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The Voice of Youth: Being Jewish in NZ
We have a very special podcast to share with you. Listen in to this conversation between four young Jewish Kiwis, recorded on their iPhones, as they chat about life as young Jews in New Zealand at the moment. One is from Wellington, one at Dunedin university and two from Auckland. Listen to their experience of living in Israel this year to returning home and facing the antisemitism in New Zealand, which has arisen as a result of the war in Gaza.Jemma, Abbey, Sarah and Maia discuss what Jewishness means to them; the obligation they feel to speak on political issues, even when they’d prefer not to; antisemitic incidents; the different experience of being Jewish in Israel; the self-censorship; the silence of friends; Jewish identity; the social media battle, blocking by “friends”, “doom scrolling” and much more. These young women share their fears and concerns but also demonstrate hope and resilience, nicely summed up in these words: “If I want to express my Judaism, I will express my damn Judaism”.Habo - short for HabominShnat - Habonim Dror Shnat program is an intensive 9-month educational and leadership program in Israel.
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27:51
Helene Ritchie and “The Burned Letter”
Born in Wellington, of refugee parents, Helene became a prominent local politician in Whanganui-a-tara/Wellington, the Capital of Aotearoa/New Zealand. She was the first Jewish woman elected to Wellington City Council, the first female Labour leader there, and the first female deputy mayor. There, as the longest serving city councillor, she initiated the controversial Declaration of Wellington as a nuclear weapon free zone; developed law to protect forever, the ‘Town Belt’ that vast natural and recreation tract of forest clothing the hills of the city, led the project creating a heart for the Capital - Wellington’s Te Ngakau/civic centre, successfully campaigned for a new library in the fastest growing suburb of the City and fought hard to protect Wellington’s waterfront as public space for the people. She holds four degrees and two diplomas from Victoria and Massey Universities, and is a qualified registered psychologist, and mediator. As an invited writer in several books, she focused on women’s rights and feminist issues. She is also the author of two books, one on the nuclear declaration, and another, a personal story, Peter and me. When a Love story becomes a carer’s anguish which tells the story of her relationship with Peter her late husband, their journey with his dementia as a young person, her role as his carer and the shortcomings of the health system.Helene was a city councillor for 30 years, a regional councillor for six and a health board member for 15 years, while practising her profession part and fulltime for most that time. She lives in Wellington, was married to her late husband Peter Ritchie, with whom she has two sons, Timmy and Jonty, and four grandchildren, Ira, Milly, Nuku and Pipiata.
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52:07
Claire Bruell
Claire speaks about her experience as a child of Holocaust survivors who found refuge in New Zealand. Her parents fled Czechoslovakia and arrived in Auckland on 9th October 1939. They went farming in what is now suburban West Auckland.As well as telling her family’s story, Claire speaks about the Mixed Blessings project and her involvement in the Oral History group. ‘Mixed Blessings: New Zealand children of Holocaust survivors remember’, is a compilation of stories written by the children brought up in families where one or both parents had settled in New Zealand after escaping Hitler’s Europe. These stories about survival, love, loss, family revolve around memories of family food, cooking and recipes. Claire was involved in the setting up of the Holocaust Oral History Project and in interviewing Holocaust survivors in Auckland and has built up an archive of interviews with members of the Jewish community in Auckland.
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54:53
Roger and Barbara Moses
Barbara Moses shares heartwarming stories of how her family and Roger’s family were linked together decades before she and Roger met. She recalls the harrowing tales of grandparents on both sides of her family, who left Csarist Russia to escape the pogroms in the early twentieth century. Barbara’s mother, Eva Stern, was a talented classical pianist who was making great strides in her career in New York. She met Barbara’s father, Joshua Paykel when he was in America, studying at Harvard university. They married in 1931 and after moving to New Zealand, Eva continued to perform giving recitals and performing for live broadcasts.Barbara recalls that Roger’s family had a real public service ethic and were quite prominent in Wellington. Roger’s mother Mother, Dorothy, was the Wellington correspondent for NZ Woman’s Weekly and had the opportunity to meet many celebrities. Roger’s father, Sidney, was a prominent business man. He was the Chair of the Decimal currency board 1967 when New Zealand became decimal currency country. According to Barbara, Roger’s Judaism meant an enormous amount to him and he had a very Jewish heart. He also enjoyed engaging in the wider community. She and Roger were fervent in their beliefs as traditional and cultural Jews and as Zionists.Barbara and Roger have two daughters Rachel and Juliet who have both been very active in leadership roles in the Jewish community. They also have five grandsons. Enjoy this conversation with Barbara Moses, wife of Roger Moses (z’’l), co-founder of Jewish Lives.
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51:03
Ann Beaglehole: NZ’s refugee history
Ann Beaglehole is a historian and writer. She has written or contributed to over nine books and numerous articles. In this podcast, Beaglehole discusses issues of identity, New Zealand’s refugee history, what being Jewish means to her and the process of dealing with a traumatic past.
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