On Friday 23 May we wrapped up our National Volunteer Week celebrations with a morning tea to honour our Volunteers. We were so lucky to have the inspiring and charismatic Eva de Jong – Duldig present to our volunteers.
Eva is the founder of the Duldig Studio, museum + sculpture garden, a Melbourne public museum and art gallery which preserves the Duldig family heritage. Her memoir DRIFTWOOD – escape and survival through art (ASP 2017) tells the Duldig family story in the context of the times in Europe and Australia. It was adapted and staged as a musical in 2023, which many of our volunteers attended.
A leading Australian tennis player Eva was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon (1961-63). Following her marriage to Henri de Jong she became National Champion of the Netherlands and played Federation Cup. Henri’s survival story was featured in the original 1992 Courage to Care exhibition. Eva continues ‘inspiring creative journeys’ through her ongoing patronage of the Duldig Studio and her community involvement.
This was an amazing opportunity to hear more about the Upstanders in Eva’s story as well as those Upstanders who saved her late husband Henri. We also learned about the Duldig Studio’s new Holocaust Studies education program from Board member Gina Panebianco.
Special thanks to our friends at B’nai B’rith Vic for providing us with an accessible venue at Beth Weizman Community Centre.
