Inside the high-tech Holocaust survivor testimony exhibition Support the people of Israel this Yom Tov

UIA SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM

Since it opened 30 years ago, hundreds of thousands of people from different walks of life have come to the Sydney Jewish Museum. They have borne witness to the testimony of Holocaust survivors, and the many stories of courage, endurance and resilience they reveal.

The Museum’s latest immersive exhibition, Reverberations: A future for memory, shines a light on the humanity and experiences of 43 Holocaust survivors that have shared their stories at the museum in recent years. This is not an exhibition focussed on the events of the Holocaust. Rather, it’s about the people who experienced it and the painful decision they make each time they choose to relive their unimaginable loss for the betterment of humanity.

A high-tech, interactive experience

The exhibition takes you on a journey through a high-definition gallery of recorded footage, where you’ll encounter Holocaust survivors’ thought-provoking answers to questions like:

• Why do survivors choose to share their experiences?

• Is it difficult to talk about what happened to them?

• Can they forgive?

• Was there justice?

• What is the survivors’ responsibility to those who were murdered?

You’ll be able to immerse yourself in conversation with digitised versions of three Holocaust survivors, including the late Eddie Jaku, which use cuttingedge Artificial Intelligence technology to respond directly to any question asked.

You’ll leave having had a glimpse into how future generations will engage with Holocaust survivor testimony, namely when, sadly, there are no more survivors alive to tell their own stories.

“Our community of Holocaust survivors lives with the constant and everlasting trauma of what they went through,” says the exhibition’s Curator Shannon Biederman.

“Telling their stories to visitors, especially children, is often very painful, but survivors choose to endure this pain in the hope that listeners will learn lessons and stand up for peace, kindness and humanity.

“Reverberations showcases some of the innovations we are introducing at the museum to ensure that we can continue to impact future generations with real stories of Holocaust survivors.

“This exhibition will change the way that you think about history.”

The Museum at 148 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst is open every day except Saturday.

To purchase tickets to this remarkable exhibition, visit https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/tickets

Jews celebrate the festival of Pesach to commemorate the liberation of the children of Israel, as commanded by G-d in Exodus.

This year, as we sit down to enjoy our sedorim across the world with our family and friends, for many it will be their first Pesach in Israel as an Oleh Hadash (a new immigrant). When we reflect on the connection between Pesach and UIA, we think about returning to our homeland. This is the essence of UIA’s vital work.

In 2022 alone, UIA supported the aliyah of 75,000 olim from 93 countries. More than 45,000 of these came from Ukraine and Russia, as a result of the war. These are numbers that had not been budgeted for and exceeded expectations. Moving from the emergency rescue phase –which was much of the focus of 2022 – to the long-term integration phase, requires substantial funding to ensure the smooth absorption of these olim. By providing a multitude of absorption services, such as accommodation in absorption centres, Ulpan classes, professional fast tracking and more, UIA can ensure that these new olim become productive and valuable members of Israeli society.

Pesach teaches us not to take our freedom for granted. At this time, it is our mutual responsibility to think of our fellow

Jews. This Pesach, in lieu of gifts, UIA asks you to consider sending a UIA e-card to your family and friends to help support this national priority area and the focus of its 2023 campaign.

As we read in the Haggadah, “b’chol dor v’dor” – in every generation, evil rises up to harm us. This Pesach, each one of us can help support these new olim in their new home – the Promised Land, the State of Israel.

To send a UIA e-card, please visit https://donatenow.uiaaustralia.org.au/ecard or call the UIA office on 9361-4273.

RABBINIC THOUGHT

RABBI LEVI WOLFF CHIEF MINISTER THE CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

With Pesach coming up so soon, I have been thinking about the overarching theme of slavery to freedom and reflecting on the great blessing of the State of Israel. In 1947, David Ben-Gurion appeared before the United Nations Commission to argue for its creation. His remarks focused on the unrelenting drama of Jewish history, with Pesach (and all that it embodies) at its core.

He recounted that more than 300 years prior, a ship called the Mayflower came to the New World and landed at Plymouth Rock – certainly one of the most significant events in the history of England and America. He asked members of the Commission who boasted British heritage if they knew what date the Mayflower had set sail? He then asked their American counterparts if any of them were aware of the chainof-command on board? Did any know about food consumption?

Ben-Gurion paused, their blank looks revealing an inability to respond. He continued and explained that more than 3,300 hundred years ago, long before the Mayflower embarked, the Jews left Egypt. He highlighted that every Jew