie, passed his qualifying examination at age nine, a record.
  • Lassalle Harris Spielvogel known as William?
  • Frederick Phillip Spielvogel known as Phillip.
All three married outside the Jewish faith and away from Ballarat.
His grandson Dennis Spielvogel, the youngest of three brothers, was a member of the Ballarat & District Genealogical Society and founding president of the Bungaree Historical Society.

Writings

Published works

Miscellaneous

  • The Wandering Jew, no doubt the source of his pseudonym "Ahaswar".
  • From around 1920 he wrote a monthly piece for the Victorian Teachers' Journal
  • A history of the Ballarat Hebrew congregation 1855–1928

Other interests

  • He was a keen chess player
  • He was intensely interested in the history of the Ballarat area, and longtime president of the Ballarat Historical Society.
  • After his retirement, he was heavily involved with the local museum.
  • He was both an intensely patriotic Australian and a committed Jew.