Dr Helen Light, Director
The Philosophy of the Jewish Museum of Australia
A museum is a product of and responsive to the society it serves and the people who make and shape it. It is reflection of its time, its place, of the agenda or agendas of the influential participants, the expectations of its creators, its constituents and its audiences.
A good museum is therefore a dynamic and organic evolving institution, constantly changing and adapting so that it remains relevant to an ever- changing environment.
So it is with the Jewish Museum of Australia over its 21 years and indeed before, from the inception of the idea for a Jewish Museum of Australia in 1975 - 28 years ago.
The philosophy and aspirations that have shaped and driven this Museum have indeed evolved in response to many influences:
- to the growth of the Museum itself and to its expanding profile within the Jewish community and the cultural and educational landscape of Melbourne, Victoria and Australia
- to different understandings of the value of cultural and ethnic institutions within Government and business at different times, and other factors.
I will try to trace the concepts that have effected the development of the Jewish Museum of Australia. But despite what I have said, what will emerge as remarkable, I believe, is the consistency of the vision and the extent to which the Museum has adhered to the underlying values and concepts of the founders, in particular, of course, Rabbi Lubofsky.
In the interests of historical accuracy I will refer as much has possible to the wording of original documents.
1. First Ideas
Apparently the idea for a museum was first discussed in 1975 with Rabbi Lubofsky in the B'nai B'rith Project Committee. This discussion led to the exhibition 500 Years of Jewish Books, held in the Caulfield Art Centre (now the Kimberley Hotel) in August 1977.
In the introduction to the catalogue of this exhibition, Rabbi Lubofsky articulated in writing for the first time the impetus and concept for a museum which was then named 'The Jewish Museum of Victoria'
We 'Friends of the Victorian Jewish Museum' are proud to present to the Jewish and general public a number of important and interesting books, each of which has a story to tell. We hope that it will stimulate interest in our future endeavours, eventually to establish, essentially for the Jewish community of Victoria, a home of Jewish Culture and Civilization. The reasons for this are not far to seek. Firstly, in Australia we have a brief history that does not go back very far, and which due to its remoteness has inherited little of the Jewish cultural treasures of the Old World. Secondly, there is the obvious need to harness our meagre resources and to create the means whereby this can expand over the years to come.
The first formal meeting minutes we have in our possession at the Jewish Museum of Australia date from the meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Jewish Museum of Victoria held on 8 November 1977 at 8 pm.
At this meeting the name of the potential museum was changed to 'Melbourne Museum of Jewish History and Art'. These minutes record, in all likelihood reflecting the words of Rabbi Lubofsky:
The question as to 'why a Museum?' was answered - we are the generation of the Holocaust, and have a moral obligation to conserve and perpetuate for following generations what is still left of Jewish Culture and Civilization through the ages. At present we have precious little to show and no home in which to show it.
It is envisaged to acquire Classical, Medieval, Renaissance and Modern objects of Jewish genius. It was acknowledged that it will take many years to fulfil such an ambitious project.
In July 1979 the Judaica Exhibition was presented by the now entitled 'Jewish Museum of Australia' at the Myer Gallery, curated by Zelda Rosenbaum with Martha Ash and Anita Sackville.
In the catalogue to this exhibition Rabbi Lubofsky re-iterated the earlier rationale for the institution, but then made an important addition - Australian Jewish history. He said:
The Jewish Museum of Australia hopes in the near future to possess its own home which will be regularly open to the public. It will then add a significant cultural asset to the all too few museums and collections which Melbourne possesses. We welcome help from any quarter especially material which is pertinent to the History of Jewish Life in Australia.
2. Opening of the Jewish Museum of Australia
The Jewish Museum of Australia was opened on 17 October 1982 in the classrooms of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation with the exhibition Art & Architecture of the Synagogue .
In three years the idea had blossomed to reality, with premises found and the Jewish Museum of Australia established as an institution. It was expected that it would soon re-locate to its own premises.
The guiding principles were again expressed by Rabbi Lubofsky, now formally the President of the Museum, in the catalogue of the opening exhibition Art & Architecture of the Synagogue. The original ideas were echoed, but there was now a quite significant change in emphasis as the Rabbi looked beyond the notion of a museum as a collection of artefacts and articulated how the Museum's mission would be fulfilled and who its target audience would be:
Just as Judaism is more than a religion, a Jewish Museum is much more than a repository of antiques.
In displaying the creativity of Jewish custom and lifestyle, our Museum, the Jewish Museum of Australia, will fill a long felt need in the country.
The Museum will not only become the custodian of Jewish artefacts, it will concentrate on describing the remarkable history of the Jews in AustraliaÖ.
The Museum, through film and audio-visual means, graphics and display, will make the resources of a 4000-year heritage available to today's generation.
Exhibitions will be regularly changed so that the various strands of the multicoloured Jewish canvas will each tell a fascinating story. Regularly open to the public, schoolchildren particularly will be welcomed.
The Museum will become a window on the Jewish world. And, through its programme, will increase knowledge and understandingÖ
3. The Melbourne Hebrew Congregation Years
Once the Jewish Museum was a physical reality, a working museum grew exponentially, involving an increasing number of people from divergent backgrounds. It also began to attract students from Jewish and non-Jewish schools.
The emphasis was increasingly on exhibitions and education rather than on growing a collection. This was largely because of the lack of space and the need to maintain a dynamic program for staff, volunteers and public.
Between three and five exhibitions were mounted annually, developed from ideas suggested by volunteers and community members and also in response to historical events such as the Sesquicentenary of Victoria; the bicentenary of Australia; and festivals such as 'Mahler Vienna and the Twentieth Century.' We strove to reflect the diversity of the Jewish experience, appeal to different audiences and different interest groups and maximize opportunities.
Exhibition themes were expanded upon with a series of specially produced films directed by Zelda Rosenbaum, Naomi Gross and June Helmer, all with the expert help of Chaim Mehlman.
The Museum met a real educational need; consequently the education component of the Museum program grew, firstly for adults with a vibrant public program, more gradually to serve the needs of schools. To this end, the education curriculum became a consideration in structuring the exhibition schedule. The Synagogue proved to be a vital educational tool. Its proximity enabled museum visitors to enter a space that would often otherwise seem alien and inaccessible.
Contemporary art was included within the exhibition program because we recognized that it was important to encourage a contemporary and dynamic expression of a contemporary and dynamic culture and to nurture and encourage artists to engage in issues currently relevant to Jewish and Australian life. We wanted to ensure that we remained relevant to younger audiences, that we addressed their concerns and also gave them a voice. A most significant early example was Golem, curated by Barrie Kosky. We also realized that as a Museum we not only reflected a culture but helped create it. Therefore, we had a responsibility to be a positive and productive force in shaping and contributing to our own community, our state and country.
Exhibition installations became more elaborate and experiential, largely through the influence of designers and artists, particularly Jenny Worth and Simcha Fetter. This became an enduring hallmark of the Museum, involving for volunteers and intriguing for visitors.
The Museum cared for a growing diverse collection, as community members entrusted donations to the Museum recognizing it as a safe repository for personal and community history. Its collection tells the story of the Australian Jewish community and preserves its history from the countries of origin of Australia's Jews.
4. Concept for the new Museum in the Gandel Centre of Judaica
For much of the thirteen years the Museum was housed at the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation we were searching for our own home - providing space for permanent exhibitions and collection storage. In 1992 a building was finally purchased at 26 Alma Rd, St Kilda. It became necessary to rearticulate the mission, to agree on what the new Jewish Museum of Australia was to be and to develop a brief consistent with this mission.
For me the most important defining characteristic of the Museum that had emerged over the years was the hard work and commitment of the increasingly large body of volunteers. The Museum was, and indeed remains, a community museum - grounded in its community, shaped and indeed 'owned' by it. It was important to retain this focus when moving into larger premises, more professional, more financially accountable, with need for more staff. We had to and must continue to remain aware of the roots of the Museum to ensure that the community it serves and from which it grows remains integral to the its development and its activities.
Together through debate and discussion between the Executive Committee, the volunteers, experts from the Jewish community and the museum community, historians, and theologians we developed an understanding of what our new museum would be about. Briefly the Jewish Museum of Australia is about being Jewish and Australian. It is therefore celebratory. From this we developed a brief for the building and the permanent exhibitions.
The whole Museum was to be warm, welcoming, and 'Australian' in its colours and materials. The exhibition designs were to be of the time, of the place, and reflective of the richness of the Jewish experience. We thus decided on bold colour, contemporary materials and interactive displays.
We strove to be inclusive in the Judaism we displayed, so that all Jews would identify with the Judaism we reflect to our public. In walking this fine line, we have at times attracted rightful criticism from feminists and secular Jews.
5. Changing mission statements
In the intervening years, in line with the current business environment, we have developed Business Plans, Strategic Plans, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and new Mission Statements, with the guidance of a series of generous consultants.
The most recent and indeed comprehensive articulation was in 2001. It reads:
Core Purpose
The Jewish Museum of Australia is a Community Museum Committed to Sharing and Enriching the Australian Jewish Experience and Benefiting Australia's Diverse Society
Core Values
By:
- being grounded in Jewish values
- being a community museum
- challenging existing boundaries
- being excellent
- in all areas of the Museum's activities
- in all areas of the Museum's management
- promoting tolerance
Core Activities
- To display the creativity of Jewish custom, religion and culture and to share the legacy of more than 4,000 years of Jewish history, with particular emphasis on the Australian Jewish experience
Through our exhibitions and programs the Museum aims:
- To educate the general public by acting as a window on the Jewish world, a bridge to greater understanding and tolerance of cultural diversity
- To strengthen the sense of Jewish identity within the Jewish community by exploring the multiple facets of its special heritage and to celebrate its unity and the diversity which enriches the Jewish experience; and
- To help shape and define a uniquely Australian Jewish identity
Through our collection we aim:
- To develop a collection that reflects our rich cultural heritage and maintain it as an inheritance for future generations
- To be a key scholarly, cultural and information resource with an emphasis on Australian Jewish culture for the Jewish community, scholars, researchers and other institutions.
6. Today
The Jewish Museum of Australia has remained true to the initial vision of its founders. However, it can only maintain this faithfulness and relevance by being sensitive to the changing political, cultural and social environment. As community space devoted to nurturing an Australian Jewish identity, within a pluralist Australia, it is essential to be conscious of contemporary issues incorporating them within our activities.
Within Judaism itself, we see our role as contributing to Jewish continuity through the preservation of our heritage, nurturing Jewish expression, and ensuring our programs are relevant to young Australian Jews. We see our responsibility as helping to define what it means to be Jewish in an increasingly secular world. The Judaism we today reflect is a pluralist Judaism, inclusive and confirming, a political act no doubt, but true of and to Australian Jewish life.
Within Australian society in which our precious multiculturalism is fragile and the 'treatment of Jews is the thermometer of that country's civilization'(Napoleon ), it is increasingly important for our Museum to develop programs that build bridges, teach tolerance and work towards preserving a healthy pluralism.
In the end we will maintain the integrity and purpose of the mission that has driven all our activities, achievements and shaped our aspirations, if we are true to the sentiment expressed by one school student in the report of his visit:
The Jewish Museum
"I learned that every person in the whole world is different and special."
(Aaron, 12/12/2001)