Jewish Museum of Australia facts for kids
Jewish Museum of Australia
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Public transit access | Tram: 3, 67 Alma Rd/St Kilda Rd |
The Jewish Museum of Australia is a special place. It helps people learn about and share the Jewish experience in Australia. You can find it in St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne. It's different from the Sydney Jewish Museum.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Jewish Museum of Australia started in 1977. A group of volunteers, led by Rabbi Ronald Lubofski, created it. At first, the museum did not have its own building. So, they held exhibitions in other places. These included the Myer Gallery and the tramways Board building. During this time, the committee also began to collect items for the museum.
In 1982, the museum opened a temporary spot. It was in old classrooms of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in South Yarra. Sir Zelman Cowen supported the museum here. The museum stayed at this location for 13 years. They held over forty exhibitions during this time. Some of these shows even traveled around Australia. The museum gained more support from the community. It also won several important awards.
In 1992, the museum bought a building. It was on Alma Road in St Kilda. This new spot was close to the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation synagogue. The museum officially opened on August 20, 1995. The Governor-General, Bill Hayden, opened it. It was named the Gandel Centre of Judaica. This honored John and Pauline Gandel, who were big supporters.
What's in the Collection?
The museum has more than 20,000 objects. About 9,000 of these came from Rabbi Lubofski's first collection. The items show Jewish life and history. They include religious objects, historical pieces, and art.
The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Permanent shows are always there. Temporary ones change over time. There are several galleries. These include the Zelman Cowen Gallery of Australian Jewish History. Other galleries are the Gross Gallery and the Loti Smorgon Gallery.
Special Archives and Sub-collections
The museum also keeps many important archives. These are special collections of documents and items. Some of these include:
- The HMT Dunera and internment collection.
- The Kalman Katz Coin collection.
- The Schmatte Business Collection, about Jews in the clothing trade.
- Personal family archives. These show life in Europe and how people moved to Australia.
- The collection about Jews in Shanghai during World War II.
- The archives of Rabbi J L Gurewicz.
- The Charles Aisen Sculpture Collection.
- Photographs and records from the 1800s. They show Jewish lives in regional Victoria.
Permanent Exhibitions to Explore
The main parts of the Jewish Museum of Australia's collection are in four permanent exhibitions. These shows are always available for visitors.
Calling Australia Home – Zelman Cowen Gallery of Australian Jewish History
This exhibition is in the Zelman Cowen Gallery. It shares stories of many generations of Australian Jews. You can learn why Jews moved to Australia. It also shows the lives they built here. The exhibit explores what it means to be Jewish in Australia today.
Timeline of Jewish History
This exhibit is a timeline. It explores 4,000 years of important events in Jewish history. It uses images, text, and films. You can also see real objects and artwork by Heather Ellyard.
The Jewish Year
This exhibition celebrates the yearly cycle of Jewish festivals and holy days. These events create the rhythm of Jewish life. As the year moves in the exhibit, you see objects, text, and images. They help you understand the Jewish calendar. It also shows how Jewish festivals connect to farming in the Land of Israel.
Belief and Ritual
This exhibition looks at the basic ideas of Judaism. It shows the traditions and beliefs that have lasted for 4,000 years. These traditions continue to connect Jewish people around the world.
See also
- Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre
- Sydney Jewish Museum
- Australian Association for Jewish Studies
