Michael Gawenda on Being a Jew in Contemporary Australia

Born in a displaced person’s camp in 1947 Austria to Polish Jewish parents, Michael Gawenda grew up in Melbourne after the family sought refuge in Australia.

He spent his teenage years in a left-wing Jewish youth group in Melbourne, an experience which shaped his secular Jewish identity as a young man.

Over his 40-year strong career as a journalist and editor – including three Walkley wins, a tenure as editor-in-chief of the Age, and a stint as Fairfax’s Washington correspondent – his own politics began to shift. The left, with which Michael had for many years aligned, became increasingly at odds with his personal position on the state of Israel.

In his memoir, My Life As A Jew, Michael explores the way his Jewish identity has changed over his life, from secular, left wing beginnings, to a growing interest in Judaism and his deepening connection with Israel.

Join Michael to reflect on what being Jewish in Australia today means to him, in conversation with Scott Stephens.