24 Comments
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paul keath's avatar

Beautiful, moving, nuanced, as usual Michael. Forget about Louise, she is incorrigible ( and loves the drama )

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Ester's avatar

Thank you for a beautiful article. The state of public conversation about Australian antisemitism, Israel and the current conflict is truly alarming. People like Adler are absolutely shameless in their atrophy of morality.

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Michael Gawenda's avatar

Oh please. Heard of irony?

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debbie wiener's avatar

What a wonderful piece. I have no doubt that Primo Levi or Liliane Segre or any other writer who supports Israel would be invited to any festival that Louise runs. Turin is a beautiful city. I hope you manage to get to Pitigliano which has a lovely old synagogue. The Jews were saved by their Christian neighbours during the war. Louise is a lost cause. It is a travesty that her piece is printed without any opposing piece to go with it, or after it, or at all...Then again, the Age cartoons are filled with anti Israel bile as well so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

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Evie Gawenda's avatar

So moving and heartbreaking and so beautifully written.

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Ann Drillich's avatar

Beautiful and heart wrenching. Thank you for speaking up with such erudition about what it means to be a Zionist Jew today, Michael.

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Adrian's avatar

Thank you for your piece.

Glad to see Primo Levi’s grave is being looked after. When I visited Turin last, about 10 years ago, I found his grave with difficulty and it seemed rather neglected.

If there is a Gehinnom Louise Adler earned a place there for all the good she’s doing.

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Naomi Vallins's avatar

Your comment as to whether she would invite Levi to her writers' festival subtly but scathingly puts Adler in her place. Thank you

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Tom's avatar

An excellent piece. I have just finished reading 'The Truce", Pt.II of Levi's Auschwitz series. These books are essential reading and go a long way in explaining the necessity for Jews to have a place in the world to call home.

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Natasha's Belgrade Apartment's avatar

Thank you again Michael. Now is the time to say I applied to be director of Adelaide Writers Week after Jo Dyer left. I applied because I believed it to be the best writers' festival in Australia, and I had for quite a few years been invited (by Laura Kroetsch then Jo Dyer) to chair panel discussions, including (and especially) on difficult topics related to race/culture and gender. I wasn't interviewed for the role, I am not sure if anyone else was, there was no feedback. I haven't been invited to chair any panel at AWW since then. I only mention this because had I been interviewed and appointed, I would have programmed differently on the questions you have explored in your book and through this substack. This comment here is not about 'me' - in some ways I am relieved that professional option was closed off, I mean Adelaide isn't Belgrade, is it - but it relates to my really deep concern about the state of public conversation in Australia on difficult questions including the crisis around Israel and Gaza. And to the consequent and very dangerous degradation of civil society. Writing as a non Jew, to be clear.

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Liz Runciman's avatar

Adler has no shame

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Ann Drillich's avatar

I shared the article on my FB and it was removed bc FB said I breached guidelines by saying it was a ' must read" etc. So I reposted with "I recommend this brilliant piece " and again it was deleted. Third time lucky - will try to share and not comment. WHAT is going on with FB?

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Den's avatar

Dear Michael,

On March 23, 2025 at 1pm I will have the privilege to speak about my Gentilli research and project at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.

I extend to you the invitation to take part at the event, in case you are still interested in this Italian story.

https://events.humanitix.com/a-jewish-family-in-northeast-italy-a-story-rediscovered-ajpfrmrd?hxchl=amk-eml-hfn&hxref=1-0-0

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Michael Gawenda's avatar

Den

I am interested indeed. I shall try and come to the event. You have a great story.

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Den's avatar

I will be honored if you decide to come at the event. Denis

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Alison R Noyes's avatar

Thank you yet again for a fine, beautiful, and moving piece.

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Michael Gawenda's avatar

Thank you Allison. It means a lot to me.

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Henry Kaye's avatar

Gawenda would have made a great spokesperson for Hitler - "the streets are free of Jews!". Words hurt, even when the intention is different.

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Michael Gawenda's avatar

I’m sorry you were hurt. It was meant to be ironic. Didn’t work for you obviously.

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Den's avatar

Thank you, Michael, for this piece of writing. I just concluded a 2-year research on the Gentilli family, from my same home town of Mereto di Tomba in Italy, who perished in Auschwitz. They were deported to Poland from Fossoli di Carpi on the same day (Feb 22, 1944) in the same train (Convoglio 8) with Primo Levi. May their memory be a blessing. Denis

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Michael Gawenda's avatar

Denis thank you for this message. I am deeply touched.

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Den's avatar
Sep 26Edited

I wrote about them in a recent article on The Jerusalem Post. See link below:

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-809804

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