A $6.3 million upgrade and expansion to the national Jewish community centre, 650 metres from Parliament House, would make it a home for national religious events and represent Australian Jewry, says Rabbi Alon Meltzer.
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"We want to have a memorial to commemorate the sacrifices that hundreds of Jewish Australians have made, including Australian Jewry who signed up as part of the armed forces in World War I and World War II," Rabbi Meltzer said.
"And with all of the national monuments that reside in Canberra it is imperative that there is one commemorating the Jewish community and Jewish sacrifice."
Opened in 1971, the National Jewish Memorial Centre was designed as a war memorial but that aspect was lost and it became a community centre, Rabbi Meltzer said.
After a decade of planning by the ACT Jewish community, the National Capital Authority approved the group's request to extend the National Jewish Memorial Centre in June last year.
Rabbi Meltzer said the new building would take the gross floor area from 950 square metres to 1300 square metres.
He was confident the group would soon meet its financial target after raising $2.6 million in the past few months.
The National Jewish War Memorial will list all of the names of the Australian Jews who sacrificed their lives for the country; display a roll of honour; and hold an educational exhibit detailing the contribution Australian Jewry made around the world.
Each major room will be named after a significant Jewish figure and will contain an interactive historical account of that person.
"The first part of the museum will be a permanent exhibition of war effort and contribution of Australian Jewish soldiers in the various wars and armed services," Rabbi Meltzer said.
"The second part will be a space to allow for visiting exhibitions from the Sydney Jewish Museum and Jewish Museum of Australia in Melbourne and the third part will showcase a large range of beautiful Jewish gifts given to past prime ministers and members of parliament that have been given to the Jewish community to look after and showcase."
The expansion will also include a new kitchen, improved outdoor areas and upgraded security.
The ACT Jewish community have been meeting with key figures in the national Jewish community for financial support and was launching the start of the the start of their Capital Campaign on Tuesday evening at a black tie dinner at Old Parliament House.
Rabbi Meltzer hoped construction could begin by early November and be finished by 2019.
