Jewish Arts Quarter

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Jewish Arts Quarter

Welcome to the Jewish Arts Quarter, a vibrant new cultural destination in the heart of Elsternwick.

02/09/2026

🍯🐝 Honey cake, but make it Queen Hera.

Rosh Hashanah calls for something sweet — and this year, we’re taking our honey cake to Mount Olympus.

Melbourne Jewish cook, author and food lover Alice Zaslavsky Alice Zaslavsky has a rather fabulous take on the classic: Queen Hera’s Honey Cake, from The Joy of Better Cooking.

Inspired by Greek mythology, where bees were messengers of the gods and honey was associated with wisdom and poetry, Alice’s generous slab cake is made for sharing — with enough personality to stand up to even the strongest honey hiding at the back of your cupboard.

Because food is culture.
Recipes carry stories.
And the best ones are meant to be shared.

🍎🍯 Wishing you a sweet New Year — and plenty of cake to go around.

Recipe by Alice Zaslavsky, from The Joy of Better Cooking in the image slides.

Alice Zaslavsky

25/08/2026

We’re proud to support our JAQ partner Kadimah Melbourne in launching YidLid - an international Yiddish songwriting and translation competition. 🎶

Yiddish has long been a language of music, storytelling and cultural connection. YidLid invites songwriters, musicians and Yiddish lovers from around the world to help carry this rich tradition forward by submitting either an original song in Yiddish or a Yiddish translation of an existing song.

With Youth/Student and Open divisions, cash prizes and selected songs performed at a special live concert, this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Yiddish creativity and nurture new talent.

Entries close December 2026. Visit Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre for competition details and entry information.

18/08/2026

Word of the Day: Mensch.

Some words are just too good to translate.

A mensch isn’t simply a nice person.

It’s someone with integrity.
Someone who shows up.
Someone who treats others with kindness.
Someone who does the right thing and helps others - even when no one’s watching.

In Yiddish, being called a mensch is one of the highest compliments you can receive.

The world could always use more mensches - especially these days, when there seem to be quite a few schmucks around.

But that’s a word for another day. 😉

11/08/2026

Designer Danielle Brustman Danielle Brustman and collaborator Edward Linacre Studio have teamed up to share their new series of lighting and objects, titled Meteorite V.01.

The world certainly needs more light at the moment, and how much better when it doubles as a party hat 🥳😉

📆 18 July–22 August 2026

⏰ Opening hours: Wednesday–Saturday 12–5 pm

📍Useful Objects 47 Easey St Collingwood

Meteorite V. 01
Large floor lamp
Polished stainless steel, acrylic discs, LED

Photos by Aaron Hargreaves

05/08/2026

Proud. Creative. Unapologetically Jewish.

Thank you to Deborah Conway for this powerful reflection on why our stories, identity and artistic expression matter.

JAQ is helping create a lasting home where Jewish life and culture can continue to thrive for generations to come.

28/07/2026

Fifteen years ago, Melbourne singer-songwriter Husky Husky captivated audiences near and far with the launch of his debut indie-folk album, Forever So.

Recorded in his homemade Northcote bungalow with his cousin Gideon Preiss, Forever So launched Husky onto the world stage - earning Triple J acclaim, a place in the Hottest 100, ARIA nominations, the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, and making Husky the first Australian band signed to Seattle’s iconic Sub Pop Records, home to artists including Nirvana, Fleet Foxes and The Shins. (Fun fact, Husky is Sub Pop’s first fluent Yiddish speaking artist to be signed to their record label!).

Now presenting a special anniversary tour, Husky returns to the intimate venues that shaped those early songs, the album being performed live in full alongside favourites from across the band’s remarkable catalogue.

🎶 Whether you’ve loved Forever So since 2011 or are discovering it for the first time, this is a rare chance to experience one of Australia’s most celebrated indie-folk albums in the intimate setting it was made for. Tickets selling fast, so get in quick.

📆 Sat 10th October 2026

⏰ Doors 7PM, Show 8PM

📍MEMO Music Hall, 88 Acland Street, St Kilda MEMO Music Hall

🎟️ memomusichall.com.au

24/07/2026

Tu B’Av translates to “the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Av.” While best known as the “Jewish Day of Love”, its alternative meanings and ancient roots centre on agricultural cycles, the forgiveness of historical tragedies and the progressive framework for feminine agency within relationships.

This Tu B’Av, the Jewish Museum of Australia welcomes you for a night of storytelling that explore love in all its forms, guided by the warmth, curiosity and insight from interviewer Tali Lavi.

Known for her thoughtful conversations and ability to uncover that which connect us, Tali will lead an intimate evening featuring Alice Zaslavsky, Michael Gawenda, Ryder Jack, Anita Lester and Gideon Preiss. Together, they’ll reflect on love that is romantic, familial, creative, unexpected and everything in between.

Inspired by the personal letters, family archives and memories at the heart of ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, this special Tu B’Av celebration brings together storytelling, conversation, music and shared moments around one timeless theme: love.

📆 Tuesday 28th July

⏰ Doors 6PM, Starts 6:30PM

📍Jewish Museum of Australia, St Kilda

🎟️ jewishmuseum.com.au/whats-on

Your ticket includes a welcome drink and after-hours access to ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive.

Book now.

Tali Lavi
Alice Zaslavsky
ryderjack
Anita Lester
Gideon Preiss

09/06/2026

Earlier this year, we took a camera to the In One Voice Festival and captured the vibrant Jewish cultural life already thriving in Elsternwick.
Music. Food. Art. Storytelling. Community.
Thousands of people came together to celebrate Jewish culture, creativity and connection, filling the streets with energy, colour and pride.
It’s moments like these that remind us why Jewish culture matters — and why creating a permanent home for it matters too.
JAQ will build on this thriving cultural ecosystem, creating a future home for Jewish arts, culture, learning and community life in Melbourne.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the day so special. We look forward to seeing this spirit continue to grow in the future home of JAQ.

.eizenberg 🎥

28/05/2026

“Multiculturalism is about ensuring everyone is free to express themselves. That’s exactly what JAQ represents.” - Josh Burns MP

At a time when Jewish creatives and voices have too often faced exclusion and hostility, now is the time to invest in Jewish arts, culture and community.

JAQ will be a proud showcase of multiculturalism in the heart of Elsternwick - a future home for Jewish food, music, storytelling, performance, learning and connection.

Located alongside the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, JAQ is envisioned as a living cultural hub celebrating the stories, creativity and contributions of Australia’s Jewish community for generations to come.

21/05/2026

Wumindjika. Shalom. Welcome.

This National Reconciliation Week, is hosting First Nations artist Robert Michael Young and author Colin Golvan for a powerful conversation exploring the meaning of “welcome” across First Nations and Jewish cultures.

Grounded on Bunurong Country — where Wumindjika means “welcome, come with purpose” — this special event invites audiences to reflect on belonging, Country and country, migration, culture, law, memory and identity through both Indigenous and Jewish perspectives.

Through creative, cultural and legal lenses, Robert and Colin will unpack ancient customs that continue to shape contemporary life today, while exploring the tensions, responsibilities and possibilities of welcome in Australia.

📍 Jewish Museum of Australia: Gandel Centre of Judaica
📅 Sunday 31 May 2026
🕒 3 – 4.30pm

🎟️ https://www.jewishmuseum.com.au/events/wumindjika-shalom-welcome-with-robert-young-colin-golvan/

Proudly part of National Reconciliation Week 2026.

Image: Robert Michael Young, ‘Naroot’, 2025.

Address

7 Selwyn Street, Elsternwick
Melbourne, VIC
3185

Website

https://www.jaq.melbourne/

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