|
THE KADIMAH
As mentioned on the home page, the Kadimah was established as a cultural, Jewish institution in Melbourne in 1911. The Kadimah was a unique organization within the Melbourne Jewish community at this time. The Victorian Jewish community, which at this time was indicated as consisting of 6,270 people, largely consisted of Anglo-Jews, who adhered to British-Australian culture.[1] Anglo-Jews identified with Jewish religious practice, whilst attempting to ensure that they were not considered different to others within Australian society.[2] The Eastern European Jewish migrants who helped establish the Kadimah, however, had grown up in cultural Jewish communities. This meant that such Jews felt a connection to Jewish life not just through religious activity, but through Jewish culture, Jewish languages and involvement in Jewish events. Sender Burstin, an activist of the Kadimah, wrote “the big national and social ideas, that engulfed the Jewish people in Eastern Europe, in Russia and Poland at the end of the nineteenth century, were carried here with the stream of Jewish emigration”.[3] It was within this changing community that the Kadimah was formed. KADIMAH ACTIVITIES The Kadimah, as a community organization, provided many opportunities for the involvement of Jewish youth. If the Kadimah was to continue to encourage cultural Jewish connections, its membership would be less likely to assimilate to British-Australian culture. Some of its activities were aimed at involving entire families, many of whom were new-arrivals, in the cultural life at the Kadimah, as will be seen by the photo at the top of this page of an annual Kadimah community picnic. From its very beginning, the Kadimah had attempted to maintain a Yiddish library so that Eastern European migrants could borrow books in the Yiddish language. The library was in high demand. Kadimah activist Lew Frydman estimated that the reading hall attracted over one hundred visitors in its early years.[4] When the Kadimah moved to its third premises, on Lygon Street, in Carlton, in 1933, the library grew with its new found space.[5] For those seeking Yiddish books, the Kadimah library was a centre-point. This was especially important for those seeking Yiddish books to read with their children. As was explained on the home page of this website, through the example of author Arnold Zable, young Jews came to the library to borrow new books. In addition to this, there was also a children’s choir that met at the Kadimah. This choir would perform at various functions.[6] Public performance of youth at the Kadimah was also prevalent in the form of the Kaluszyner competitions. The musical event, which began in 1976, was held in honour of Boruch Kaluszyner, a composer who led countless Jewish children in Yiddish choirs, who tragically passed away in a car accident.[7] From 1911, when the membership of the Kadimah stood at 80, to 1912, the Kadimah grew to consist of 200 members.[8] The vibrancy of the organization, as seen by the young Jews of Melbourne, could be best described by Zable, who writes: "On theatre nights, and at literary evenings and concerts, the building became a citadel of culture, a venue for fiery discussion and ferment, and post-war, a place where welcoming banquets were held for newcomers fresh off the boat".[9] However, the biggest involvement of youth at the Kadimah came in the forms of Yiddish theatre, the Kadimah Youth Organization and the In One Voice festival. |