Eat, Pray, Naches
Sydney’s Waverley Council is staging a special exhibition of its project preserving and sharing the stories of post-War Jewish immigrants and their families within its community.
The exhibition, which will run 30 September at Bondi’s Waverley Library, showcases the food, rituals, and joys of Jewish migrants, their courage, hardships and optimism and how they found naches (pride) at the sunny shores of Bondi Beach.
The Bondi Beach Gelato Bar
“Eat, Pray Naches is about our Jewish community…but it also reflects the migrant experience throughout Australia,” Waverley Mayor, Cr Sally Betts said.
“I strongly urge people to see this wonderful exhibition…it’s a learning and appreciation opportunity for the whole of our community.”
During September, visitors to the Library can visit the exhibition which features filmed interviews of second and third generation immigrants, author talks, workshops, displays and other events to compliment the stories of our Jewish community.
The idea for Eat, Pray, Naches was originally suggested by Councillors Leon Goltsman and Miriam Guttman-Jones, who believed it was essential to document and acknowledge the stories of the post-war immigrants who rebuilt their lives in Waverley.
“My parents were Holocaust survivors and some of the first post-war immigrants to settle in Waverley, so I have been able to see the contribution the Jewish community has made to the area,” Cr Guttman-Jones explained.
“Many of the second generation immigrants used the steps of Bondi Pavilion as a meeting place when they were teenagers…it quickly became known to the Jewish community as ‘little Jerusalem’.”
Cr Goltsman said one of the reasons people visited Bondi was because it was a melting pot and rich with different cultures, “Jewish immigration brought so much cultural change to the area and helped establish its identity…it’s really important to document this part of our local history”.
The digital component of Eat, Pray, Naches can also be viewed online, while the rest of the exhibition is designed to be a travelling exhibition which can be displayed in libraries, community centres and schools.
For program bookings and more details visit www.epn.org.au. (Live from Monday 7 Sept). The Eat, Pray, Naches project is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s
Community Heritage and Icons Grants Programme.
