Wednesdays with Eddie
Eddie Jaku guides visitors around Sydney Jewish Museum’s Holocaust section every Wednesday but he turned up a day early this week…to celebrate his 90th birthday.
Eddie thanks the staff All Photos: Henry Benjamin
Museum CEO Norman Seligman told Eddie’s family, friends and museum co-workers: “I know Eddie sings in the shower every morning…but we sing every Wednesday knowing that he soming to join us in the important work as a survivor guiding visitors to the museum.”
Seligman and Jackie Regos presented Jaku with certificates before he blew out his birthday cake candles and told the museum staff how much he appreciated his friendship.
Flora and Eddie Jaku
Museum CEO Norman Seligman presents a certificate to Eddie
and one from Jackie Regos
Eddie explaining the Holocaust
Eddie lights his candles
Jaku told J-Wire: “I was born in Leipzig, Germany and I tell visitors that I lived in the most civilised, cultured and educated society in Europe and that I had lost two uncles fighting for Germany in World War One.,,and then look what happened. But I hate no-one…not even Germans. My life was spared in the concentration camp so now I feel it is my duty to give something back to humanity. One of my biggest surprises in all the years I have been guiding has been the number of diplomats who knew so very little, if anything, about the Holocaust. There is no future without the past…and whatever is not in your eyes, is not in your heart.
I met eddie in the holidays and his story was amazing!
I hope to see him again during our school at the Sydney Jewish Museum.