Guest Stephen Lindner

Stephen has worked as a lawyer for over 50 years, specialising in criminal defence cases, with a particular interest in securing best possible sentencing outcomes for his clients found guilty or pleading guilty. He sees this as being for the benefit, not just for those he represents, but for the good of the community they live in. Stephen was one of the first volunteers at Fitzroy Legal Service, a precursor to Victoria Legal Aid. He is a supporter of legal aid for defendants who would otherwise be unrepresented in court. When a group of asylum-seekers were charged with rioting in a detention centre in Nauru, Stephen was one of a group of lawyers from Australia sent to represent them. He is also a proud father and is a grandfather to two Bialik students, whom he adores.

Stephen was born in 1946 in Lodz, Poland to parents Rafal and Wanda, two Polish-Jews who were the only members of their families to survive the Holocaust.

Part 1 - Stephen’s early life as a new Australian and how he and his parents navigated starting over in Melbourne.

Part 2 - Stephen reflects on his long career in criminal defence law and his commitment to social justice.

Part 3 - Stephen tells the story his parents’ wartime experiences and how they survived the Holocaust.

Introduction – 0:00 - 2:39

Part 1 – 2:40 - 30:59

Part 2 – 31:00 - 55:49

Part 2 – 55:50 - 88:37

Outro – 88:38 - 89:43

The Brothers Who Found Their Story - https://www.theage.com.au/national/the-brothers-who-found-their-story-20031101-gdwnih.html

Melbourne Holocaust Museum - https://mhm.org.au/

Courage to Care - https://couragetocare.org.au/

Special thanks to:

Bialik College - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Bialik College Parents Association - https://www.bialik.vic.edu.au/community/parents-association

Bialik College Foundation - https://foundation.bialik.vic.edu.au/

Yad Vashem - https://www.yadvashem.org/

Gandel Foundation - https://gandelfoundation.org.au/

Adam Starr - https://www.starrmusic.com.au/

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Contact us anytime: theirstoriesunbroken@gmail.com

Podcast by Matthew Sortino Music by Adam Starr