In commemoration of the plight of Jews from Arab Lands and Iran the National Council of Jewish Women Australia NSW Division are proud to present One of a Kind – a musical theatre presentation in one act.
It is estimated that one quarter of Sydney’s Jewish community has Sephardi or Mizrahi roots, with almost half of them hailing from Egypt. In 2014 Israel’s Knesset adopted a law which designated an annual National Day of Commemoration for the 850,000 Jewish refugees displaced from Arab countries and Iran in the 20th century and every year since 2014 a communal commemoration has also been held in Sydney. This year will see an expansion of commemorative events, with the inclusion of the One of A Kind musical honouring the story of the migration of Egyptian Jews to Australia on November 20, 6pm – 8pm at North Shore Temple Emanuel, Chatswood.
Judy Campbell, Founding Director of JewishArts and co-writer, producer and director of One of a Kind explains, “This musical has been in development for over ten years, on and off, its form mutating from one production to the next. The creative process has been very satisfying, and musically interesting, incorporating sounds and motifs of the Middle East, musical theatre styles and even a hint of jazz.”
“Complex and flawed, these characters came from a community of wealth and beauty – deported from their homes in Egypt with essentially nothing but wearing lavish fur coats with expensive jewellery sewn into the seams. The difficult construction of new identities as individuals and as a family in Australia makes this a fascinating and emotional story to tell, “said Aaron Robuck, co-writer, producer and director of One of A Kind.
Local Jewish Egyptian Australians were consulted throughout the development of this musical including Dinah Danon OAM, who arrived in Australia in 1951. Ms Danon will speak at the event, and a display of photographs, artifacts, books, and elements of the Sydney Jewish Museum’s Jews from Islamic Lands exhibition will also feature at this event.
The event is being put on as part of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia NSW’s Centenary Program, in partnership with JewishArts, the Sydney Jewish Museum, Yallah! Mizrahi and Sephardi Young Adults Sydney and Sephardi Mizrahi Jewish Voices.
“It’s such a wonderful and significant piece of work,” said musician Stuart van de Graaff. Unique and not to be missed.”
To book tickets visit: https://events.humanitix.com/one-of-a-kind-mizrahi-musical
Top image: Painting of life in Egypt by Jewish Egyptian Australian artist Camille Fox
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