THE JOE AND EVE MAJOR TRUST was established in May 1996, in response to the terms of Eve Major’s will, and made possible by her generous bequest. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRUST is to assist members of Temple Sinai, the Wellington Progressive Jewish Congregation, to undertake the tertiary education of their choice.

June 2008 Application Form
Applications must be received by Friday 27 June 2008. Click here for the current form. See bottom of page for contact details.

Major Trust Chairman's Report 2007 showing the range of qualifications pursued by applicants since the Trust was established. Click here (members only). If you are a member and have forgotten the password please contact the Temple Administrator: office@sinai.org.nz

The Trust Deed
The Joe and Eve major Trust Deed can be downloaded here for your perusal.

JOE AND EVE MAJOR
Joe and Eve Major were born in Hungary. They came to Wellington, New Zealand, in 1938, to escape Nazi persecution. Their interests were largely cultural and intellectual and they placed great value on education. When Temple Sinai was established in 1958, Joe and Eve were among its earliest, members. They were both regular attenders at Shabbat and Holy Day services, as well as social and educational functions. With no family in New Zealand and having no children, Joe and Eve regarded and valued the members of Temple Sinai as their family. Joe Major was a scientist and on his arrival in New Zealand found work at the DSIR where he did research and edited scientific publications. Eve Major began her working life as a seamstress and later worked in several government departments, progressing to a position of responsibility. Both Joe and Eve were proud of their Hungarian background and were active members of the Wellington Hungarian Club. Joe was an accomplished linguist, with a passion for Esperanto. He had a vision of a universal language as a foundation of universal peace. He and Eve travelled extensively, often to overseas conferences of Esperantists. Joe died in 1993 at the age of 92. Eve died the following year. We owe a debt of gratitude to Eve for her very generous bequest to Temple Sinai and for her provision for this tertiary education trust.