Honouring their Legacy

Roslyn and Richard Rogers

My wife Roslyn and I were very early donors to the museum’s foundation. Our driving force was to allow us to be active in commemorating those lost and also doing something tangible to guide and educate future generations to ensure that history will not repeat itself.

Roslyn’s father, Peter, left Skierniewice, Poland to come to Australia before World War Two, leaving behind all his family who were meant to follow shortly after. This didn’t happen and most of the family were lost to the murderous Nazi regime. He was focused on ensuring that Jewish ways of life and values were paramount in his children’s lives.

Roslyn’s mother, Anna, who came from Lvov to Australia in 1948 was the only member of her family to survive, after enduring an extremely harrowing time. Her father had arranged for a friend to supply her with false papers in order to leave the country. As it turned out these never arrived and she was hidden in a room in her own house which was occupied during the day by the Polish people who worked for the Nazis. She remained hidden for 20 months. She was saved by the family’s housekeeper and a Catholic Priest who told the housekeeper it is her duty to protect Anna. Eventually she made it to Australia where she married and had two children. Anna went about ensuring the education and safety of her children. She loved Australia and the safety and freedom it gave her –incredibly she was not bitter about the Germans and taught her children that there is good and bad in everyone.

My mother, Freda, was born in Australia. My father, Kalman, was born in Lodz, Poland. From a very young age he decided that Poland was not a safe country for Jews because of the antisemitism. He left his family in 1925 at the age of 19 and with no knowledge of English he set out for Australia. He quickly established himself and was able to work hard and bring his immediate family to Melbourne. All others in the family who remained behind in Poland were lost in the Holocaust. He had the greatest possible love for Australia and the opportunity it gave him and his family. He volunteered for many Jewish organisations over the years. We believe the MHM is a vital part of the Jewish community as well as the general community. Current and future generations of Jews must learn what happened during the Holocaust and understand how easy it is to try and wipe out a people. We cannot simply live a free life in Australia and forget the past. We must protect our future with education and knowledge. The non-Jewish community, particularly the younger more impressionable ones, need to understand the horror, immorality, and betrayal that we experienced. There is nowhere else other than our MHM where this can be done.

The school education programs that are extensively utilised by Jewish and non-Jewish schools alike and are a major reason why the museum should be supported. The strength of the MHM is the involvement, focus and dedication of the staff to both memorialise those who were lost and also to educate future generations as it won’t be long until there are no more eyewitnesses.

For our family there is no question that the museum is an essential organisation to support.

Our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all our donors and funders – your support continues to allow us to preserve Holocaust memory and teach the important lessons of the Holocaust. Below are donors of $500 and above from January to December 2022.

Jack & Lesley Silberscher

Mark & Rhonda Silver

Ivan & Annette Simmons

Stephen & Sharron Singer

Barry Singer & Simone Szalmuk-Singer

David & Tammie Slade

Graham & Mary Slade

Kevin & Suzanne Slomoi

Laurence & Lana Slomoi

Michael & Sue Small

Daniel & Keren Smolarski

David & Kathie Smorgon

Dean & Ellie Smorgon

Rodney & Ann Smorgon

The Victor & Loti Smorgon Charitable Fund

Ross & Karen Snow

Helen Sokolski

Roy Solomon

Norman Sonenberg

Zorita Sormann

Graeme & Suzanne Southwick

Spotlight Foundation

The Estate of Mary Starr

Bernie Stone

Stephen & Barbara Stowe

Halina Strnad

Dion & Romy Stub

John & Irene Sutton

Theo & Shirley Sweet

Mr & Mrs Szabson

Geoff Szalmuk

Stephen & Debbie Szental

Damien Szwarc

Joe Szwarcberg

Michelle Szwarcberg

Robert & Felicia Szwarcberg

Ben Thynne

Joe & Sharon Tigel

Frank & Miriam Tisher

Lynn Trayer

Ron & Sue Unger

Reuben & Patricia Urban

Leon & Sandra Velik

Vicki Vidor

Victor & Karen Wayne

& Jacqueline Saunders

Ari & Debbie Schachna

Ronald & Kay Schweitzer

Anne Scott

Sam & Judy Seigel

Leon & Viv Serry

David Shafar

David & Lauren Shafer

Lorraine Shapiro

James & Leanne Shaw

Judy Sher

Lily Shwarz