Jewish Arts Quarter

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

05/10/2026

In Conversation: October 7 Through the Cartoonist’s Eye

To mark three years since October 7, the Jewish Museum of Australia brings together acclaimed political cartoonist John Spooner and journalist and author Julie Szego for a morning of commemoration and conversation.

They’ll explore the social and cultural impact of October 7, the media’s response, rising antisemitism and the role of political cartooning in times of crisis.

📆 Wednesday 7 October
⏰ 7:45am doors | 8–9am
📍 Jewish Museum of Australia, St Kilda
🎟️ jewishmuseum.com.au
🖼️ “A Caulfield Pogrom” (detail), John Spooner, featured in The Australian, Nov. 2023

01/10/2026

SHIR: The Australian Jewish Music Festival SHIR Australian Jewish Music Festival brings us another evening celebrating Jewish and world music, cultural identity, and artistic excellence.

UNBREAKABLE will showcase acclaimed Australian and international performers in a powerful live concert experience featuring contemporary Israeli music, classical, liturgical, traditional, and popular repertoire.

Headlined by Israeli star and former hostage Daniella Gilboa, alongside acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi AM, 2025 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition winner Sidra Nissen, award-winning cellist Rebecca Herman, Carols by Candlelight vocalist and Melbourne local Jemma Cher, Fiddler On The Roof star violinist Ben Adler, the CHUTNEY ensemble, and more artists, this unforgettable concert celebrates the beauty of diverse musical traditions.

Through inspiring collaborations between Jewish, Indian, Iranian, and Christian artists, UNBREAKABLE is a celebration of resilience, connection, and the universal power of music that brings communities together.

📆 Thu 22 October 2026

⏰ 7PM, Show duration is 2 hours 30 mins (incl. interval).

📍Melbourne location

🎟️ www.shir.com.au

BOOK NOW!

17/09/2026

What we build today will shape Jewish life for generations to come. ✡️🏗️✡️

For JAQ Chairman Jack Gringlas OAM, the Jewish Arts Quarter represents an opportunity to invest confidently in the future of Jewish culture and community — creating an enduring place for creativity, learning, connection and belonging.

JAQ will celebrate Jewish life and strengthen our community, while welcoming the wider community to experience, engage with and learn about Jewish culture, creativity and history.

Together, we can build a lasting cultural institution that shares our stories and connects communities for generations to come.

11/09/2026

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) is a time for reflection and renewal - a time to come together and look to the future with hope. In the painting above, artist Ilana Razbash Ilana Razbash draws inspiration from “Psalm 91” and its timeless message of shelter, protection and hope: a reminder that whatever the year may bring, we need not face it alone.

That spirit of connection, belonging and community lies at the heart of JAQ and the future we are working to create.

May the year ahead be filled with sweetness, inspiration, connection and creativity.
🍯🍏🍎🐝

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

Address

7 Selwyn Street, Elsternwick
Melbourne, VIC
3185

Website

https://www.jaq.melbourne/

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