Voices Spring 2024

This anniversary edition of Voices focuses on the role of Holocaust education in our society, the way it has transformed throughout history, and how it can address contemporary issues of antisemitism.

Dr Simon Holloway gives us a deep insight into how Holocaust education has changed since the postwar period and Dr Steven Cooke delves into how we can
measure the outcomes of Holocaust education to determine its impact.

The MHM stands not only as a solemn reminder of the darkest chapter in humanity, but as a place of hope. It is only through education and understanding the past that we can help to inspire a brighter future.

Voices Autumn 2024

To mark our 40th anniversary the theme of this issue is “then and now”. In this issue, we reflect on the opening in 1984 and explore how far Holocaust museums have come over the past four decades.

We explore the museum experience at the reopened MHM and how visitors have been responding to our new exhibitions.

This edition also pays tribute to Holocaust survivors Szaja (John) Chaskiel and Fryda Schweitzer, who passed away in late 2023. Both Fryda and Szaja were core figures at the museum. We carry on their legacy through our programs and experiences.

In this edition of Voices, we focus on survivors and their artefacts. The issue begins with an insight into the curatorial process behind developing our two new permanent exhibition spaces with survivors’ stories as the focal point. We highlight some of the important artefacts that will be on display within our exhibitions, and share some amazing stories from our survivors and their descendants.

In this issue we are excited to unveil the rationale that underpins our new brand identity, and take readers on a journey through our redevelopment project, with Principal Architect Kerstin Thompson.

In this issue we are excited to unveil the rationale that underpins our new brand identity, and take readers on a journey through our redevelopment project, with Principal Architect Kerstin Thompson. Join us as we explore our new permanent Holocaust exhibition, Everybody Had a Name and spotlight an inspiring speech made by Nina Bassat entitled ‘The Triumph of Memory,’ an overarching theme for this issue.

At this exciting time in our history, this edition of Centre News reflects on the past, looking back to the very first issue published in 1984.

At this exciting time in our history, this edition of Centre News reflects on the past, looking back to the very first issue published in 1984. We celebrate the important contributions of the past editors. This issue looks deeper into the research of the Gandel Holocaust Survey and explores what some of the findings mean. Our feature article is an edited version of Professor Phillipe Sands keynote speech at the Betty and Shmuel Rosenkranz Oration. We are excited to update you on news of the redevelopment of our museum, as the main building phase nears completion. Please enjoy this edition of Centre News.

Melbourne Holocaust survivors are truly the stars of this Spring edition of the Centre News.

We celebrate the contributions of Phillip Maisel in our testimonies collection, feature artist Mirka Mora, explore the stories of Eva Szego, Halina Strnad and Ruth Kneppel. In the 60th anniversary of the Eichmann trial, we feature an article about its impact on attitudes to the Holocaust and to survivors. We also provide an update on the progress of the new museum building and the work of our team as we continue to deliver our virtual education programs over Melbourne’s successive lockdowns.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, your September 2020 edition of Centre News focuses on the work of the Jewish Holocaust Centre in ensuring that Holocaust education continues in a virtual environment.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, your September 2020 edition of Centre News focuses on the work of the Jewish Holocaust Centre in ensuring that Holocaust education continues in a virtual environment. Associate Professor Anna Bauer and Dr Joseph Toltz write about the first published collection of Holocaust songs, and Anna Epstein discusses Yiddish poet Melekh Ravitch’s journey to outback Australia in 1933 in his quest to find a Jewish homeland. We hope you enjoy these and the other articles in this edition.

We feature articles by Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld reflecting on his experience as an eyewitness of genocide and the rise of antisemitism today.

We feature articles by Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld reflecting on his experience as an eyewitness of genocide and the rise of antisemitism today. Eva Slonim shares memories of being liberated by the Soviet Army at Auschwitz as well as her feelings of loss and guilt as a Holocaust survivor.

Dr Chiara Renzo discusses the experiences of Jewish Displaced Persons in post-war Italy and Dr Anna Hirsh shines a light on religious diversity and tolerance in Germany today.

Photos of Children remembering hurt event.

Image: Cesia Goldberg family.

The Rosh Hashanah edition of Centre News, replete with outstanding articles, records the stories of two priceless acquisitions by the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.

The Rosh Hashanah edition of Centre News, replete with outstanding articles, records the stories of two priceless acquisitions by the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. The first is the diary of the late Yitzchak Meir Kluska, written in Yiddish on ledger paper in what was effectively a chimney, while in hiding during the Holocaust. The second tells the story of a Sefer Torah from the Czechoslovakian town of Valasske Mezirici. The small Jewish population of the town was decimated during the Holocaust: most of the community’s members were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Sefer Torah, however, survived and is now displayed at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.

Articles in this issue of Centre News include a thoughtful piece by Professor Paul Bartrop on the impact of the 1938 Evian Conference (this year is the 80th anniversary of the international meeting), and a moving account of what happened to the Polish town of Lowicz during the Shoah, written by Michaela Glass, Monash University student and recipient of the Irene and Ignace Rozental journalism scholarship. Lowicz was Michaela’s grandfather’s home town

In this edition, Mark Weitzman, from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Dr Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial, draw lessons from the Holocaust in discussing current events.

In addition, we also bring you the stories of survivors Josef Hellen and Moshe Fiszman, and Bernadette Gore and Paul Valent, who feature in the new anthology of Melbourne child survivors, A Point in Time. Maarten Joustra recounts the moving story of how he was saved through the help and courage of ‘ordinary people’ in Holland, and Ellina Zipman discusses the Melbourne Holocaust survivor opsimaths – people who learn later in life – who embarked on study after being denied an education because of the Holocaust.

The September 2016 edition of Centre News, featuring a moving tribute to Elie Wiesel by Rabbi Ralph Genende.

The September 2016 pre-Rosh Hashanah edition of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s bi-annual publication, Centre News, features a moving tribute to Elie Wiesel, who passed away on 2 July this year, by Rabbi Ralph Genende in which he refers to Wiesel as a man burning ‘with a passion and a mission … Out of this fire was born his primary mission: … to bear witness, to give testimony and create a testament for the future.’

Articles in this edition include the testimonies of those who bore witness: the stories of Lola Putt, one of the few Greek Jews to survive Auschwitz; Floris Kalman, a Belgian child survivor of the Holocaust who spent two years in hiding; Shmuel Rosenkranz, who witnessed Kristallnacht in Vienna as a teenager before escaping from Europe; and Gary Gray from Sosnowiec, Poland, and Otto Kohn from Prague, Czechoslovakia, who were prisoners in slave labour and concentration camps. As Centre News editor, Ruth Mushin, notes in her introductory message: ‘Bearing witness and giving testimony has also been the mission of Melbourne’s Holocaust survivors, and this edition is truly a celebration of their stories and the enormous contribution they have made’.

The publication includes some fascinating insights by Melbourne Holocaust Museum Curator Jayne Josem and Archivist Dr Anna Hirsh on their recent trips to Poland, an analysis of Holocaust diarists by Dr Fiona Kaufman, and a reflection on what it means to be part of the third generation of Holocaust survivors by Bram Presser.

We hope you enjoy the articles.

Our April 2015 edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them a fascinating piece by Rosa Segal titled ‘Esther’s story: a story of survival, courage and the power of the internet’, and a piece by Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel, who owes his life to the kindness of others.

Our April 2015 edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them a fascinating piece by Rosa Segal titled ‘Esther’s story: a story of survival, courage and the power of the internet’, and a piece by Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel, who owes his life to the kindness of others. Child survivor of the Holocaust psychiatrist Dr Paul Valent has penned a most perceptive essay titled ‘Effects of the Holocaust on child survivors: a review of their trauma and after-effects’,  while Olaf Ossman, Swiss-based lawyer specialising in international law and the restitution of artworks has recounted the saga of confiscated Jewish-owned artworks by the Nazis, and a Melbourne connection. And there is lots more.

If you have not yet read and enjoyed the April 2015 edition of Centre News, please take the opportunity to do so.

Article by Professor Dan Michman on the relationship between the Holocaust and other genocides, followed by coverage of Rabbi James Kennard’s presentation on the uniqueness of the Holocaust

Our April 2014 edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them a fascinating piece by Professor Dan Michman on the relationship between the Holocaust and other genocides, followed by coverage of Rabbi James Kennard’s presentation on the uniqueness of the Holocaust, delivered  at the ‘Betty and Shmuel Rosenkranz Oration: Commemorating the 75^th Anniversary of Kristallnacht.’  The journal also includes an insightful and detailed essay by Dr Gideon Greif titled ‘The Sonderkommando in Auschwitz-Birkenau: The Dearth Factory’s squad of Jewish Workers.’  As this year marks the 3oth anniversary of the establishment of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, there are several references in this issue to the history of the MHM and to the Centre’s  future direction.

If you have not yet read and enjoyed the April 2014 edition of Centre News, please take the opportunity to do so.

Our latest edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them a fascinating piece by Hariz Halilovich, ‘Postcard from Sarajevo,’ a story marked by pathos, empathy and heroism.

Our latest edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them a fascinating piece by Hariz Halilovich, ‘Postcard from Sarajevo,’ a story marked by pathos, empathy and heroism. Dr Bill Anderson, as always, has written an insightful essay, this time on the liquidation of the ghettos, while indomitable Holocaust survivor, Kitia Altman OAM has crafted a fine piece about memories of the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

‘Lost and found at the Salvos’ is a story which has a lovely Melbourne touch and will ‘speak’ to thousands of Melbournians familiar with our community’s past. And those of us familiar with the Raoul Wallenberg ‘saga’ will find both articles about the Swedish diplomat of special interest. And there is so much more! So, if you have not yet had the opportunity to read and enjoy the September edition of Centre News, please take the opportunity to do so.

Our latest edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them Bunhom (Hom) Chhorn's chilling account of the Cambodian genocide.

Our latest edition of Centre News includes a plethora of interesting articles, among them Bunhom (Hom) Chhorn’s chilling account, delivered in January on United Nations Holocaust Memorial Day, of the Cambodian genocide, of which he is a child survivor. Accounts from the autobiographical novel of Maria Lewit and from Maria Censor’s autobiography, both based on their experiences during the Holocaust, provide a vignette of the turmoil and trauma of living under Nazi rule.

A host of other articles covering a variety of subjects and personal experiences, among them Rachel Croucher’s fascinating personal journey, Adam Brown’s piece, ‘What about the women?’ and an account of MHM curator and head of collections’ visit to Vienna and Berlin make excellent reading. Rachel is a volunteer researcher at the Centre, and Adam, a Deakin University academic, is a MHM consultant.

This issue of Centre News includes an overview of the recent re-enactment of the 1938 historic William Cooper Aboriginal protest which took place shortly after Kristallnacht, the text of Nina Bassat’s keynote address on rescue and courage to care, delivered on the occasion of the United Nations Holocaust Memorial Day, and of Saba Feniger’s presentation at the annual Betty and Shmuel Rosenkranz oration last November. The Anne Frank exhibition, to which there has been an overwhelming response, is also given coverage in our publication.

We hope that you enjoy this edition of Centre News.

In this issue:

Contents

• Nazi Currency in Occupied Europe compiled by Michael Oliver & Izi Marmur
• German Youth and the Holocaust
• Letter from Bishop Christopher Prowse
• Portraits of Volunteers’ Exhibition
• 400,000 Students Visit Centre since 1984
• Renowned Israeli General Lights Candle at Centre
• Nazi Hunter, Dr. Efraim Zuroff, at Centre
• Local Shop Donates Award Money to Centre
• Book Reviews
• How I Feel The Holocaust Should Be Remembered by Helen Shardey, MP
• Third Generation Workshops at the Centre by Natalie Krasnostein
• Remembrance for Good and Bad by Dr. Natan Kellerman, PhD
• Archive’s Acquisitions
• Donations, Bequests & Sponsorships
• Foundation Donors
• Personal Announcements
• Yiddish by Moshe Ajzenbud