We invite you to join us for the commemoration of Yom HaShoah on Monday 6 May 2024.
This year we will host a panel discussion moderated by MHM CEO Dr Steven Cooke. We look forward to hearing from our three panellists, Rachelle Unreich, Anita Lester and Adam Butt, who will share their lived and professional experience of taking on the custodianship of memory. The evening will explore how we can all carry the lessons of the Holocaust into the future and will seek to understand how, in a world threatened by increasing misinformation, distortion and denial, we can bring truth to the forefront.
Image | Simon Shiff
PhD, University of Bristol
Dr Steven Cooke has over 30 years’ experience in the cultural heritage sector across both museums and academia. An internationally recognised expert on the memorialisation of the Holocaust, Steven has published extensively on both the historical evolution of Holocaust museums and memorials, and new approaches to sharing Holocaust survivor testimony. His exceptional work has led the Australian Government to appoint him to the Australian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, where he represents Australia on the Memorials and Museums Working Group.
From 2002 until 2011 Steven held leadership positions at some of Australia’s most significant cultural heritage sites, including the Shrine of Remembrance. From there, he transitioned into academia where he worked at Deakin University as an Associate Professor and Course Director for the Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies postgraduate programs, helping inspire the next generation of museum professionals.
In 2020 he was the lead investigator on the landmark Gandel Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness in Australia Survey.
Steven believes passionately about the role Holocaust museums can play in educating the whole community about the dangers of racism and antisemitism and in working towards a more cohesive and respectful society.
Rachelle Unreich started her journalism career when she was completing her Arts/Law degrees at Monash University. In addition to studying writing at UCLA, she has lived in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne. She has been a journalist for 38 years, writing cover stories for The Age, Harper’s Bazaar, marie claire, Rolling Stone and others, and has had regular columns in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Herald Sun and Elle magazine. Her work has appeared extensively in Australia, the US, UK and South-East Asia. She currently lives in Melbourne. A Brilliant Life is her debut.
Anita Lester, a multidisciplinary artist from Melbourne, Australia, is celebrated not only for her music but also as an award-winning painter, filmmaker, poet, and illustrator.
She gained recognition through her solo EP “Erato,” released in March 2020 amidst uncertain times. Tracks such as “Wrong Time” and her cover of Leonard Cohen’s “You Want it Darker” found resonance, featuring in film and television, including ‘The Walking Dead’. Her debut album ‘The Clown’, released in March 2023.
In the realm of film, her short ‘Noch Am Leben (I’m Still Alive)’ garnered acclaim at over 50 festivals worldwide, becoming a fixture in Holocaust and Jewish museums globally. Her debut feature ‘Song of Songs’, announced in 2023, further solidifies her impact on cinema.
Anita’s paintings, characterized by their technical skill and mythological themes, have earned praise, with notable works including a portrait of Flea from the ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ and a series depicting Holocaust survivors currently set for exhibit in 2025.
Her literary contributions extend to poetry, storytelling, and collaborations such as Arnold Zabel’s upcoming children’s book ‘The Glass Horse of Venice’, set for release in 2024.
Anita Lester’s art is deeply rooted in storytelling, intertwining themes of love, longing, hope, and Jewish culture across her various creative endeavors.
Adam Butt is a barrister who specializes in international arbitration, commercial litigation and human rights law. He has acted on numerous international investment and commercial arbitrations with seats in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and the Caribbean. He acts on complex human rights and commercial cases and regularly leads teams in Federal and state Supreme Courts, in cases both for and against the Crown. Adam has won major native title and Aboriginal land claim disputes across Australia, in addition to significant claims brought under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). This has included claims concerning antisemitism including the Brighton Secondary case, Kaplan v State of Victoria. Currently Adam acts on several cases which involve racial discrimination and related matters, including claims concerning antisemitism and issues of discrimination against Indigenous Australians. During 2020 to 2023, Adam was a finalist each year in Australia’s Lawyers Weekly Barrister of the Year Award, including winning the Award in 2021. Adam’s late grandmother, Rose Butt, was one of the founding volunteer of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.
We invite you to join us for the commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Monday 29 January 2024.
This year we will be hosting a panel discussion on the importance of democracy.
Moderated by MHM Head of Exhibitions & Programming Dr Breann Fallon, the panel discussion will see three expert panelists explore the importance of democracy through the lens of their unique experiences – both lived and professional – to better understand the fragility of our freedom.
The event will also feature an address from guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat AM.
Artwork | Detail from Evidence of Evil, 1993/2022, a graphic light installation created by Stih & Schnock for the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, representing a selection of antisemitic laws and decrees passed by the Nazi regime between 1933-1945.
Nina was born on 8 April 1939 in Lwów, Poland. Nina and her mother survived the Holocaust and came to Australia in 1949 as refugees after two years in a displaced person’s camp in Germany. They settled in Melbourne. Nina studied arts and law at the University of Melbourne, and served as president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and as president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
Image | The Australian website
Daniel is a senior lecturer in East European Jewish History at Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. His areas of research specialisation are East European Jewish history, the history of humanitarian aid and international development, and the history of Zionism and modern Israel.
Image | Stanford University website.
Nyadol was born in a refugee camp in Itang, Ethiopia, raised in several refugee camps and separated from her mother at a very young age before moving to Australia at the age of 18. Nyadol has completed a Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University and her Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne. Nyadol is a vocal advocate for human rights, focusing on legal reform, social justice, and multiculturalism.
Image | Victoria University website.
Kylie is an Australian political scientist specialising in Islam and the Middle East. Kylie speaks several Middle Eastern languages and has spent significant periods travelling and conducting academic research in the region. In 2018 she was wrongfully detained during a research trip to Iran, and served more than two years of a ten-year sentence before being freed in November 2020 in a prisoner exchange deal.
Kylie is the author of the bestselling 2022 memoir ‘The Uncaged Sky’
Image | Speaking out website
To watch this event online please click here
Please join us for our 2023 oration: Combating hate speech in the digital age.
This year we are pleased to announce our Betty & Shmuel Rosenkranz Oration will be presented by Karel Fracapane – Leader of hate speech issues within the Division for Peace and Sustainable Development arm within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Karel has dedicated his professional life to combatting antisemitism and racism, Holocaust remembrance and the prevention of genocide, and violent extremism. Currently, he is focused on global citizenship issues, including hate speech, post-Holocaust issues and addressing contemporary forms of antisemitism.
Please register in advance and secure a place.
Please join us online for an exclusive panel discussion hosted by Dr Simon Holloway, featuring the director of Getting Away with Murder(s), David Wilkinson.
Although many spoke of justice in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the overwhelming majority of perpetrators never saw the inside of a courtroom. Some of those who stood trial were acquitted, while many of those who were found guilty only served brief sentences, ending their lives in comfort and relative obscurity. While a few committed individuals endeavoured to seek out and prosecute former war criminals, a growing popular indifference made the exacting of justice increasingly difficult.
In this live webinar, Simon will engage in discussion with David Wilkinson, whose new film – Getting Away with Murder(s) – explores the desperate attempts made by individuals and organisations to bring perpetrators of genocide to justice, and the ways in which the justice system ultimately failed. Joining us in conversation will be Professor Mary Fulbrook, whose recent book Reckonings explores the complex history of postwar justice, and Philip Rubenstein: former director of the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary War Crimes Group.
Getting Away with Murder(s) is available in Australia on 7Plus. It contains some graphic footage.
Please view the recording of our 2023 International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration below. Our 2024 event will be held on 29 January, focusing on the theme ‘The Fragility of Freedom’. Learn more
The theme for the 2023 event is keeping memory alive, asking us to keep alive both the voices of Holocaust survivors, and the memories of those murdered. It is not just a call to remember the past, but to reflect on the different ways in which it can inform our actions into the future, inspiring us to combat antisemitism, racism and prejudice in all its forms.
Keeping memory alive also invites us to celebrate the histories and cultures of all communities, acknowledging and honouring our differences to foster a greater understanding and acceptance between peoples and promote human rights into the future.
This event provides a chance to hear survivor testimony and the insights of community leaders, as well as a special performance from the acclaimed Yiddish music group the Bashevis Singers.
Please view the recording of our 2023 International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration below. Our 2024 event will be held on 29 January, focusing on the theme ‘The Fragility of Freedom’. Learn more
2022 Betty & Shmuel Rosenkranz Oration
Join us for the first major event in the new Melbourne Holocaust Museum, exploring Holocaust education in the 21st century with Sara J. Bloomfield, director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Sara will be speaking about the importance and relevance of Holocaust education and museums in the 21st century. Based on her experience of over 30 years with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, she will explore the challenges we face in the world today, and how we can respond to them using the power of truth.
Following her presentation Sara will appear in conversation with Jayne Josem, CEO of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.
Sara J. Bloomfield has led the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for 23 years, working to build a global institution that raises Holocaust awareness, deepens understanding of the lessons of the Holocaust, confronts denial, and advances genocide prevention. She serves on the International Auschwitz Council and is a recipient of the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and five honorary doctorates. She joined the planning staff of the Museum in 1986 when it was a project in development and served in a variety of roles before becoming director in 1999. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Bloomfield holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree in Education from John Carroll University, and has studied business administration at the graduate level.
Join the Melbourne Holocaust Museum and the Lodz Committee in commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the liquidation of the Lodz Ghetto.
The Landsmanshaftn were societies of Jewish immigrants who came from the same town or region in Eastern Europe. They were named for the members’ original birthplaces. They were formed to assist their fellow ‘townspeople’ in settling into their new lives in Australia. This assistance – material, emotional, cultural, and social – helped many new arrivals to begin their acclimatisation to life in their new country.
By 1949, numerous attempts had been made to form a Lodzer Landsmanshaft. In 1953 an initiating committee was formed with the aim of calling a general meeting of Melbourne Jews from the Polish city of Lodz and organising an evening to commemorate the memory of their annihilated community.
Today’s Lodz Committee consists of second and third generation descendants. As the years pass by and we have fewer of our precious survivors with us, we realise the importance of involving the younger generations in helping us remember the Lodzers who called Melbourne their home. Today we remember and honour Jewish Lodz, and its inhabitants, the last embers of a once glorious and vibrant community.
This year’s speakers include Holocaust survivor Mr Abram Goldberg OAM in conversation with his son Charlie; George Greenberg AM, child of Holocaust survivors, and family; child of Holocaust survivors Marcia Jacobs; and a tribute to Holocaust survivor, the late Mr David Prince (z”l).
Join us in celebrating the 100th birthday of Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel OAM, and commemorating his tireless work recording the harrowing experiences of other survivors.
Volunteering at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum for more than 30 years, Phillip has recorded survivor testimonies and preserved their voices. Each testimony of survival is a miracle in itself – earning Phillip the nickname the Keeper of Miracles.
In 2021, Phillip was interviewed by Dr. Stephen Smith MBE, former executive director of USC Shoah Foundation in Los Angeles, whose Visual History Archive holds 53,000 testimonies of eyewitnesses to the Holocaust and other genocides.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Phillip’s birthday with a special screening of that interview, and hear Phillip and Stephen discuss Phillip’s work, his legacy, and the lessons of survivor testimony.
We invite you to join us for the Australia-wide online commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD) and the liberation of Auschwitz on Thursday 27 January at 7.30pm AEDT.
The members of the Australian Holocaust Museum Alliance unite for this event to inspire Australians to keep the memories of survivors and those murdered in the Holocaust alive.
At a time when the number of living survivors continues to dwindle, IHRD illuminates the stories of survivors, alongside the voices of leaders within the wider community, to combat racism and discrimination and to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust continue to be passed on to future generations.
We hope that you will join us in remembrance along with thousands of others across Australia.
This event proudly supported by the Gandel Foundation and the Victorian Government Multicultural Festivals & Events Program.
Join us in launching Gift of Time: Discoveries from the daily ritual of reading with my father by Frances Prince.
Frances Prince began reading to her Holocaust survivor father David Prince in mid-March 2020 as a form of care during the pandemic.
As they read a number of memoirs by Holocaust survivors, David reflected upon his Holocaust experiences and life as a Polish Jewish university student in post-war Munich. Together, they engaged in many conversations emerging from David’s recollections from the past, and Frances memorialised their family dialogue by penning Gift of Time.
The Gift of Time book launch features an in conversation between Joanna Murray–Smith and Frances Prince followed by a Q & A.
Gift of Time has been published by Real Film and Publishing.
Image: Gift of Time author Frances Prince reading with Holocaust survivor father David Prince.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the Eichmann Trial, we invite you to join us for our On Trial Event Series.
The first in the series is – The Testimony of Halina Strnad at the Bruno Dey Trial
Halina Strnad is a Holocaust survivor who gave testimony at the trial of Bruno Dey; she was the only witness from Australia. Dey was an SS guard at Stutthof concentration camp when Halina was a prisoner. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
Halina will be interviewed by her long-time friend, Dr John Rogers. She will talk about her experiences during the Holocaust and during the 2020 trial and will share her thoughts on justice and forgiveness.
Introduced by the MHM’s Manager of Collections and Research, Dr Anna Hirsh.
We look forward to seeing you online on Thursday 22 July at 7:30 PM for this significant discussion.
The Freedom Circus tells the story of one family’s courage, hope, survival as well as their death-defying act escaping the Nazis and starting a new life in Australia.
After Sue Smethurst married into the Horowitz family, she heard snippets of stories about an astonishing cross-country escape through Poland and Russia during World War II, and of life in a circus. Sue realised she was in possession of an important piece of history and so, armed with a tin of old photographs and a voice recorder, she visited her husband’s grandmother, Mindla Horowitz, each week in an attempt to find out more.
Mindla was a young Jewish girl living in Warsaw when she met Kubush, a clown performing with Poland’s famous Staniewski Brothers circus. The young couple fell in love and were married, but soon after, war broke out. When Hitler began his reign of terror in Warsaw, Kubush was far from home with the circus. Mindla fled with their little boy, Gad, to be with her husband, but after arriving in the eastern city of Bialystok she found the circus had already moved on. She was captured, sent to a Russian prison and Gad was taken from her.
Join us in person at our temporary home in Malvern East or via Zoom to see award-winning author and journalist Sue Smethurst in conversation with the Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Co-President Sue Hampel OAM about The Freedom Circus.
This is the first in-person event since COVID-19 closed our doors more than a year ago. We are thrilled to welcome you back! We understand that not everyone is comfortable with public gatherings, so we are also offering the option of live streaming via Zoom.
Please note that for those who will be joining us in-person, we will provide the address of our Malvern East location in an email after booking. For those who will be watching on Zoom, a link and instructions on how to join will be provided via email before the event.
You are cordially invited to join us for the first Australia-wide commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January at 7pm AEDT (NSW, VIC, TAS, & ACT).
Holocaust Museums across Australia are uniting to present a moving and memorable commemoration. This online event will illuminate ways that we can all be a light for humanity in the darkness, through the inspiring words of Holocaust survivors and leaders in society.
Notable speakers include: Prime Minister the Hon. Scott Morrison MP; The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP; Senator The Hon. Penny Wong; The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG; Holocaust Survivor Olga Horak OAM; John Gandel AC, Chairman of Gandel Philanthropy; Gideon Reisner, CEO of Stand Up.
Holocaust survivors from across Australia will participate in a moving candle lighting ceremony to ensure that the memory of the 6 million murdered in the Holocaust, is never forgotten.
Join us to heed the action to shine our own ‘light’ on intolerance and injustices that continue to prevail.
Keynote speaker: Paul Salmons, Curator & Education Consultant.
More than one million people were murdered in Auschwitz. But they did not disappear without trace. Material evidence of their lives and these crimes still remain – objects as witness, each with a story to tell. This talk will reveal how a major new exhibition explores the history and significance of Auschwitz through hundreds of artefacts, the challenges in curating a story of destruction, and will ask why this still matters today.
This event was made possible by the Judy and Leon Goldman family.
Paul Salmons is an independent curator and education consultant specializing in “difficult histories”. His work includes “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away”, a major travelling exhibition produced by Spanish company Musealia, which presents some 700 original artefacts.
Paul worked for ten years at the Imperial War Museum in London, helping to create the UK’s national exhibition on the Holocaust and developing its distinctive educational approach. He has served on the UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for some 20 years.
Join The Melbourne Holocaust Museum and 100 other museums and cultural institutions around the world for We Are Here: A Celebration of Resilience, Resistance, and Hope on Monday, June 15 @ 5.30pm
Featuring award-winning media personalities Whoopi Goldberg, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Adrien Brody, Mayim Bialik, and Jackie Hoffman, world-renowned singers and musicians Renee Fleming, Lea Salonga, Steven Skybell, Joyce DiDonato, and Lang Lang, and other public figures from all walks of life, the free 90-minute program will commemorate the recent anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and project a message of hope amidst the crises we face.
