New acquisitions

Anna Hirsh

We are still receiving rare and historically powerful additions to the Centre’s collection: these are new additions from January to June 2018. We are so appreciative of these donations that enhance the historicism of the Holocaust, particularly with their Melbourne connections, which makes the Jewish Holocaust Centre (JHC) Collection unique. Thank you to our donors for their generosity, and to donors who have contributed funding to the archival processes. Donations of original Holocaust artefacts are always welcome, and we also welcome donation of originals where copies were previously donated to the Centre. Please contact JHC’s Senior Archivist, Dr Anna Hirsh to make an appointment: annah@jhc.org.au.

1. Yitzchak Meir Kluska Collection

Diary written by Yitzchak Meir Kluska while he hid in a tiny underground space below a domestic replace in Jedrzejow, Poland. Yitzchak Meir hid with his brother Chaskel and ve other Jews for two years until liberated in January 1945. Donated by Genia Janover.

2. Evelyne Dina Westheimer Collection

Seven Harry Choyke-Berkefeld watercolour paintings from Gurs Internment Camp, France, 1941, including a painting of the maternity barrack on the day that Evelyne Dina

‡ Louis Kahan, Untitled (Soldier), 1948

Rosenthal (later Westheimer) was born. Donated by Evelyne’s widower, Robert Westheimer.

3. Louis Kahan Collection: Untitled (Soldier), 1948, by prominent Austrian-born Australian artist Louis Kahan (1905-2002); one etching – Flight in Egypt 48/50. Donated by Lily Kahan, widow of Louis.

4. Judy Solomon Collection

A collection of dollhouse furniture, a birthday present for Hungarian-born Judy Solomon (nee Baneth) from her parents as a young child when they were in the Leipheim Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. The furniture was traded by a peddler. Donated by Judy Solomon.

5. Ruth Stein Collection

A range of documents and photographs belonging to French Resistance ghter, Ruth Kneppel (later Stein), who hid her Jewish identity while she went on various brave missions, sometimes with her infant daughter Michelle (see image of document above.) Donated by Michelle Huppert, Ruth’s daughter.

6. Eliahu Poratt Collection

Documents and photographs belonging to Eliahu Poratt, who survived camps including Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen. The family were from Lodz, Eli’s mother and little sister were murdered in Auschwitz; his father survived in the Soviet Zone. Eli went on an Aliyah Bet ship in 1946, and fought in the Golani Brigade in Israel’s War of Independence. Now 91, Eli has just given his testimony at the JHC. Donated by Eli Poratt.

7. Henry Borenstein Collection

Poetry written shortly after the war, by Henry Borenstein, who was a long-time volunteer at the JHC. Donated by David Borenstein, Henry’s son.

8. Romuald Mrozowski Collection

Diary belonging to Romuald Mrozowski, a young Pole who was taken prisoner after the Warsaw Uprising, and a photograph of Romuald. Some references indicate that he was likely to have had Jewish heritage. Donated by Brenda Hill, Romuald’s stepdaughter.

9. Sara and Chaim Zelcer Collection

Documents and photos belonging to Sara and Chaim Zelcer, who were Holocaust survivors from Lodz. Donated by Justin Zelcer, grandson.

10. Nellie Foley Collection

Photo album and documents belonging to Nellie Foley, an Australian nurse who assisted the recovery of survivors at the Bergen-Belsen DP Camp. Donated by Nellie’s grandson, Michael Neil.

11. Irene Sutton Collection

Eugene Aroneanu: Concentration Camps, crimes perpetrated against humanity, document 321, published by the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, 1946. Donated by Irene Sutton.