To mark the Jewish New Year, the Polish Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr. Michał Kołodziejski, has sent his regards and warm wishes to the Jewish community, especially to the members and friends of the Australian Society of Polish Jews and Their Descendants.

Since taking up his appointment in Australia, the ASPJ has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Polish Ambassador and his staff. We look forward to continuing our mutual co-operation into the future.

On 27th September 2020, after twenty five years of service, Dr George (Jerzy) Łuk-Kozika OAM steps down from his role as Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Poland in Victoria.

During those many years of promoting Polish industry, science and culture, George worked hard to promote Polish-Australian relations in general and also took an active role in supporting Polish-Jewish relations, as evidenced by the fact that, in 2011, he was the first recipient of the ASPJ’s Henryk Sławik Award.

Since our organisation’s rebirth in 2009, George has always been supportive of our objectives and has always made himself available to us.

In the Summer 2018 issue of the ASPJ’s magazine “Haynt”, our Past President, Bernard Korbman OAM, wrote the following tribute to George:

When speaking to the Polish Honourary Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Dr George Luk-Kozika, one is transported back to an era long gone, where manners, courtesy, wit and charm prevailed.

George has served the Australian Polish community as well as a number of Polish governments and their ambassadors with a great deal of dignity and diplomatic skill, so much so that five years ago [2013] the Polish Government raised George’s status from Melbourne Honorary Consul for the Republic of Poland, to that of Consul General, one of only three Honorary Consuls General in the world.

The foundation upon which George’s worldview and moral and ethical beliefs, as well as day-to-day practices, are formed lies in his strongly held belief in God and the Roman Catholic Church.

For George, religion is a unifying force and its teachings and doctrines are meant to be inclusive rather than exclusive and the path to peace and harmony is through God’s love for us all rather than the false labels placed by those in power trying to divide and conquer us for their own gains. As we are all created in God’s image we should celebrate the fellowship and consanguinity of our creation. This firmly held belief has led George to playing a prominent leadership role in the process of rapprochement and bridge-building between the Polish and Jewish communities.

George has been active in promoting and participating in educational programs and events whose aims are to dispel long-held myths and stereotyping maintained by members of both communities. His quiet demeanor, his excellent listening skills and his intellectual acuity make him an outstanding mediator for reconciling opposite points of view.

In between running a most successful dental practice and lovingly fulfilling family obligations and interests, George’s time and commitment to his community duties seem boundless. He makes himself available to individuals and organisations seeking his advice or help.

George’s greatest asset however is the highly talented, discerning and proficient Mrs. Denise Luk-Kozica. With her erudite and cultured disposition, Denise has charmed and impressed all who have had the good fortune and pleasure of meeting her.

We of the Australian Society of Polish Jews and Their Descendants thank them both for their tireless efforts in combating prejudice in any form it may manifest itself and for being a bridge between our two communities.

Again, we sincerely thank George and Denise for all the support, both practical and moral, which they have given our organisation and our community over the years. We wish them good health and happiness into the future and look forward to continuing our relationship with them – perhaps in a less formal setting.

HAYNT is the magazine of the Australian Society of Polish Jews and Their Descendants.

It is published three times annually and features articles on the ASPJ’s events and other activities, as well as articles on Polish-Jewish issues in Australia and Poland.

Click HERE to read this current issue!

It is with great excitement and anticipation that the ASPJ has entered into a partnership with FestivALT.

FestivALT is an independent, arts collective which produces a program of critically-acclaimed, Jewish art and activism in Kraków, Poland. Blending visual art, theatre, site-specific performance, activist intervention, and community conversation, FestivALT engages with the most vital issues in contemporary Jewish Poland.

With the Covid19 pandemic changing the way organisations interact with their members, supporters and the public, the ASPJ views this partnership with FestivALT as a natural fit and complementary to our online offerings.

The partnership between the ASPJ and FestivALT aims to create another platform for conversation, debate, education and reflection around issues of contemporary Jewish culture in Poland.

The ASPJ looks forward to collaborating with FestivALT in curating live, cutting-edge, online events, performances and tours with a uniquely Australian flavour, as well as being presented at an Australian-friendly time.

We encourage you to look out for our promotion of these upcoming events primarily through our website and our Facebook page.

It was with great sorrow that we learned of the passing of Marian Pawlik OAM, President of the Polish Community Council of Victoria and great friend of the Australian Society of Polish Jews & Their Descendants.

Born in Łódż in 1954, Marian sadly passed away today, in Melbourne, on 31st July 2020.

Albert Einstein said, “The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not what he is able to receive”.

Marian Pawlik gave much to many good causes. He believed in the value of cooperation and mutual respect between people and was extremely supportive of the ASPJ’s mission of bringing Australia’s Polish and Jewish communities closer together.

For over ten years, we have known and worked together with Marian. He was generous in sharing his knowlege, expertise and skill, and was committed to carrying out whatever work that was needed. His presence amongst us will be sorely missed. But, into the future, we will continue to fulfill our joint vision and will always remember his valuable contribution.

We express our sincere condolences to his family and, in accordance with Jewish tradition, we wish them all long life.

Rest in peace Marian. Shalom chaver! May your memory be a blessing to all who knew you.

Since its foundation back in 2009, Bernard Korbman OAM has been the philosophical and spiritual driving force behind the Australian Society of Polish Jews & Their Descendants. It was his ideal and motivation that inspired the rebirth of a Polish-Jewish organisation after what had been a hiatus of more than twenty-five years.

For the past eleven years, Bernard has served the ASPJ as its Founding President, President, Co-President, Vice-President and Board member. However, he has felt that now was the right time for him to step down and allow others to take the reins.

Through these positions, he has constantly sought to bring the Jewish and Polish communities, both in Australia and in Poland, closer together and to understand and appreciate the histories and legacies which we have in common. He has undertaken to make himself available to continue to provide us with his wise counsel and advice.

In acknowledging Bernard’s major contribution to our organisation, ASPJ President Ezra May said that Bernard’s contribution in establishing, building and leading the ASPJ and his impact on Polish-Jewish relations in Australia and internationally would be formally recognised at an appropriate time – when the current pandemic restrictions are lifted and will make such an event possible.

We live in difficult times. The Coronovirus COVID-19 has affected all our lives and has brought our activities to a temporary halt. In 2020, Passover and Easter have coincided across the same dates – we are all celebrating our holidays, this year, in an unaccustomed manner, without much of our family and all our friends around us. The Australian Society of Polish Jews sends this message to the community:

The Australian Society of Polish Jews & Their Descendants Inc. (ASPJ) and the Australian Institute of Polish Affairs Inc. (AIPA) have written a joint letter to the Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński, expressing their concern over the delay in appointing a Director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

On 10th May 2019, a competition selection panel made its recommendation as to the appointment of a Director. To date, the Minister has not confirmed that or any other appointment and both organisations have expressed concern that this delay is causing great harm to the reputation of the POLIN Museum, an institution which, since its creation, has won many awards and accolades worldwide.

To mark the Jewish New Year, the Polish Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr. Michał Kołodziejski, has sent his regards and warm wishes to the Jewish community, especially to the members and friends of the Australian Society of Polish Jews and Their Descendants.

Since taking up his appointment in Australia, the ASPJ has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Polish Ambassador and his staff. We look forward to continuing our mutual co-operation into the future.