and Jewish Life
By Eli Rabinowitz “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ – Edmund Burke, philosopher. I wrote about the Bielski Partisan Reunion in Belarus in July in last month’s CJC, and what an inspiring event it was. There were numerous other groups that operated in the region …
The Richmond Football Club, Melbourne
5 December 2019
The Seminar
The dinner
TIMETABLE
Tuesday, 3 December 2019
Thursday, 5 December 1938
Friday, 6 December 2019
Sunday, 8 December 2019
In the Press:
http://www.jwire.com.au/the-kristallnacht-cantata-a-voice-of-courage/
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Thirty Four years ago when I visited Sydney for the first time, I walked into The Customs House in Circular Quay, and saw something that has remained unresolved (for me) since 1985!
Please read on!
I visit Sydney several times each year to see my family, as well as for business. However, I don’t ever get to Circular Quay, one of the major tourist areas in the world!
Last Sunday, 24 November 2019, while in the area, I decided to revisit the building, to satisfy my curiosity!
AND THEY WERE STILL THERE!
Inside the entrance of the building.
What do you make of it?
I called in at the information desk in the lobby of the building, and I was given this information sheet.
The receptionist told me that two Jewish tourists recently called in at her desk quite distraught after walking into the building, and seeing these symbols.
I searched the net on the subject. This what Wikipedia has to say about these symbols – quite detailed and informative:
As part of this Wiki article above, you can read:
Because of its use by Nazi Germany, the swastika since the 1930s has been largely associated with Nazism. In the aftermath of World War II it has been considered a symbol of hate in the West,[160] or alternatively of white supremacy in many Western countries.[161]
As a result, all of its use, or its use as a Nazi or hate symbol, is prohibited in some countries, including Germany. Because of the stigma attached to the symbol, many buildings that have used the symbol as decoration have had the symbol removed.[citation needed] In some countries, such as the United States’ Virginia v. Black 2003 case, the highest courts have ruled that the local governments can prohibit the use of swastika along with other symbols such as cross burning, if the intent of the use is to intimidate others.[5]
No-Nazism sign
I decided to write to the Australian Jewish News, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and J-Wire (online zine)
These were the replies:
Vic Alhadeff – NSW Jewish Board:
As the leaflet says, it’s there as Buddhist/Hindu culture. Nothing to be done.
Henry Benjamin – J-Wire:
You would have a problem visiting Bali. The swastika is part of the island’s culture.
The AJN did not respond!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
Should a public building in Sydney, Australia have these images displayed in its entrance, and with no visible explanation given – only when I asked at reception!
These may be positive symbols in Asia, but what about in a country that has a large population of Holocaust survivors and their descendants.
What do you have to say on the matter?
UPDATE
I called the front desk at Customs House this morning, and spoke to Veronica, who told me that there is a plaque in the foyer. Neither Jill nor I saw it!
Veronica kindly took a couple of photos for me and also pointed me to an item on their website – see below
My updated notes arising from this last image:
The plaque states that during WWII the floor was covered – interesting!
Both right and left facing swastikas are on the Customs House floor (not just counter clockwise as per the plaque above).
Thanks and best regards
Eli Rabinowitz
Perth, Australia
The Customs House
Source: www.sydneycustomshouse.com.au
The pamphlet
Customs House
11 of the 15 his Cape Town grandchildren.
See photos and videos on original post here on: wah.foundation/kristallnacht/
Harry’s abridged ancestral family tree (extends to over 20 generations)
Harry was born in Volksrust, Transvaal, South Africa on 28 September 1914.
Volksrust is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa near the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border, some 240 km southeast of Johannesburg, 53 km north of Newcastle and 80 km southeast of Standerton.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksrust
With his parents and two older brothers Leib and Isaac, who were born in Jerusalem.
His two younger sisters Rachel and Sarah were born in Cape Town.
Harry was a musician and cantor, a baritone who sang in many languages in concerts, recitals, operattas and on radio
On the radio
He was often accompanied by his sister Rachel Rabinowitz, a concert pianist.
Harry made a record of Popular Yiddish Melodies with Solly Aronowsky’s orchestra on His Masters Voice
Chazonim Oif Probe – an entertaining track from the LP
A review
With my mother, Rachel
With me, my mom, aunty Rachel and my bobba, Chana Chesha Miriam
With other world class chazonim in Johannesburg, including Moshe Stern and Johnny Gluck.
Singing with his choir
His matseva at West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg
With Jill in shul at yahrzeit memorial board
‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ – Edmund Burke, philosopher.
Each year on 9/10 November, we commemorate Kristallnacht, Night of Broken Glass or November Pogroms, when Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property in Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland on that date in 1938.
Some 30000 Jewish males were rounded up and taken to concentration camps. As a result of Kristallnacht, the Nazis ordered the Jewish community to pay one billion Reichsmark as compensation for the damage, and introduced many anti-Jewish laws.
Kristallnacht was a turning point or watershed in the Holocaust. It was the first time that violence against Jews was coordinated on such a large scale in Nazi Germany.
This year, the Perth Kristallnacht Commemoration will be held at Perth Modern School. It is being organised by the CCJWA – Council of Christians and Jews of WA. The keynote address will be delivered by Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC, a former Governor of Western Australia. The title of his address is: “Evil Creeps Back, If Good People Stand Aside”.
The final item on the program is the Partisans’ Song, to be sung in four languages, Yiddish, Hebrew, Noongar and English, by the joint choirs of Ellenbrook Secondary College and Carmel School, under the direction of Stuart Rhine-Davis.
The song was originally written as a poem by Hirsh Glik in Vilnius in 1943. Jesse John Fleay, a lecturer at Edith Cowan University, translated the poem in 2018 into Noongar, a Western Australian indigenous language. Perth composer Suzanne Kosowitz skilfully re-arranged the music by Dmitri Pokrass to fit the Noongar words. Michele Galanti coordinated the Carmel School Choir performance.
The Partisans’ Song has been sung since 1943 as the anthem or hymn of the Partisans and since the Holocaust by survivors. Traditionally sung in its original Yiddish, the poem is now available in 28 languages, including Noongar.
Carmel School welcomed at Ellenbrook Secondary College
The joint Ellenbrook – Carmel Schools Choir first performed this stirring anthem on 5 August at Ellenbrook Secondary College in front of 2000 people, and then repeated the performance at Carmel School on 7 August. The original recordings can be seen and heard here: https://wah.foundation/program/
The Kristallnacht ceremony this year will be attended by Lance Turner, son of Uncle Boydie Turner and great grandson of William Cooper, the indigenous Australian leader who marched the 10 km from his home in Footscray to the Nazi consulate office in Melbourne, to protest against the Kristallnacht pogrom. William Cooper’s petition was ignored, and was only recognised by the German government in 2017, 79 years after his march!
The US government funded our WE ARE HERE! Upstanders Project for educators in 2019. This enabled us to bring Seattle based educator, Nance Adler to Australia to headline our project. This was most successful, and opened the door for teachers and students around the globe to use our free resources. More information to follow.
Plaque at Yad Vashem
A UNIQUE SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM FOR UPSTANDERS
Source: wah.foundation
@ The Partisan Cafe, East Perth
The WE ARE HERE! team
From left:
Richard, Lynne, Anne, Michele, Shirley, Bob, Lisa, Eli, Jill, Suzanne and Stuart (absent Jesse John).
Come join us at Perth Modern School on 10 November.
Featuring a special performance of the Partisans’ Song in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and Noongar by the joint Ellenbrook Secondary College and Carmel High School choir.
At Ellenbrook Secondary College 5 August 2019, and encore performance at Carmel School on 7 August 2019.
Source: wah.foundation/program/
