In the wake of recent antisemitic attacks and desecration of synagogues in Sydney, a remarkable story of Jewish resilience will unfold this coming Shabbat at the newly inaugurated Chabad of Bondi synagogue.
On Tuesday this week, Rabbi Eli Schlanger and his son, Nossen, received a historically significant Torah scroll, released temporarily by the Sydney Jewish Museum, to be used in a profoundly meaningful Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

The Torah scroll, originally donated to the museum by Holocaust survivor Adam (Avrum Leib) Szus, is deeply intertwined with the Schlanger family’s history. Adam was best friends with Rabbi Schlanger’s great-uncle, Nossen Nutte Schlanger, a brilliant Torah scholar who was tragically murdered during the Holocaust.
Until 2007, Rabbi Schlanger had no idea this great-uncle—his grandfather’s brother—even existed. It was thanks to Adam Szus’ incredible recollections that the Schlanger family was able to rediscover this lost chapter of their history.
“In 2007, shortly after my arrival in Sydney, I received an unexpected call from my brother-in-law, Rabbi Mendel Kastel. He informed me of a Holocaust survivor named Adam (Avrum Leib) Szus who wanted to meet me. Little did I know that this meeting would uncover a profound and deeply personal chapter of my family’s history,” Rabbi Schlanger explained.
“As I stepped out of the elevator to meet Adam for the first time, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, ‘Nutte, Pachoshe! (You’re identical to Nutte!). Week after week, we sat together, and Adam shared the story of my family—a story I had never heard before. He spoke of my Zaidy’s brother, Nossen Nutte Schlanger, who was his best friend. He described Nutte as a brilliant young man who knew the entire Tanach by heart, engaged to a beautiful girl whose life was tragically cut short by unspeakable horrors during the Holocaust.
“This revelation was startling. My father had never heard of his uncle Nutte—his father, like so many survivors, had never spoken of him. Adam’s vivid memories opened a window into a past that had been hidden for decades.”

Later that year, Rabbi Schlanger traveled to Brzostek, Poland, the ancestral town of the Schlanger family.
“There, I discovered something extraordinary,” he said. “The Nazis had mistakenly confiscated Polish records rather than Jewish ones, leaving behind vital documents that revealed my family’s history. Among them, I found the death certificate of my great-great-grandmother Breindel, the marriage certificate of my great-grandparents Menashe and Malka Schlanger, and the birth certificates of my grandfather Shmuel and his siblings—including that of Nossen Nutte.
“When I returned to Sydney, I surprised Adam by presenting him with his own birth certificate, a tangible link to the life he had been forced to leave behind.”
In 2012, when Rabbi Schlanger’s son was born, he was named Nossen Nutte in memory of his great-great-uncle.
Szus, deeply moved by this tribute, had the honour of holding the baby at his baby naming after his bris. With great emotion, Adam listened as the name of his best friend, lost in the Holocaust, was given to the next generation.
“It was a poignant moment—one generation carrying forward the memory of another, ensuring that Nutte’s name and legacy would never be forgotten,” Rabbi Schlanger said.
“In the years that followed, Adam became an integral part of our family. He shared more stories, recounting how he had escaped the camps multiple times, each escape a testament to his resilience and determination to survive. Just weeks before his passing at the age of 104, I visited Adam, and together we recited his final Shema Yisroel.”

Last month, as part of the younger Nossen’s Bar Mitzvah preparations, Rabbi Schlanger and his son travelled to Brzostek.
“We visited the mass grave where Nutte and so many of our family members were murdered. We met with the town’s mayor, prayed at the gravesite, and held a small bar mitzvah ceremony, bridging the past and the present in a deeply moving tribute,” Rabbi Schlanger said.

This Saturday, the Torah scroll that the original Nossen Nutte read from at his bar mitzvah will play a central role in the bar mitzvah of his great-great-nephew, symbolising the survival and flourishing of the Jewish people in the face of unimaginable adversity.
“It’s an honour to have this special Torah that is connected to my family next to me when I will read my parsha. Learning of its background and being in the town has given so much to appreciate,” Nossen Schlanger said.

Originally from Brzostek and donated to the Sydney Jewish Museum by Adam Szus, the Torah was temporarily returned for this occasion. Rabbi Schlanger said it represents “a powerful symbol of resilience, continuity, and the enduring spirit of the Jewish people”.
“The timing of this bar mitzvah holds additional significance, as the Torah portion this week is Shemot, which means ‘names’. Shemot highlights the importance of Jewish names as one of the ways our ancestors maintained their identity in exile in Egypt. In a time of darkness, holding onto their names was a way of preserving their connection to G-d and to each other,” he said.
“For our family, naming my son after Nossen Nutte, who was tragically lost in the Holocaust, represents a commitment to ensuring that our history and heritage are never forgotten.
“This is more than just a family story,” Rabbi Schlanger continued. “It is a testament to Jewish resilience and continuity. At a time when antisemitism seeks to erase our history, this Torah is a beacon of light—a reminder that our past endures through the next generation. We are profoundly grateful to Adam Szus of blessed memory, whose memories have allowed us to uncover this history and honour it in such a meaningful way.
“This story holds powerful lessons not just for the Jewish community, but for all Australians. It emphasises the importance of preserving history, combating hate, and celebrating unity amidst adversity.”
Rabbi Schlanger expressed his gratitude to the curators at the Sydney Jewish Museum and to Kevin Kalinko who assisted in making the Torah available.
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