Australian Holocaust Museum Alliance (AHMA

Tahney Fosdike

Holocaust museums and education centres across Australia have united to create the Australian Holocaust Museum Alliance (AHMA).

AHMA’s founders – the Jewish Holocaust Centre (Melbourne), Sydney Jewish Museum, Adelaide Holocaust Museum, Holocaust Institute of Western Australia, Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre and Canberra Holocaust Museum – aim to consolidate nationwide efforts for Holocaust education and memorialisation.

“Australian Holocaust museums are making signi cant contributions to preserving the memories and stories of Holocaust survivors, as well as teaching the lessons of one of the darkest chapters of human history,” said Treasurer of Australia, The Hon Josh Frydenberg, “This alliance will work collaboratively to ensure future generations are educated about the atrocities of the Holocaust.”

Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre Co-President Pauline Rockman OAM commented that the AHMA’s establishment provides unprecedented opportunity for Australian Holocaust museums to work together to ensure best practice and ef ciency. “AHMA will give us reach in the delivery of national initiatives on Holocaust remembrance and education,” said Rockman. “This includes collaboration on activities such as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as virtual learning platforms, travelling exhibitions and societal impact measurement.”

AHMA members came together on 27 January 2022 to commemorate International Holocaust Day. The online event reminded thousands of Australian viewers to keep the light of remembrance alive and continue to pass on the memories and lessons from the Holocaust. Highlighting lessons from the past, AHMA hosted the event to cast light on discrimination, intolerance, injustice and racial vili cation, ensuring they cease to exist.

Attendees listened to moving speeches by Holocaust survivors Yvonne Engelman OAM and Nina Bassat AM, other notable speakers at the event including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, and 2017 Australian of the Year (VIC) Dr Lois Peeler AM.

Holocaust survivors from each state and territory in Australia participated in a moving candle lighting ceremony, while viewers also heard about the key ndings and recommendations from a landmark piece of research, the Gandel Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness in Australia Survey, conducted by Deakin University and Gandel Foundation.

“Australia’s Holocaust museums have recently formed an alliance so that they can work to enhance Holocaust education and commemorative activities,” explains Australian Holocaust Museum Alliance chair and JHC Museum Director & CEO Jayne Josem. “International Holocaust Remembrance Day encapsulates AHMA’s dedication to collaborate and impact Australian audiences across different cities and generations.”

Gandel Foundation, one of Australia’s largest independent family philanthropic funds, provided generous nancial and in-kind support to enable the special commemoration to come to fruition. The Gandel family has been a long-standing ambassador and advocate for Holocaust education in Australia, including through the world-class Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators. AHMA has con rmed its inaugural patrons as John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel AC.

The Hon. Scott Morrison MP speaking at the 2022 IHRD commemoration.

“Australian Holocaust museums are making signi cant contributions to preserving the memories and stories of Holocaust survivors, as well as teaching the lessons of one of the darkest chapters of human history.”

– Treasurer of Australia, The Hon Josh Frydenberg

Survivor Joe Szwarcberg with his family at IHRD 2022.

JHC Museum Director & CEO Jayne Josem at IHRD 2022.

JHC Co-President Sue Hampel at IHRD 2022. In a statement, AHMA commended the progress made in Australia to ensure that citizens in all territories throughout Australia will, in the future, have the opportunity to visit a Holocaust museum or education centre in their area. In line with this exciting prospect, AHMA also welcomed the recent announcement of funding for a Holocaust museum in Darwin, and celebrated that, with this announcement, the existence of plans to develop centres for Holocaust education in every state and territory.

Sydney Jewish Museum CEO Norman Seligman acknowledges that there are many other important organisations and individuals in the community that also dedicate themselves to Holocaust remembrance and education. He looks forward to seeing AHMA work collaboratively with these stakeholders. In this vein, the alliance also intends to become an af liate of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the roof body of the Australian Jewish community.

ECAJ president, Jillian Segal AO, welcomes the establishment of a united museum group, saying, “The ability for our Holocaust museums to unite is a wonderful way to share expertise, maintain the highest quality of education and commemoration across Australia, for the bene t of everyone.”

Tahney Fosdike is the Communications and Marketing Specialist at the JHC.