Holocaust museums rely on artefacts to recount history in a tangible way. Physical objects draw audiences into deeper engagement with the past through the tactile nature of material history. In the process of collection, however, museum professionals often encounter jarring and strange items that allude to harrowing stories of trauma and loss.

In this conversation, Jayne Josem, former CEO and Curator of Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Shannon Biederman, Senior Curator at the Sydney Jewish Museum, and Dan Haumschild, Head of Exhibitions and Storytelling of Melbourne Holocaust Museum, share stories from their combined decades of experience. They will provide a window of insight about the most impactful items they’ve encountered and some of the most morally challenging ones as well. They’ll explore stories that have never been shared before and wrestle with the question of whether some items and histories might best be kept secret.