“I have always felt strongly about social justice advocacy, undoubtedly in part due to some of my grandparents having survived the Holocaust, but my active commitment to standing up for these ideals, both within and outside the Jewish community, began a handful of years ago.
Studying architecture encourages deep analysis of our surroundings, and operating in the context of what we now know as Australia, consideration of Country is non-negotiable in my eyes. I remember grappling with the notion particularly during my capstone undergraduate architecture project, when I wanted to find out more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and ongoing relationships with Country as it related to the site, in order to cultivate a sensitive and meaningful design proposal. However, my tutor was ill-equipped to answer my questions and the project timeline was too short to undertake any in-depth research or relationship building with the relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and the project suffered as a result.
If I were to continue pursuing a career in architecture in Australia, inherently a process of reshaping Country in a physical and intangible way, I decided I would be obliged to equip myself with a better understanding of the ethical implications incumbent on built environment professionals working on Country. With that, I undertook an Honours thesis on the subject matter by exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and place-making strategies pre-1788, in contrast to the settler-colonial systems that continue to dominate contemporary built environment practices today. I gained a foundational understanding of the concept of Country broadly through this research, which I felt would enable me to engage with the specifics of Country more effectively in my practice.
Subsequently, my ability to raise awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues through my volunteer work was also bolstered. At the time, I was Chairperson of the Community Collaboration Committee at YOUTH HEAR (Holocaust Education and Remembrance), which enabled me to share some of these learnings with the team.
In 2020 I was selected to take part in the Susan Wakil Fellowship, and under the guidance of Harry Rosen and Timnah Baker, Yalbilinya Education Project (YEP) was co-founded with the other members of my team, Ben Kaufman and Noah Cass, as well as friends of ours from outside of the Jewish community, Trayden Mundine, Will Choy and Jasmine Jahani. Our diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, along with our collective passion and drive, has ensured the idea of YEP has become a very real not-for-project organisation, with a growing volunteer base of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students and recent graduates.
Yalbilinya Education Project is a reciprocal learning platform dedicated to addressing educational disparities among young Australians. YEP provides free academic support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students across Sydney and offers quarterly engagement workshops facilitated by various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders to improve understanding of and sensitivity towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and contemporary issues. With the upcoming referendum, we are hosting our first public event with the aim of ensuring more Australians make an informed vote.
I’m currently in the process of undertaking my Master of Architecture, continually weaving in the knowledge acquired through my thesis and ongoing volunteer work while concurrently shifting the practices at my workplace. Recently, I initiated and began leading the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) process in our architectural practice, with the intention to ensure we design architecture with greater respect for Country and move towards collaborating in partnerships with Traditional Custodians.
My hope is that through my profession and volunteer work, I can encourage more people to learn about Country’s history and ongoing presence, to come to terms with the nation’s past and ongoing injustices, and proactively advocate for a more just and sustainable future.”