$5.2m for Sydney Jewish Museum education centre
NSW and federal governments will jointly fund a new Centre for Education Against Antisemitism.
The New South Wales and federal governments have committed a joint $5.2 million to the Sydney Jewish Museum for a new Centre for Education Against Antisemitism, to be established within the redeveloped museum’s new galleries.
The package, split evenly between the two levels of government, comprises a $2.6 million contribution from the NSW Government matched by the Federal Government. It will fund the additional construction required to create exhibition space dedicated to contemporary antisemitism and the response to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
The funding was announced after the six-month anniversary of the Bondi shooting and the closing of submissions to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
SJM president Greg Shand said he appreciated that both levels of government had responded to the museum’s request for funding.
“Given the Sydney Jewish Museum’s role as a leading educator on social cohesion and anti-racism, we have prioritised our focus on the rise in antisemitism in Australia since October 2023,” he said. “This is both through our offsite training programs as well as through the new galleries and exhibitions currently under redevelopment. Support of this nature by both levels of government reflects a strong endorsement of the national importance of our work.”
Announcing the state contribution, NSW Premier Chris Minns said awareness, education and support for social cohesion were central to the museum’s mission. “The scourge of antisemitism must be eradicated,” he said. “We’re not just investing in community safety, but in programs that tackle antisemitism.”
The new centre will include gallery space integrated into the museum’s current redevelopment, with the existing basement to be converted into new exhibition areas dedicated to contemporary antisemitism. A City of Sydney building approval has been sought and granted, and work is already underway.
In parallel, the museum is advancing a national education initiative to establish an independent centre delivering antisemitism education and training programs for adult audiences across Australia. Shand said the SJM would be a strategic partner, playing a leading role in program design and delivery.
“This initiative will significantly extend our reach, deepen our impact and enable us to contribute to a coordinated national response to antisemitism,” he said.
Shand said the timing of the announcement, around the closing of the Royal Commission submissions, was significant. The museum made a detailed confidential submission to the commission as one of Australia’s leading Jewish cultural and educational institutions, focusing on the impact on staff and volunteers, and the strategic, financial, operational and psychological challenges of operating in a climate of rising antisemitism.
“Our submission addressed the need to educate and inform the public on matters related to the Holocaust, the Jewish community — its culture, contributions and traditions — as well as the dangers of antisemitism, and why this has never been more important,” he said.
The redevelopment of the museum’s Darlinghurst site is expected to be completed in early 2027, expanding it to include state-of-the-art tech-enabled galleries and educational spaces with the capacity to welcome 100,000 visitors a year.