Sydney Jewish Museum

Name: Sydney Jewish Museum
Address: 148 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, AU
Telephone: +61293607999
Price range: $
Rating: 4.8

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Darlinghurst, NSW
Sydney Jewish Museum

Open for school excursions. Reopening to general public in 2027 with new exhibitions.
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The Sydney Jewish Museum challenges perceptions of democracy, morality, social justice and human rights and places the Holocaust in an historical and contemporary context.

29/08/2026

Hear first-hand stories of resilience in our Survivor Sunday series.
In this interview from 1991, we hear Susan Karas’ memories of her early life in Czechoslovakia and how everything changed after the annexation by Germany. Despite the implementation of the Nuremberg laws in the country, Susan and her fiancé got married and - despite the rules and restrictions imposed on Jewish people - managed to have their honeymoon in the capital city, Bratislava. Here they met with a relative who revealed terrible news to the newlyweds.
Every week, we share stories of survival and resilience. Come back next Sunday to hear the more from Susan on .
Read more at sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/survivors

24/08/2026

Recently, Holocaust Survivor and Sydney Jewish Museum volunteer Mark Spigelman was interviewed by ABC News in a beautiful article by Isabella Ross.

Mark was born in Poland in 1940. As a child, he was instructed to only speak German and was forced to appear as a girl in public. “The Jewish faith requires that all baby boys be circumcised, so when the Germans were hunting for Jews, the first thing they would do was pull down the pants of young boys,"" he said. ""That is why I spent most of the war years dressed as a girl.""

When Mark and his parents were liberated on 27 January 1945, they had been hiding on a farm very close to Auschwitz. They thought the Germans would never search a farm so close, “because no Jew would be so stupid as to hide there.” And they were right. When Mark went to school in Poland for the first time, soon after his family's liberation, he had hardly come across another kid in the previous four years he spent in hiding, so he didn’t even know what “playing” meant.

Mark recalls the welcoming and inclusive feeling he got from the other kids when he arrived in Australia in 1949. He deeply values Australia’s multiculturalism and, with his activity as a volunteer guide within the Sydney Jewish Museum’s education programs, works to oppose all forms of racism and build a society based on humanity and inclusion.

Read the full article at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-13/holocaust-survivors-jewish-museums-educate-on-antisemitism/106977610, and follow to see how we work towards a more inclusive Australia every day.

Photos courtesy of ABC News: Marcus Stimson

22/08/2026

Hear first-hand stories of resilience in our Survivor Sunday series.

Lotte Weiss was born in 1923 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. In March 1942, Lotte and her two sisters Lilly and Erika were deported from Bratislava to Auschwitz.
In the previous parts, we heard the heartbreaking story of how Lotte learned that her sisters had passed away in the concentration camp and how her kapo, Ulla, persuaded Lotte not to end her own life. In the final part of this story, another “miracle” happened that helped Lotte survive.

Every week, we share stories of survival and resilience. Come back next Sunday to hear a new testimony on .

Read more at sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/survivors

20/08/2026

The Sydney Jewish Museum has announced the acquisition of "Alex with his tefillin in the sea" (2026), the acclaimed portrait by leading Australian artist Michael Zavros, which won the Archibald Prize 2026 ANZ People's Choice award. The SJM acquisition has been made possible thanks to a generous major gift.
The large-scale hyperrealist oil painting depicts author, lawyer and Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, standing in the sea wearing tefillin, the traditional Jewish ritual prayer scrolls, box and straps. Its popular choice has been widely welcomed as both healing and reassuring in a time of fractured social cohesion.
Sydney Jewish Museum Board President Greg Shand AM highlighted the cultural significance of the acquisition and the important themes it represented.
"At a time of heightened concern about antisemitism in Australia, the public response to this portrait carries particular significance. Through its thoughtful exploration of identity and community, Alex with his tefillin in the sea invites Australians to engage with the lived experience of Jewish Australians in a deeply human way. Its selection as the People's Choice award winner demonstrates the enduring capacity of art to build understanding between people.”
Michael Zavros Artist explained the work began with an unexpected connection and grew into a conversation about the things that unite people.

“Alex and I discovered common ground through our shared experiences as Australians, fathers and sons of migrant families. I am deeply honoured that the work has resonated with so many people and grateful that it will now have a permanent home where its story can continue to be shared."
Ryvchin said the portrait captured a moment that was deeply personal.
“I am honoured to have sat for Michael and delighted that the portrait will enter a public collection, where it can encourage reflection, understanding and dialogue among visitors from all backgrounds."

17/08/2026

Your chair, tableware or family story could have a starring role in the Sydney Jewish Museum's collection.
As part of our upcoming ‘B’teavon: Jewish Food’ exhibition that explores Jewish food culture and the many ways we gather around the table, we’re inviting our community to help us create an immersive experience celebrating Jewish cooking, the power of food to connect us and the meaning of gathering around the table.

We're looking for donations of:
🪑 Dining chairs to create an eclectic collection around a giant Shabbat table.
🍽️ Shabbat tableware, including challah boards, kiddush cups, candlesticks, serving dishes and utensils, for a permanent display.
📚 Stories and memories connected to these items!

Submissions close on 30 September 2026.

Visit sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/news/community-call-out-new-museum-exhibition to learn more and contribute.

15/08/2026

Hear first-hand stories of resilience in our Survivor Sunday series.

Lotte Weiss was born in 1923 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. In March 1942, Lotte and her two sisters Lilly and Erika were deported from Bratislava to Auschwitz.
Last week, we heard the heartbreaking story of how Lotte learned that her sisters had passed away in the concentration camp. Following that terrible discovery, she was on the verge of ending her own life... but an unexpected voice stopped her. Today we’ll find out what happened and how it changed her fate.

Every week, we share stories of survival and resilience. Come back next Sunday to hear the final part of Lotte’s story on .

Read more at sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/survivors

12/08/2026

Join us for an unforgettable evening of history, courage and storytelling, as author and psychologist Erica Frydenberg (who grew up in Sydney’s Jewish Hungarian community) launches her deeply personal new book - Do Not Forget Me Street: Remembering the Budapesti Schindlers.
Featuring Erica in-conversation with acclaimed journalist and author Michael Visontay (Noble Fragments), and an introduction by her son, former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, this is a rare opportunity to hear the extraordinary true stories behind the book and meet the author.
📖 Bundle your ticket with a book and have the author sign it when you arrive!
Book your tickets now at sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/events

10/08/2026

It is with sadness that we share the news that our beloved survivor and SJM volunteer, Vera Faludi, passed away on Friday, 7 August, at the age of 96.

Vera was born in 1929 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and attended an Italian preschool, a Hungarian school, and then a German school with her brother Teddy. By the end of 1939, Jewish children were no longer allowed at German schools, and Vera moved to a French school run by nuns.

In 1942, the family moved to Hungary, losing many of their possessions along the way.
Her brother and father were sent to forced labour, while Vera and her mother had to move into the ghetto. After escaping the deportation in hiding, they managed to move into a protected house of the Swedish consulate in Hungary.

One day, after the war, a dirty, skinny man approached Vera. She heard a voice, ‘Don’t you recognise me?’ It was her brother.

After liberation, Vera met an old friend, George Faludi. They were married in early 1946 and left Hungary in 1947 for Brussels. George and Vera then went to Paris and Uruguay, later immigrating with their family to Australia in 1971.

Vera began her volunteering journey at SJM in 1995, encouraged by her daughter and long-time SJM employee, Rita Prager, embarking on what would become more than two decades of dedicated service. Over the years, Vera assisted with a wide range of office duties, always approaching her work with enthusiasm, reliability and generosity.

Vera’s contribution to the Museum, however, was about so much more than the tasks she performed. She brought warmth, kindness and a wonderful sense of friendship to everything she did. Her outgoing and welcoming nature meant that she quickly became a much-loved member of the Museum family. Staff thoroughly enjoyed working alongside her, and she also formed many lasting friendships with fellow volunteers.

As a survivor, volunteering for Vera was about being part of something meaningful, contributing wherever she was needed and sharing her time and friendship with those around her.

Vera will long be remembered with gratitude and affection by all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with her, and especially fondly by the Museum family.

08/08/2026

Hear first-hand stories of resilience in our Survivor Sunday series.

The late Lotte Weiss was born in 1923 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. In March 1942, Lotte and her two sisters Lilly and Erika were deported from Bratislava to Auschwitz.
In June 1942, Lotte narrowly escaped death when, after being sentenced to a “punishment camp”, the transport to which she was allocated was already full. She was also lucky to survive a bout of meningitis. In August, she was transferred to Birkenau. A month later, she made a heartbreaking discovery. Feeling alone in the world, she decided that her story was over - but then something unexpected happened.

Every week, we share stories of survival and resilience. Come back next Sunday to hear the rest of Lotte’s story on .

Read more in our Survivor Story blogs at sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/survivors

04/08/2026

Best wishes to Holocaust survivor Gaby de Leon, who recently celebrated his 99th birthday! 🎉 His remarkable story of survival, resilience and courage continues to inspire us to this day.

In 1941, Axis powers invaded Yugoslavia, plunging Gaby and his family into the perils of WWII. After tragically losing his father, Gaby and his mother escaped to Italy using false documents. There, he risked everything delivering food to hidden refugees in German-occupied Rome until the city’s liberation in 1944.

Returning to a devastated Belgrade after the war, Gaby rebuilt his life, completed his education and met his wife, Ana. Though he carried the invisible scars of history with him, his spirit remained unbroken.

Reflecting on his journey, Gaby once shared a powerful metaphor about the lasting impact of hardship and trauma: "Those indelible marks are what remain in my soul."

Address

148 Darlinghurst Road
Darlinghurst, NSW
2010

Telephone

+61293607999

Website

https://sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/

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