Gandel Holocaust Knowledge in Australia Survey Findings Tahney Fosdike
W
e welcome the findings of the first comprehensive survey of Holocaust awareness in Australia, a study of 3500 Australians of all ages commissioned by the Gandel Foundation and conducted by Deakin University with data collected by the Social Research Centre, Melbourne. Two academics with a long history of involvement at JHC led the survey: cultural heritage specialist Dr Steven Cooke and genocide scholar Dr Donna-Lee Frieze. JHC co-president Sue Hampel OAM and child Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat AM were members of the esteemed advisory panel, providing expertise and knowledge which guided the questions and focus of the survey, as well as its dissemination. Other key members of the panel included Richelle Bud Caplan from Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Rebecca Kummerfeld from the Sydney Jewish Museum and teacher Lauren Holveroud, an alumni of the Gandel Holocaust Program. “Australia welcomes the upcoming Gandel Foundation and Deakin University Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness in Australia survey, the first and largest of its kind, which will assist research and future policy directions,” said The Hon Scott Morrison Prime Minister of Australia in a statement at the 2021 Malmo Declaration of the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. Released 27 January 2022 on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the insights from this landmark research shone a light on the ongoing need for local Holocaust museums and education. “People who have a higher awareness of the Holocaust tend to have warm feelings towards minorities in general, whether to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, First Nations people and asylum seekers, so I think that’s part of the reason that public Holocaust education is important,” says Museum Director & CEO Jayne Josem.
While findings revealed almost 70% of Australians know the Holocaust refers to the genocide and mass murder of Jewish people, the specific details of Holocaust knowledge ranked lower. For instance, only 49% are aware that Hitler came to power through a democratic election. Significantly, the survey revealed that over 70% of Australians know little to nothing about Australia’s connections to the Holocaust, with only 7% knowing that Australia has arguably the highest per capita number of Holocaust survivors outside Israel.
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While this survey shows that Australians on average know a fair bit about the Holocaust, there are still critical gaps in that knowledge and awareness, including among the younger generation.
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“Much work still remains to be done,” said Gandel Foundation CEO Vedran Drakulic OAM. “While this survey shows that Australians on average know a fair bit about the Holocaust, there are still critical gaps in that knowledge and awareness, including among the younger generation.” The survey also revealed that two thirds of Australians support compulsory Holocaust education in schools. The findings show that specific education about the Holocaust through dedicated lessons at schools or visits to a museum or memorial, result in the strongest knowledge about the Holocaust.
Key findings include:
24
%
of Australians have little or no knowledge of the Holocaust, with this number rising to 30% amongst millennials.
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JHC Centre News
78
%
of Australians believe that the Holocaust museums and memorials are valuable.
83
%
of those who visited a Holocaust museum or centre rated their visit as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ helpful in learning about the Holocaust.
