Two new exhibitions go on display
Mark Raphael Baker celebrated his lifelong commitment to bearing witness and exploring humanity.
The Jewish Museum of Australia (JMA) has launched two new special exhibitions that speak to the heart of the Melbourne Jewish community.
Things You Cannot See: Photography by the late Mark Raphael Baker opened on April 1. The photographs span countries, cultures and decades, offering intimate glimpses into everyday life, emotions and relationships. It explores both the seen and unseen and invites a deeper understanding of the shared human experience.
Baker was a renowned historian, teacher and writer, celebrated for his dedication to the Melbourne Jewish community as well as his lifelong commitment to bearing witness and exploring humanity.
“Mark challenges us not to settle for what is visible at first glance but to lean in with curiosity – to search for meaning, for beauty, for poetry in fleeting moments,” JMA museum director and CEO Noè Harsel told The AJN.
“Mark’s time with us was fleeting, but what he gave us in that time was immeasurable. His words, his lectures, his presence, his photography – his memory – continue to shape us.
“We are grateful and deeply honoured that Michelle [his wife] saw the Jewish Museum as the home for this remarkable exhibition,” Harsel said.
The JMA also launched Buchenwald Ball – 80 Years Dancing in Freedom on March 30.
“Every year for 80 years since their liberation from Buchenwald Concentration Camp, a group of boys, and their growing families, gathered to grieve and celebrate together here in Melbourne. The men, and now their families, gather every April to say Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, for their murdered family members, raise a glass of whiskey to wish one another l’chaim, to life, and dance together, rejoicing in their freedom,” the JMA said.
“We are honoured to host this extraordinary exhibition – a place where memory is not only preserved but brought vividly to life,” said Harsel.
“Through the lens of Anita Frayman and Andrew Harris, we see history not as something distant, but as something deeply personal, urgent and profoundly moving.”
She added: “This exhibition is a testament to their strength, their legacy and their enduring impact. It reminds us that history is not only what we inherit but what we choose to carry forward.
“May we continue to honour their memory – not just by remembering, but by living.”
For bookings visit jewishmuseum.com.au
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