1987 - present

Tami Sussman was born in 1987 in Paddington at the Royal Hospital for Women.

Tami’s grandmother Adela and grandfather Chaskel Sussman were both from small rural towns in Poland before being sent to a Siberian labour camp during WWII. Although struggling under harsh conditions in the labour camp, they considered themselves lucky not to have been taken to a death camp. Her grandmother Adela lost all her brothers and sisters, whilst her grandfather Chaskel had some surviving relatives after the war.

From Siberia, Tami’s grandparents were sent to a Displaced Persons Camp in Austria before making their way to France to embark on the ‘El Sudan’ which brought them to Melbourne. From there they caught a train to Sydney.

Australia has been the refuge for more Holocaust survivors per capita than any other country, apart from Israel. The Close Relatives Reunion Scheme after WWII allowed Holocaust survivors to enter on the basis of having family that already resided within Australia. There were a total of 27,000 Holocaust survivors in Australia who arrived between 1945-1961. With the passage of time, only a few are still with us, but their children and grandchildren carry on their legacy.

Chaskel's oldest brother Gershon, who was in the Polish army, came to Australia as part of the Australian infantry and served in Papua New Guinea. It was this that enabled Tami’s grandparents to come to Australia in 1949. They arrived in Coogee and then settled in Bondi to be closer to the Central Synagogue. This was the beginning of life in Australia and the Eastern Suburbs for Tami and her family. The Sussmans are known for setting up one of the first Kosher Butcher shops in Bondi. Even though the shop has been closed for decades, to this day the surname ‘Sussman’ is still synonymous with ‘Kosher Butchers’ for the older residents of Bondi who enjoy reminiscing about the animated characters who ran the business.

Tami’s eccentric Jewish family and experience growing up around Bondi continues to inspire her writing.