Dear Friend,

Welcome to the April 2024 newsletter.

Pesach (Passover) is fast approaching and so is the start of this year's March of the Living program.

One of the many names of Pesach is "Chag HaCheirut" - Festival of Freedom. This year, more than ever, as we celebrate Pesach with our family and friends we must think of all people around the world, experiencing injustice and cruelty and due to the loss of  their freedom are not able to  celebrate with their family and friends. This includes of course the 134 hostages still being held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas.

Let us all dedicate our thoughts and prayers this Passover to the immediate and safe release of these hostages and to the rapid end to the pain and suffering that all peoples of the world are enduring in areas of conflict and inhumanity.

May the words of Nobel Laureate and Holocaust Survivor, Elie Wiesel ring true for us all: "I love Passover because for me it is a cry against indifference, a cry for compassion".

We wish all our Jewish readers a Chag Pesach Sameach. Freedom and peace to all.

In this edition (if viewing this on a desktop, click on each heading to skip to that section):

• MOTL2024 Program Update
• Event recording: Jewish Pride in a Post-October 7th World with Ben Freeman
• Event recording: The Pianist of Willesden Lane– Lisa Jura's Story with Mona Golabek & Rebecca Keel
• Community events

• Articles of Interest

With the 2024 March of the Living program fast approaching  the excitement is palpable. 

The following article discussing Australia's 23  year participation in March of the Living and highlighting the eclectic mix of participants this year appeared recently in the International March of the Living newsletter:

Australian March of the Living Enters 23rd Year

A delegation of 30 adults, young adults and Holocaust survivors from Australia will be joining the 2024 March of the Living.

Since 2001, the first year Australia sent a delegation to the March, approximately 2,000 participants from Australia have taken part in the March. These include circa 1200 students; 450 adults; 300 staff – educators, survivors, madrichim, and 50 Young Adults.

In 2013, Australian philanthropist and Holocaust survivor, Frank Lowy, related his story to participants on the March of the Living, standing in front of a cattle car similar to the ones used to transport Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz- Birkenau including his father Hugo Lowy.

Later at the memorial ceremony he told the students: "So here I am, with you all in Birkenau. I know he was also here, under this same sky. Just like almost half a million Hungarian Jews, he came to this place in a wagon, and almost immediately after arriving, disappeared as smoke into this sky. I was 13 when I lost my father and now I am 82 – and you know, I still miss him…"

The Australian survivors joining the 2024 March are Peter Baruch and Judy Solomon.

Also joining the 2024 group are 5 Holocaust Studies teachers from a number of non-Jewish high schools and two former Australian Parliamentarians – one Jewish and one non-Jewish.

"1/3 of the Australian delegation will be non- Jewish," noted Cedric Geffen, Director of the Australian March of the Living.

"Last year, a Principal from a non-Jewish high school joined us who hopefully will reinforce the probability of us running a bespoke program for non-Jewish high school students in the future.

"The desire to grow the proportion of participants from the 'wider community' is a clear strategic objective of MOTL Australia and one which we are rigorously pursuing. Our intent is that by 2027 in addition to substantially growing our numbers, we will have 50:50 representation from the Jewish community and the wider non-Jewish community."

Prior to the March of the Living in Poland, there will be a special March in Budapest, Hungary, commemorating 80 years since the destruction of Hungarian Jewry in the spring of 1944, most of them in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Leading the program in Budapest will be celebrated Chazan, Cantor Shimon Farkas of Sydney, Australia who has attended the March previously with his sons.

"This year, I will travel to Budapest and Auschwitz with the 2024 March of the Living along with my two wonderful sons, wife and grandchildren,' said Shimon Farkas who was born in 1949 in Fehergyarmat, Hungary. Three of his four grandparents perished in Auschwitz.

"We will sing Jewish melodies in the very places where so many of our beloved ancestors – including three of my grandparents – were sent to their deaths 80 years ago.

And our message will be loud and clear: Hitler you did not win and you will never win! Am Yisrael Chai!"

Hershel was lifted in a chair and sang to on his 82nd birthday on the day they landed in Israel.

Survivor Hershel Greenblat participated in the 2023 Southern Region, USA delegation. He was born on 24 April, 1941 in Ukraine. Hershel's father's family was completely destroyed and most of his mother's family were killed but because of his parents' strong will he and his sister survived. 

His motivation in participating in the march is to help educate future Jewish generation of what happened in the darkest days of our history and let them know that they are our witnesses and our hope that they work to see that it never happens again. The Jewish people always have hope for a future with peace in the world. The fight against antisemitism is an ongoing battle that we must fight with all of our heart and soul. 

Hedy Bohm was born in Oradea, Transylvania in 1928, the only daughter of Ignatius and Ersbeth.  In April 1944, her family was sent to the Oradea Ghetto, and from there, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Hedy was subjected to forced labor in a munitions factory and was liberated by American forces in April 1945. With the help of the Jewish Agency in Prague she received an entry visa to Canada. Once  Hedy retired she began investing effort in Holocaust education, not only among Jews. 

Hedy joined the March of the Living as an educator. Her daughter has followed in her footsteps as a high school teacher and came to the March of the Living with her own students.

"This is my bunk in Birkenau. This is my first time coming back here again. This time well dressed and at an excellent weight!"

Nate was born in Chorzów, Poland in February 1928. In September 1939, at 11 years old his life turned upside down when the Nazis decided to render Chorzów "Judenrein", and he and his family were moved to the ghetto. From there, they were sent to Auschwitz. He was separated from his mother and sister. He survived Auschwitz-Birkenau, Fünfteichen, Gross Rosen, Flossenbürg, Leonberg, Mühldorf, Braunau and two other Dachau sub-camps. I survived the worst. Where was the world when millions of innocents were heinously murdered… 1.5 million children… where was God?!" 

Trauma and pain have been widespread since the horrific events of October 7th, join this session to discuss how we understand these feelings while also maintaining a strong sense of Jewish Pride and confidence in a time of rising and aggressive Jew-hate. 

Founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement, a leader, thinker, and educator, Ben M. Freeman is the author of the seminal Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People and its follow up, Reclaiming our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride. He is currently working on the finale of his Jewish Pride trilogy, The Jews: An Indigenous People. Educating, inspiring and empowering, his work focuses on Jewish identity and historical and contemporary Jew-hatred. A Holocaust scholar for over fifteen years, Ben came to prominence during the Corbyn Labour Jew-hate crisis in the UK and quickly became one of his generation's leading Jewish thinkers and voices against Jew-hate. Voted number 8 on the inaugural 25 Young ViZionaries list by the Jerusalem Post and JNF-USA. He is also a Jewish Diplomat for the World Jewish Congress, a Research Fellow for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism Policy and a columnist for The Jerusalem Post. 

March of the Living warmly invites you to a conversation with American concert pianist Mona Golabek, author and star of the internationally acclaimed: The Children of Willesden Lane. 

Mona Golabek is the daughter of Lisa Jura, a child piano prodigy born in Vienna, Austria, who came to England as a refugee in 1938 as part of the Kindertransport rescue operation. As she yearned to be reunited with her family while she lived in a home for refugee children on Willesden Lane, Lisa's music became a beacon of hope. Jura's memoir is of courage, survival, and the power of music to uplift the human spirit. 

Mona Golabek will share her mother's riveting true story of survival. The Pianist of Willesden Lane is infused with hope and invokes the life-affirming power of music. 

This year, the Commemoration is guided by the theme of "We Are Here" the last line of Zog nit keyn mol – the Partisan Song, written by Hirsh Glick.

We Are Here: the memory of those who perished, the legacy of those who survived, and the generations that have followed, who are the custodians of their stories.

The theme for this year's communal Yom Hashoah commemoration is "The Holocaust in Hungary". The commemoration will mark 80 years since the Nazi invasion of Hungary.

A moving segment will honour the lives and experiences of three Hungarian Holocaust survivors in their late nineties: Barbara Grunstein who survived Auschwitz, Gelsenkirchen and Bergen-Belsen; Joseph Symon who survived a labour battalion and fought in the underground resistance; Lilly Wolf who survived a death march and was saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

Jan Anger, son of Swedish diplomat and Righteous Among the Nations Per Anger will speak. Per Anger originated the idea of issuing Swedish documents to protect Hungarian Jews and worked closely with Raoul Wallenberg to save Jews in Budapest from deportation to death camps.

You are invited to attend the commemoration in person on Sunday 5 May at 6:45pm for a 7pm start at an Eastern Suburbs location (details provided one week prior). Free parking and convenient public transport options are available. Registration is essential via the link below.

The annual Memorial Service and Reading of Names will be held on Sunday 5 May at 10:30am at the Martyrs' Memorial, Rookwood Cemetery. Registration is essential via the link below.

Please join us for the Victorian Jewish community's official commemoration honouring Israel's fallen and victims of terror. Monday 13th of May from 7pm.

This is a free event - a suggested donation of $18 per person to help cover costs would be greatly appreciated.

Location will be advised via email after booking.

The Zionist Council extends a heartfelt invitation to you to join us at our annual Yom Hazikaron ceremony, where we will pay tribute to the memory of Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror—those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

We will also honour the memory of those who fell victim to the terror attacks of the October 7th massacre in Israel, where 1200 innocent people lost their lives and many were taken hostage.

It has never been more important to come together and demonstrate solidarity with Israel. Join us from 4pm on Yom Ha'aztmaut for music, entertainment, activities, food and fun for all.

This is a free event - a suggested donation of $18 per person to help cover costs would be greatly appreciated.

Location will be advised via email after booking.

Zionist Council of NSW invites our community to its annual Yom Ha'atzmaut festival, celebrating Israel's Independence Day!

As we commemorate the 76th anniversary of Israel's establishment as a State, we warmly invite you to join us in celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut. It's a time for our community to come together and rejoice in Israel's vibrant culture and remarkable achievements.

Join us for a day packed with activities, music, dance, and camaraderie, as we honour and celebrate Israel. Amidst the challenges our community has faced and the healing we continue to seek post the events of October 7th, this is a time for us to come together in celebration of our heritage and solidarity.

Those of you who accompanied me on March of the Living in 2017/2019/2023 will recall the unique experience of meeting and seeing the incredible work conducted by two very special members of the Jewish community in Warsaw and their amazing productions of original Judaica.

Below is an appeal I received from Alexandra and Helena to assist them in their endeavour to continue operating.

I hereby call on each of you who has shared the experience and appreciates what they have achieved as well as those of you who have as yet have not had the pleasure (click here to view their website), please read the Appeal and the link enclosed and find a way to assist these two incredible friends to preserve a very precious element of Jewish heritage in Poland today.

Cedric

Director – MOTL Australia

Despite extreme conditions we have decided not to end MI POLIN.
We have a rescue plan - a new location adjacent to the Warsaw Ghetto Wall in Warsaw. 
This is our only chance to keep MI POLIN running and to create a gallery for our mezuzah trace collection.

In addition to our own funds, we need an additional $5,000 to make this new step in new location. 
Cover the high costs of moving to Zlota 62 historical site, create a gallery about traces of the mezuzahs, purchase of exhibition displays / prints.

We would like to ask
- Would You support our plan? 
- Will it be possible to spread this information among the members of You community ?

- Every member of the group will receive a 10% off during visit in Poland

It is a very possible that we will meet in our new gallery at Złota 62 soon! 

Much thanks! With your support we will do well! 
Alexander and Helena

In the face of a frightening resurgence of antisemitism, especially in the Australia's Arts Community, it's imperative we encourage Jewish artists to speak up. Let's stand behind our Jewish artists and get together for a laugh at this new black comedy about being Jewish in Australia: Rootless Cosmopolitans.

Join the waitlist at www.monstroustheatre.com.au @monstroustheatre

Here is a selection of recent articles and videos from around the world, many of which we have shared across our social media over the past few weeks:

• Bringing the Hostages to Your Seder: Seder Supplement
• 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' premieres: 'In the worst of times there's always hope'
• Passover celebrants urged to set a seat for a hostage, use a Haggadah of hope

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