Melbourne Holocaust Museum Foundation Receives Unprecedented Gift to Establish a “Centre for Holocaust Education”

The Melbourne Holocaust Museum Foundation (MHMF) is excited to announce that it has received an unprecedented pledge to support Holocaust education at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum (MHM). In recognition of this gift, the MHM will establish The Judy & Leon Goldman Centre for Holocaust Education. This transformational commitment, in the form of an endowment to the Foundation from Leon Goldman and his family, will secure the ongoing delivery of educational programs designed to inspire students and others to confront hatred, prevent racism and promote human dignity.

The prestigious naming of the “Judy & Leon Goldman Centre for Holocaust Education” is in recognition of the largest gift ever received by either the MHM or the Foundation.

The Judy & Leon Goldman Centre for Holocaust Education will be the pre-eminent Centre for Holocaust education in Australia, embracing all aspects of the MHM’s educational activities, including the ongoing development and delivery of a range of programs for a variety of visitor groups, including students, educators, public servants and professionals. It will ensure that the MHM continues its role in advancing and disseminating knowledge about the tragedy of the Holocaust while encouraging visitors to reflect on the need for vigilance in preserving a democratic society.

“We are overwhelmed and so grateful for the vision and foresight of the Goldman family. This outstanding gift will enable us to continue to expand our educational agenda to ensure maximum output and reach across Victoria and beyond. It will support the further development of both museum and outreach programs through educational initiatives.” said Helen Mahemoff, Chair of the MHMF.

“The Judy & Leon Goldman Centre for Holocaust Education, as a sub-brand of the MHM, will be used in MHM communications, and will come to represent both the MHM and the Goldman’s far-reaching contribution to learning, teaching, research and community engagement – all part of the MHM’s mission to ‘Keep the Survivors’ Voices Alive’ and extend programs to educate widely for acceptance of a culturally diverse and cohesive society” she said.

Established in 2003 by Helen Mahemoff, the Melbourne Holocaust Museum Foundation provides the opportunity for donors to support the Centre in a significant and enduring manner. The MHMF is a stand-alone entity with the sole purpose of providing for the long-term future financial security and sustainability of the MHM. The Foundation’s charter is to raise funds from donors in order to build a substantial permanent endowment fund.

An independent Board of Trustees governs the Foundation corpus, which together with the Goldman commitment will exceed $19M. Every gift to the Foundation is applied in full to the endowment and a portion of the income is granted annually to the MHM. In this way, the fund maintains its real value and every gift has a growing and everlasting impact on the vital work of the MHM.

“The MHMF currently covers almost 50 percent of the Centre’s running costs and is a rare asset in the Jewish communal landscape. Helen’s tireless work has created a strong sense of security for the future needs of the MHM” said Jayne Josem, Museum Director.