From the ASPJ President

Shalom, witaj and welcome ASPJ members and friends!

2025 has been another productive year for the ASPJ.

We have continued to expand our New South Wales footprint under the stewardship of our locally domiciled Board Members Estelle Rozinski, Lucy Taksa, Rita Nash and Helena Ameisen. Pleasingly the ASPJ is firmly establishing its identity and is hosting successful stand-alone in-person functions in that state.

On the diplomatic front, we have continued to build our strong relationship with the Polish Community Council of Victoria and with our friends in the Polish community. As well as with the Acting Polish Ambassador, Chargé d’affaires Marcin Kawałowski in Canberra, Piotr Rakowski, Consul-General in New South Wales, Andrzej Soszyński, Honorary Consul in Victoria and Beata Koropatwa, Consular Official for the Honorary Consul in Victoria. We look forward to these friendships and co-operation growing and, when the time comes, partnering with the new Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, once appointed.

The wide range and mix of ASPJ events have continued throughout 2025. We hosted a two-part webinar series “Saved by Stalin? Polish Jews in the Soviet Union and their Post-War Return to Poland”, presented by ASPJ Board member Rita Nash. We also hosted webinars featuring Ewa Teleżyńska-Sawicka and Pawel Sawicki of the Memories of Treblinka Foundation and Dr Steven Reece of the Matzevah Foundation. In person events included “I Tools for Jewish Genealogy” with Jan Groski.

A highlight of the year was the 2025 ASPJ Oration delivered by Acting Polish Ambassador, Chargé d’affaires Marcin Kawałowski. This was followed by the presentation of the Polish Gold Cross of Merit, as decreed by the President of the Republic of Poland, to ASPJ Past-Presidents Bernard Brzegowski-Korbman OAM and Izydor Marmur OAM, for their services in the area of Polish-Jewish relations.

The ASPJ has also continued to publish our twice-yearly magazine “Haynt”, with much thanks for the amazing efforts if its editor Izydor Marmur.

Finally, but not least at all, I also acknowledge and offer my great appreciation to the Melbourne-based ASPJ Board including Lena Fiszman, Andrew Rajcher, Eva Hussain and Peter Schnall, for all their drive, effort and support throughout the year. Particular thanks also to the Wolf & Dora Rajcher Memorial Fund for its ongoing financial support and to Polaron for its ongoing technology support.

I look forward to the continuation of our ASPJ activities in 2026.

Ezra May
President ASPJ