From the Presidents

At a time when antisemitism and denial of the Holocaust is on the rise, fuelled by a toxic mix of xenophobic nationalism, populist politicians exploiting fear and hatred, and the limitless reach of the worldwide web, we must concentrate our efforts on memory and education.

It’s been an exciting few months since we have moved back into our new building. School students have returned in large numbers, and we have hosted some special events. These include the Betty & Shmuel Rosenkranz Oration with keynote speaker Sara Bloomfield from the USHMM and the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration. You can revisit the IHRD 2023 event via the MHM website.

In other news, we are delighted that the Parliamentary Friends of IHRA was launched in Canberra, chaired by MPs Josh Burns, Allegra Spender and Julian Leeser. This non-partisan group is a forum for MPs to meet with Holocaust organisations to discuss the strengthening of Holocaust education, remembrance and combatting antisemitism. Their first task was to encourage Australian universities to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

In November, we attended the IHRA plenary in Gothenburg, where Sue presented the results of the Gandel Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness in Australia survey, the first national, large-scale survey of Australians’ knowledge of the Holocaust. You can view the full report on the Gandel Foundation website.

2023 promises to be an exciting year. We can’t wait to launch the memorial room designed by architect Stephen Jolson and our two new museum spaces including our core exhibition and our youth-focused exhibit.

Mazal tov to our cherished survivor Andy Factor for receiving a well-deserved honour in the Australia Day Awards.

We look forward to greeting you at the MHM.

Pauline & Sue

Editor’s note

We are deeply saddened on the recent passing of Stan Marks, whose outstanding contribution to the literary world including the Melbourne Holocaust Museum will always be remembered. Stan was editor of Centre News for 16 years and was instrumental in bringing in a broad range of content and articles from around the world covering important issues relating to the Holocaust.

In anticipation of the MHM’s grand opening, this issue of Voices delves into more detail about the new Museum, highlighting the special Memorial Room space, the introduction of the ground-breaking ‘Hidden’ Museum (for younger visitors), as well as a feature on how we are working to prepare visitors for a most meaningful experience at the new MHM.

Thank you for your continued support of our publication and our mission. Together, we will ensure that the memories remain for future generations and are never forgotten.