Premier Minns Visits Sydney Jewish Museum Redevelopment Site

NSW Premier The Hon Chris Minns MP visited the Sydney Jewish Museum (SJM) today to view the progress of its large-scale redevelopment and hear plans for the expansion of its programs. The NSW Government is a major partner in supporting the expansion, committing $8.5 million.

The Premier was given a ‘hard-hat tour’ of the building site, spoke with Holocaust survivors and met with students from a Sydney public school who were at the Museum for a Holocaust education program.

He toured where the new state-of-the-art learning studios and students’ entrance will be – crucial to the Museum’s expanding its programs and educational reach to 55,000 primary and secondary school students a year.

He was welcomed by SJM president Greg Shand AM and CEO Kevin Sumption PSM who expressed the Museum’s gratitude for the NSW Government’s funding for the project and for the Premier’s continuing support of the Museum’s educational aims by extending its curriculum-specific programs in areas where the Museum has proven expertise. The SJM currently delivers programs to more than 90% of NSW High Schools, all with the aim to teach empathy, tolerance and increase social cohesion through Holocaust education.

“More than ever, there is a need for our Museum to expand its impact through an enlarged, state-of-the-art facility offering a broader range of exhibits and programs to appeal to a wider range of audiences. This is very much the focus for the museum leadership and team.” said Greg Shand.

Premier Minns visited the SJM as a 13-year-old student with Marist College, Kogarah, and said it had a lasting impact on him. “At a time when community harmony is under threat, the need to live the values of tolerance and understanding – and to challenge hatred – is more pressing than ever.”

The Premier met and spoke with Holocaust survivors Ernie Friedlander OAM, Mimi Wise, Paul Drexler and Lucy Chladek and toured the building works with President Shand and team leaders from construction company, Lipman. He later spoke with students from Gymea Technology High School and observed how they use digital, AI-powered interacting survivor testimonies in the classroom.

Premier Minns said: “The Museum’s expansion is an outstanding project that we should be proud of and I look forward very much to seeing it when it opens.”

The Museum’s expansion will double its space for exhibitions, learning programs and events, creating a space not only to preserve Holocaust memory but also to explore Jewish life and culture in contemporary Australia. With an expanded range of school syllabus-based education programs, state-of-the-art displays, new permanent and feature exhibitions, the expanded museum is expected to attract over 100,000 guests annually by 2032.