September 2014 Jewish Holocaust Centre YEARS 1984-2014 The magazine of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Melbourne, Australia Remember the Past Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. VBH 7236 Change the Future JHC Board: The Jewish Holocaust Centre is dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews President: Pauline Rockman OAM murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Immediate Past President: We consider the finest memorial to all victims of racist policies to be an Shmuel Rosenkranz educational program which aims to combat antisemitism, racism and prejudice in Secretary: Elly Brooks the community and fosters understanding between people. Treasurer: David Cohen Members: Goldie Birch, Allen Brostek, Alex Dafner, Cedric Geffen, Abram Goldberg OAM, Sue Hampel OAM, Paul Kegen, Helen Mahemoff, Viv Parry, Willy Lermer JHC Foundation: CONTENTS Chairperson: Helen Mahemoff From the President 3 Trustees: Nina Bassat AM Editor’s letter 3 Joey Borensztajn Allen Brostek Director’s cut 4 David Cohen Education 5 Jeffrey Mahemoff AO The Jewish Holocaust Centre celebrates its 30th anniversary at a gala dinner 6 Patrons: Professor Yehuda Bauer Remembering the Jewish Holocaust Centre’s 30 years: a personal reflection 8 Mrs Eva Besen AO A Future for the Past: reflections on a conference 10 Mr Marc Besen AO Sir William Deane AC CBE From a Year 11 field trip to researching gender and sexual Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE violence in Holocaust film 12 Mrs Diane Shteinman AM Steven Spielberg What don’t we know? Unanswered questions from the Holocaust 14 JHC Staff: Child Survivors of the Holocaust Melbourne s Warren Fineberg, Executive Director eal a time capsule to be opened in 2064 16 Lisa Phillips, Director of Education Leon Jedwab: a survivor from Zagorow 17 Jayne Josem, Curator, Head of Collections Michael Cohen, Community Relations An autumn journey 18 Coordinator Reuben Zylberszpic, Development The Jewish Holocaust Centre hosts a Welcome to Country Manager and Smoking Ceremony 19 Phillip Maisel OAM, Head of Testimonies Project Australian reflections: one year of Holocaust Memorial Service 20 Robbie Simons, Testimonies Assistant Book review: Totally Unofficial: The Autobiography of Raphael Lemkin 21 Coordinator / Audio-visual Producer Tammy Reznik, Education Officer Lodz Ghetto: the Strength of Hope: an online Lodz Ghetto exhibition Anatie Livnat, Education Officer in memory of Bono Wiener 21 Rae Silverstein, Volunteer Coordinator Fearless leadership is critical for a good society: Claude Fromm, Assistant Archivist Daniel Feldman, Project Administrator reflections on March of the Living 22 Julia Reichstein, Librarian / Information Some highlights of my March of the Living experience 23 Manager Lena Fiszman, Office and IT Manager JHC Social Club 24 Tosca Birnbaum, Reception Friends of the Jewish Holocaust Centre 25 Centre News Editorial Commitee: Seen around the Centre 26 Editor: Ruth Mushin Michael Cohen Stories from the Collection 28 Lena Fiszman Jayne Josem What makes the Holocaust different? 29 Pauline Rockman OAM William Cooper remembered through the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Reuben Zylberszpic Wilson Family Scholarship 30 Moshe Ajzenbud (Yiddish) Community news 31 On the cover: 13–15 Selwyn Street OPENING HOURS Holocaust survivors and the Elsternwick Vic 3185 Sholem Aleichem College choir Mon–Thu: 10am–4pm Australia at the Jewish Holocaust Centre Fri: 10am–2pm gala dinner, May 2014. t: (03) 9528 1985 Sun & Public Hols: 12pm–4pm f: (03) 9528 3758 Photos: Simon Shiff Closed on Saturdays, e: [email protected] Jewish Holy Days and w: www.jhc.org.au some Public Holidays This publication has been designed and produced by Izigraphics Pty Ltd www.izigraphics.com.au Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Centre News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine editor or editorial committee. While Centre News welcomes ideas, articles, photos, poetry and letters, it reserves the right to accept or reject material. There is no automatic acceptance of submissions. 2 JHC Centre NewsNews FROM THE PRESIDENT Over 30 years ago, a group of leaders’ March of the Living (MOTL) Melbourne Holocaust survivors, group from Melbourne and Sydney. Pauline with little external financial support, Once again, this was a most powerful Rockman OAM had the courage, foresight and journey for all. For the first time, determination to create a museum, MOTL commenced the journey in an educational institution and a Berlin, Germany, the actual birthplace commemorative place. Five years of Nazism. Our program began at ago, at the Centre’s 25th anniversary, the Australian embassy located in I pledged that my generation would Mitte, in former East Berlin, on the uphold the legacy of our founders, eve of Anzac Day. Together with n 20 May I was privileged and I believe we are doing just that. I David Ritchie, Australian Ambassador to be involved in the am very proud of the achievements to Germany, we walked across the Jewish Holocaust of my Board, our survivors, staff and road to a deserted building, where a O Centre’s 30th anniversary volunteers, and the JHC Foundation. building owned by my grandparents gala dinner held at Peninsula at I do not believe the founding – and destroyed during the Second Docklands. And what a night it was! Holocaust survivors would have World War – once stood. There I gave Six hundred guests – Holocaust imagined that what they had a testimony in memory of my family. survivors, Jewish Holocaust Centre built would grow into the vibrant After three intensive days in Berlin (JHC) supporters and their guests – organisation we have today, with we flew to Cracow, Poland. On Yom gathered in this amazing space. My over 20,000 secondary students HaShoah we marched together from thanks to the wonderful team of JHC and 10,000 visitors from the general Auschwitz I to Birkenau with young staff and volunteers, and particularly public walking through our doors Jewish students from all over the to Helen Mahemoff, who worked so annually. world, as well as many non-Jewish hard to organise this event. Today we are still blessed to have participants. To open the night, our MC, Michael survivors active at the Centre. In the This year marked 70 years since Cohen, asked our beloved Holocaust words of my dear friend and mentor the destruction of the Hungarian survivors to stand. The applause Kitia Altman, ‘For me, the Holocaust Jewish community. The words of was tumultuous, setting the tone Centre always was, and remains, Cecilia Ahlberg, great-niece of Raoul a natural custodian of survivors’ for the rest of the evening. The Wallenberg, who took part in the memories and pain… forever.’ Sholem Aleichem College choir sang MOTL Yom HaShoah ceremony at in Yiddish and our guest speaker, Some of our survivors who joined in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, left us with Major General (Ret) Ido Nehushtan, the years after the Holocaust Centre a profound message: ‘We cannot spoke movingly. His words, ‘We was established are sadly no longer all do everything, but we can all do weren’t there then, but we are now’ with us, but their voices are heard something, because you make a resonated deeply with our survivors today and will continue to be heard difference. Every person can make a and the second and third generations. into the future, on the video screens difference.’ in the museum and through their As I shared the podium with survivor Wishing you all l’shana tova Halina Zylberman and JHC Treasurer testimonies. and third generation David Cohen, In April I returned once again to the atmosphere was almost palpable. Europe, co-leading a communal EDITOR’S LETTER reflection, which appears in this included a panel discussion of the edition, provides a history of the ongoing effects of the genocide. Ruth Mushin Centre from someone who has been Articles by presenters Matt Lawson actively involved in the JHC, almost and Deb Waterhouse-Watson will from the first day. We also feature the give you an idea of the great breadth Gala Dinner, held in May, which was and depth of the conference program. a celebration of the past 30 years, as Despite the extensive and valuable well as a glimpse at the plans for the research that has been undertaken Centre’s development into the future. about the Holocaust, Dr David In July, the Centre, together with Silberklang, Senior Historian at Yad ow many of you have Deakin University, hosted a major Vashem, has written a thought- noticed the very small international conference entitled provoking article about what we print beneath the Jewish The Future of the Past: Representing don’t know, identifying Jewish Holocaust Centre’s 30th the Holocaust, Genocide, and Mass communities affected by the Hanniversary logo ‘Remember the Trauma in the 21st Century. As this Holocaust that have not yet been Past Change the Future’? During year also marks the 20th anniversary studied, unanswered questions and this anniversary year, Centre News of the Rwandan genocide, the areas for further study. continues to feature the special conference was fittingly launched by This is just a small taste of the next events that have focused on that Michael Roux, the Honorary Consul forty pages. I hope you enjoy reading message. Saba Feniger’s personal General of Rwanda in Australia, and them. JHC Centre News 3 DIRECTOR’S CUT Yom HaShoah had particular The Centre regularly undertakes significance to us this year as research on a range of topics. Warren we remembered the plight of Curator Jayne Josem has recently Fineberg Hungarian Jews and the liquidation completed two years of work of the remaining ghettos 70 years collecting artefacts and stories ago. Survivors and members of about the Lodz Ghetto. A valuable the second generation commenced on-line exhibition, sponsored the commemoration with candle by the Bono Wiener Estate, can lighting at the Jewish Holocaust be found on the JHC website Centre, where El Maleh Rachamim under the heading ‘Museum & was intoned by Michael Cohen Collections’.