‘The great bridge-builder’, driven by social justice and Jewish values

Published: 7 February 2018

Last updated: 4 March 2024

“WHEN THE NEWS of his death spread on social media, the shock and grief spread across our movement in a way I have not seen before” - Sally McManus, Secretary of the ACTU, at Andrew Casey’s funeral. McManus's words echoed the feelings of a large group of colleagues and friends from the worlds of journalism, unionism, and the Hungarian and Jewish communities who gathered at Macquarie Park cemetery on Tuesday to farewell a man whose life and work bridged many spheres of society. But above all, Andrew was driven by his two relentless passions, said his friend and union colleague, Uri Windt. “Social Justice and Jewish values. To him they were one and the same: fairness, humanity, and kindness matched by friendships and inclusiveness.” Andrew pursued these passions with a networking zeal that few could equal. “He was linked In before Linked-In was invented. No wonder Facebook was his second home,” Windt added, drawing laughs of acknowledgement. Born in Budapest, the elder son of Holocaust survivors, Andrew’s family moved to Sydney in the 1950s. Andrew was politically engaged very early in his life, his brother John observed. “When Hungarian families gathered on the weekends, the other kids played in the back yard, but he was inside arguing politics with the grownups. “While we were in high school obsessed with sport, sexuality and TV, he was organising protests against the Vietnam War or for Aboriginal Land Rights.” After working at the Sydney Morning Herald in the education and industrial relations rounds in the 1980s, Andrew went on to a long and varied career within the union movement. “He was the first media officer at the ACTU and he worked for many diverse unions, which at the time was very unusual, as his position involved a high level of trust: Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, United Voice and the Australian Workers Union. And of course, he was always an active member of his own union, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance,” said McManus. “Andrew embodied what we all love about our movement - what it is to be a comrade. To care about the greater good of the movement, to lift everyone up, to be generous and to show solidarity. In his actions and his words (except for the gossip) he taught generations of unionists what it is to be a comrade.” Andrew is survived by his brother John, and his children Daniel and Hannah, and their families READ EULOGIES Eulogy by John Casey Eulogy by Sally McManus Eulogy by Uri Windt Eulogies by Hannah and Daniel Casey Eulogy by Michael Easson Vale Andrew Casey

Follow us and continue the conversation

Your saved articles

What are you looking for?

Power Jewish Journalism
When It Matters Most

The Jewish Independent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and strive to honour their rich history of storytelling in our work and mission.

Enter site

‘The great bridge-builder’, driven by social justice and Jewish values

Robert Manne on Israel, occupation and a moral catastrophe

Facing terror and keeping our heads

How could it happen here?

You might also like

Todd Greenberg returns to his first love to run Australian cricket

Ashley Browne 1

No longer cursed but not quite the revolution we planned

Viva Hammer 4

Miscarriage, menopause, gender transition: mikvah reinvented

Roz Bellamy

About the author

Michael Visontay

Sydney Jewish Museum to build new cultural centre in major expansion

PM pledges extra funds to Jewish museum to educate against antisemitism

The Jewish museum in Italy founded and run by non-Jews

Gaza war lands direct hit on Australian Jewish schools

Power Jewish JournalismWhen It Matters Most

The Jewish Independent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and strive to honour their rich history of storytelling in our work and mission.

Enter site

‘The great bridge-builder’, driven by social justice and Jewish values

You might also like

Todd Greenberg returns to his first love to run Australian cricket

Ashley Browne 1

No longer cursed but not quite the revolution we planned

Viva Hammer 4

Miscarriage, menopause, gender transition: mikvah reinvented

Roz Bellamy

About the author

Michael Visontay

Sydney Jewish Museum to build new cultural centre in major expansion

PM pledges extra funds to Jewish museum to educate against antisemitism

The Jewish museum in Italy founded and run by non-Jews

Gaza war lands direct hit on Australian Jewish schools

Power Jewish Journalism
When It Matters Most