[3] At the behest of his mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Gutnick returned to Sydney in 1974 to serve as the rabbi of Strathfield and District Hebrew Congregation.

He received a commission to the rank of Captain in 1984 and subsequently served as Jewish Chaplain for 19 years, until reaching his retirement age from that position in 2003.

[11] In 2008 Gutnick officiated at the first Jewish wedding ever hosted by Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, when the federal member for Melbourne Ports Michael Danby married Amanda Mendes Da Costa.

[14] Gutnick has also served as president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australia[15][16] and in this role he took a stand against Jews using civil courts to settle their disputes.

[17] In 2021, the Australian Government honored Gutnick with the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) award, in recognition of his "significant service to the Jewish community".