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Its meanings may be many: the flame of holiness, with Shabbat and festival candles; the flame of sorrow, with mourning candles of shiva and yartzeit; the flame of rebellion and destruction, deliberately lit in anger, and the flame of holiness, with the bonfires traditionally lit on Lag Ba’Omer to evoke the spiritual light of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism).

Lag Ba’Omer, celebrated today, falls on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, the 49-day period between Pesach and Shavuot. This period marks the days of journeying between Egypt and Sinai and also corresponds to the harvest season and ancient Temple offerings. The Kabbalists added yet another layer, linking each of the seven days of the seven weeks to the journey of refinement of the soul and spirituality. Our Discovery Room currently showcases related Collection objects, a mural of Mt Sinai and an Omer calendar brought together to offer insight into this period.

A blue and white ceramic tile depicting a figure seated on a hill holding two tablets, with smoke billowing above and a fence in the foreground.

The counting of 49 days culminates in Shavuot (meaning ‘Weeks’) on the 50th day. There are various customs and practices associated with this festival, and one of the most widely practised and beloved is the reading of Megillat Rut, the story of Ruth. Here we come to another flame being lit, this time a metaphoric one. We are delighted that Tammy Kanat’s ‘Ruth’, created for Tammy Kanat: Circle of Her, our Eva and Marc Besen Contemporary Artist Commission for 2025, has been chosen to be exhibited in ‘Homecoming’, an international art show in Athens. We congratulate Tammy for this significant recognition and are thrilled to see this particular flame of creativity, sparked by the Museum, journeying on.

Around the Museum, we have been working on our submission for the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion and recently hosted the launch of the booklet, Understanding Antisemitism in Australia, produced by ASECA. The work in this area is urgent and we commit to fulfilling our unique role, while focusing the bulk of our energy and resources into our ongoing mission of fostering connection, deepening understanding, sparking curiosity and showcasing Jewish creativity, extraordinariness and the everyday.