7 June 2007 – 29 February 2008

Butterflies of Hope is a very special exhibition designed to raise awareness of the plight of children trapped in war.  Developed for children 10+ and their families, the exhibition introduces the Holocaust from a Child Survivor's perspective.  The experiences of Sydney-based Child Holocaust Survivors will be highlighted, along with original objects and photographs.  Notably, original children’s drawings and a toy butterfly from the Terezin ghetto have been loaned from the Terezin Memorial Museum for the exhibition.A photographic exhibition of children caught up in recent genocides will also feature in the exhibition.  Children are invited to inscribe a message of hope for children affected by such atrocities, and place it within the exhibition in support of the right of every child to live in peace.  

EVENT SPONSOR: http://www.landers.com.au

EXHIBITION SPONSOR In gratitude to the late Esta Blashild for her foresight in enabling the exhibition to proceed. 

BEN’S LENS

A Photographic   Retrospective by Ben Apfelbaum.

 For the past several decades, Ben Apfelbaum has photographed the Sydney Jewish community in his spare time, both for his own documentation and as the honorary photographer of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.  He has tried to photograph as many aspects of communal life as possible, amassing an extraordinary collection of images as a witness to the vibrancy of the community. Ben’s Lens follows the Jewish calendar of religious festivals, life-cycle ceremonies, carnivals, demonstrations and commemorations, documenting secular and religious Jewish life and culture. Apfelbaum focuses on the way the community celebrates and commemorates, both privately and publicly, documenting the pride and social consciousness of the community, in a uniquely Sydney context.  The visual record of these ancient customs and traditions testify to the continuity of Jewish life in a dynamic multicultural society that is characteristic of contemporary Australian life.

         

         

A Sydney Writers' Festival event at the Sydney Jewish Museum

May 25, 2006

Books can be entertaining, insightful and at their best, life changing. But are there some books that just should not be read? Are they indeed dangerous? Books like Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, have spawned some of the most evil Books can be entertaining, insightful and at their best, life changing. But are there some regimes the world has known. Yet should we limit our access to these ideas? The intrinsic virtues of free speech are often touted throughout the West, however in countries such as Australia Anti Racial Vilification Legislation limits what can and cannot be said in public forums. What can or should be the role of the media in these kinds of debates? A free press is one of the basic tenets of a democratic society, but are there times when this freedom is taken too far? Does the press have a social responsibility and if so, what is it? Come and hear Professor Konrad Kwiet discuss these issues with editors and journalists from major Sydney newspapers and view selected rare books and artifacts from Professor Kwiet’s private collection.

August 6, 2006

Green Park (next to the Museum) will be transformed into a field of Butterflies to honour the 1.5 million Jewish children who were murdered in the Holocaust. On each Butterfly there will be a message of hope, signifying a message of solidarity to the millions of children who are currently experiencing the terrible effects of armed conflict. A highlight of this event will be The Australian Youth Choir singing in both Hebrew and English. Butterflies are now available by contacting the Sydney Jewish Museum on 9360 7999 and will also be available on the day.

‘Butterflies of Hope’ takes its name and inspiration from the poem, ‘The Butterfly’ written by Pavel Friedmann who was deported to Terezin on 26 April 1942. He was later transported to Auschwitz where he perished. 

The year 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the end of WW11 and the liberation of predominantly Jewish Survivors from the concentration and death camps in Europe. Australia accepted the highest number of post war Jewish Survivor immigrants per capita, outside of Israel. 2005 is a year we will be recognising the Australians who came to the aid of these refugee immigrants, commemorating those who perished in the Holocaust, paying tribute to those who survived, and celebrating the freedoms we enjoy in Australia.

A new temporary exhibition on the history and experience of Jews in Hungary from the Emancipation of 1867 until 1945. The exhibition will focus on Hungarian speaking survivors including those who fled to the "so-called" safety of Hungary and were caught up in the deportation and murder of Hungarian Jewry. The Hungarian Jewish Community was the last national Jewish Community to be destroyed. The violent and swift destruction of the Community occurred even after it became clear that Germany had lost the War.

MAN OF THE CENTURY

Albert Einstein: Man of the Century was on display at the Sydney Jewish Museum from September 2000 until January 2001 as part of an international tour. The exhibition was developed by the Albert Einstein Archives and Jewish National and University Library at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH

Master of the Battlefield: General Sir John Monash was a very inspiring exhibition, recalling the Commander of Australian Forces during WW1, which came to the Museum from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra from July until September 2000. It was opened by General Peter Cosgrove before a very large and receptive audience.