Blog
World Refugee Day: Bridging the gap
June 20, 2018
World Refugee Day: Bridging the gap Today is World Refugee Day: an annual global day of commemoration and a vehicle through which to raise awareness about issues affecting refugees. It …
Holocaust survivor awarded Order of Australia Medal
June 19, 2018
Holocaust survivor awarded Order of Australia Medal The Sydney Jewish Museum is proud to announce that Holocaust survivor Yvonne Engelman, long-serving volunteer at the Sydney Jewish Museum since its inception …
Survivor Portraits – Tom Fleming
May 25, 2018
Tom Fleming was born in 1938 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. He was six years old when he was imprisoned in the Theresienstadt ghetto.
A Profile of Eleanor Roosevelt
May 18, 2018
A Profile of Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt – wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt – was an outspoken public figure in her own right. Fiercely independent, she was an author, …
A rare coincidence – Shavuot
May 17, 2018
A rare coincidence – Shavuot Did you know that Shavuot is the only biblical festival that does not have a specific date prescribed in the Torah? Instead, the Torah merely …
Justice in Australia – A special visitor
May 15, 2018
Justice in Australia – A special visitor Recently, a visitor to the Sydney Jewish Museum revealed that he had worked as a Senior Investigator for the Special Investigations Unit of …
Did You Know: The Polish Catholic midwife of Auschwitz
May 7, 2018
Did You Know: The Polish Catholic midwife of Auschwitz Did You Know? Polish Catholic midwife Stanisława Leszczyńska delivered 3,000 babies in Auschwitz from 1940-1945. Stanisława Leszczyńska was born in Lodz, …
“It’s just what is in your heart”
May 7, 2018
“It’s just what is in your heart” Recently, a visitor to the Museum reminded us, and Holocaust survivor Olga Horak, of the importance of sharing poignant stories of suffering and …
Survivor Portraits – Francine Lazarus
April 30, 2018
Francine Lazarus was born in 1938 in Ixelles, Belgium. She was two years old when the Nazis invaded Belgium.
On the Ship that Launched a Nation
April 26, 2018
On the Ship that Launched a Nation When our curators delved into the Museum archive to select some of the most intriguing, unexpected objects in the collection for our current …
Yom HaShoah – We Remember
April 13, 2018
Yom HaShoah – We Remember This week, we commemorated Yom HaShoah and remember the victims of the Holocaust. Every day the education team at the Sydney Jewish Museum facilitates conversations …
Toilet humour
April 12, 2018
Toilet humour Hitler’s black ‘toothbrush’ moustache is an easily identifiable feature of this dictator’s face. Numerous cartoonists satirise his distinctive features. David Low, a prominent New Zealand political cartoonist and …
Survivor Portraits – Egon Sonnenschein
March 29, 2018
Egon Sonnenschein was born in 1930 in Ptuj, Yugoslavia. Egon was ten years old when Germany attacked Yugoslavia in April 1941.
Judaica with an Australian twist is rare to come by
March 20, 2018
Judaica with an Australian twist is rare to come by With Pesach around the corner, the Sydney Jewish Museum is excited to have acquired a rare and possibly unique item …
Ruby Rich, a pioneering Jewish feminist
March 8, 2018
Ruby Rich, a pioneering Jewish feminist To celebrate International Women’s Day, we are celebrating a Jewish feminist who was active decades before Australia’s Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and …
Survivor Portraits – Helena (Lena) Goldstein
March 1, 2018
Helena (Lena) Goldstein was born in 1919 in Lublin, Poland. She was moved to the Warsaw ghetto, from which she eventually escaped.
The modern day Haman and an ironic remnant
February 26, 2018
The modern day Haman and an ironic remnant Visitors to the Museum may notice a damaged scroll in a cabinet next to our Kristallnacht display. What might the relationship be …
“Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration.”
February 21, 2018
“Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration.” “Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration. The realisation that the flagrant violation of human rights by Nazi and Fascist countries …
Survivor Portraits – George Grojnowski
January 29, 2018
George Grojnowski was born in Radziejow, Poland, in 1927, and was incarcerated in Radziejow Ghetto, Czestochowa Ghetto, Rakow Labour Camp and Buchenwald during the course of WWII.
A Tribute to Mala Sonnabend
January 25, 2018
A Tribute to Mala Sonnabend This weekend we commemorate the UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Liberation of Auschwitz. To remember Holocaust survivor Mala Sonnabend, who was liberated from …
Material evidence
January 16, 2018
Material evidence Last month, Dr Sofia Pantouvaki, Professor of Costume Design, Aalto University, Helsinki visited the Sydney Jewish Museum. She met with survivors and viewed our collection of concentration camp …
The sinister banknote
December 7, 2017
The sinister banknote Education Officer and Currency Aficionado, Simon Holloway, lets you in on some facts about one of the world’s lesser known, and incredibly short-lived, currencies. Focusing on the …
Tracing the roots of Greek Jewry
November 28, 2017
Tracing the roots of Greek Jewry Our current Temporary Exhibition, The Jews of Greece, tells the rich and little-known story of Greek Jewry through photography and documentary film. Here is …
“…no trace of Rudi”
November 27, 2017
“…no trace of Rudi” Every object tells a different story. Recently the Museum accessioned a diary which was penned by Holocaust survivor Elisabeth Epstein (nee Steiner). Those who knew her …
Celebrating 25 years
November 21, 2017
Celebrating 25 years Saturday 18 November marked the Sydney Jewish Museum’s momentous 25th birthday. Moving into our 26th year, we are taking some time to reflect upon the formative years …
Greetings for a sweet New Year
September 11, 2017
Greetings for a sweet New Year The exchanging of Jewish New Year greetings goes back centuries. With the industrial revolution printing became inexpensive and entrepreneurs began selling cards printed specifically …
Holocaust survivor, society darling and acclaimed portrait artist
August 8, 2017
Holocaust survivor, society darling and acclaimed portrait artist ‘’I always say God paints the last brushstroke on my portraits, because I leave them to mature for a few weeks after …
Save our history
July 13, 2017
Save our history When the Museum opened nearly 25 years ago, the Holocaust Survivors initiated a collection of Holocaust related material by donating precious objects and images. These personal belongings …
‘You have nothing to lose but your cultural cringe’
February 20, 2017
‘You have nothing to lose but your cultural cringe’ The Museum has recently acquired the first ever issue of POL, a cutting edge magazine which expressed the preoccupations of a …
A pair of pants from Auschwitz
February 9, 2017
A pair of pants from Auschwitz “It is amazing what treasures can be found sitting in the back shed or the garage*. Today we received an extraordinary donation of an …
I need a hero…
January 10, 2017
“If a person destroys one life, it is as if they have destroyed the entire world. And if a person saves one life, it is as if they have saved …
What a lot of nonsense
December 21, 2016
What a lot of nonsense Speakers of Yiddish will be well familiar with the term bobba mayseh. Often mistranslated as “an old wife’s tale” (from bobba = “grandmother” and mayseh …
Graphic Art and the Struggle to Represent the Holocaust
December 6, 2016
Graphic Art and the Struggle to Represent the Holocaust One of the most rewarding experiences for members of the education department is the opportunity to work closely with teachers in …
The art of interpretation
December 2, 2016
The art of interpretation For this year’s Design Thinking day, the Museum commissioned Year 10 students from the Wenona School to create a graphic novel strip based on the testimony …
‘Jewish Wizards’ and where to find them
November 29, 2016
‘Jewish Wizards’ and where to find them Throughout pre-modern history, death was a familiar visitor in the home. Even as late as the 18th century, poorer families in Europe could …
The League of Nations
November 21, 2016
The League of Nations The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, and at the SJM it has taken a league of nations to build our …
Still too busy to blog…
November 10, 2016
Still too busy to blog… It’s not unusual these days to see our curators caked in dust, ferrying wads of paper around and consulting with construction workers. In lieu of a …
Vale Edith Szanto
November 1, 2016
Vale Edith Szanto I met Edith more than ten years ago one Sunday morning in shopping centre of all places. There she was, sitting next to me as I had …
Inside the autograph book
October 13, 2016
Inside the autograph book The autograph book above was donated to the museum by Yola Schneider (nee Rawdin). It was presented to her new, at the school she attended …
A timeless tale of Viennese Cuisine
October 5, 2016
A timeless tale of Viennese Cuisine As a rule, the Sydney Jewish Museum Curators are discerning about books accessioned into the collection. Most donated texts are redirected to the library, …
Museum Expansion Project
We are embarking on a Museum Expansion Project.
Our exhibitions are closed to the public and will reopen in late 2026.
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