John & Pauline Gandel are leading members of the Jewish community of Melbourne, Australia and both are deeply involved in both business and community activities. They have four children, all of whom play a part in the family’s work, and 12 grandchildren.

The whole Gandel family is involved in the Gandel Charitable Trust, originally founded in 1978, which, together with the Gandel Foundation, is the main vehicle for the Gandel family philanthropy. All their married life, John and Pauline have worked together in the community and are known for their generosity and commitment to both Jewish and general causes.

John Gandel AO has been Chairman of the Gandel Group of Companies since 1983, Former Chairman, now a Director, of the Gandel Retail Trust and Chairman of Gandel Retail Management. Pauline Gandel is an active Director in the Gandel Group of Companies, which has interests in retail real estate, retirement villages, retailing and investment.

John Gandel, who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990 for services to business, commerce and industry, has also been actively involved, over many years, in a wide range of community affairs.

He was a Board Member of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation and has been a valued Board Member of many communal organisations both within and outside the Jewish Community. John Gandel has maintained an active role with The Jewish Museum of Australia since its inception. He was Chairman during the Museum’s most formative years from 1983 to 1993 and is currently Chairman of the Board of Governors.

As a patron, chairman and committee member of numerous fund-raising appeals, John Gandel has been instrumental in raising tens of millions of dollars for innumerable worthy causes. In Israel, where he has business interests, he is International Patron of the Computer For Every Child project and a major supporter of Keren Hayesod, Yad Vashem and Tel Aviv University.

Pauline Gandel is President of the Urasenke Tea School in Victoria and a Life Governor of Vision Australia Foundation (formerly the Association for the Blind). She is dedicated philanthropist and fundraiser for community and charitable causes in Australia and overseas.

Pauline’s major interest and consuming passion is her Collection of Japanese Lacquer, reputed to be the most important in Australia surpassing exhibits in our public institutions and on a par with the most important collections in the world. This private collection of lacquer objects, housed in a purpose-built space at the Gandel residence, Bedford, reflects the lifestyle of the Japanese aristocracy during the Edo period (1600-1868) although objects in the collection span the 14th to the 21st centuries.