Bring our Learning Centre into the Digital Age

The Aish public library and learning centre— located in the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community — contains thousands of books specifically tailored to the beginner looking to better understand Jews and their culture, be they Jewish or members of the general public. Since we opened the centre in 2008, technology has changed how we research and consume information. We now seek to include an mp3 repository and other technology-based learning resources in our centre to increase access to the content it currently provides.

Jews are the largest minority group in Caulfield and its surrounding suburbs. While our library certainly helps disenfranchised Jews here to investigate their heritage, many non-Jewish community members live and work with members of the area’s Jewish community.

In order to understand Jewish traditions and cultural sensitivities, both these groups need reliable, curated resources — as opposed to an Internet search that will likely return foreign, inaccurate or prejudiced results.

Making these resources more accessible will aid the inclusion of young socially and culturally disengaged Jews, and build bridges between Jews and the greater community within our local area.