September 2010 Jewish Holocaust Centre Touching the past, shaping the future The magazine of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Melbourne, Australia Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. VBH 7236 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. Vice President: Adam Kreuzer Immediate Past President: We consider the finest memorial to all victims of racist policies to be an educational Shmuel Rosenkranz program which aims to combat antisemitism, racism and prejudice in the Secretary: Elly Brooks community and fosters understanding between people. Treasurer: David Cohen Public Officer: Helen Mahemoff Members: Allen Brostek, Alex Dafner, Abram Goldberg, Sue Hampel, Paul Kegan, Henri Korn, Willy Lermer, Ruth Mushin JHC Foundation: Chairperson: CONTENTS Helen Mahemoff FROM THE PRESIDENT 3 Trustees: Nina Bassat AM EDITOR’S LETTER 3 Joey Borensztajn Allen Brostek DIRECTOR’S CUT 4 Silvana Layton Jeffrey Mahemoff AO EDUCATION 5 Patrons: UPGRADED MUSEUM LAUNCHED ON 18 JULY 6 Professor Yehuda Bauer Mrs Eva Besen AO KEEPING THE SURVIVORS’ VOICES ALIVE 7 Mr Marc Besen AO BONO WIENER – A TRIBUTE 10 Sir William Deane AC CBE Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE REFLECTIONS FROM A LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY 14 Mrs Diane Shteinman AM Steven Spielberg FROM KIEV TO KRAKOW 16 JHC Staff: A LETTER FROM BAVARIA 17 Warren Feinberg, Executive Director THE WIDTH OF TWO FINGERS 18 Zvi Civins, Director of Education Jayne Josem, Curator, Head of CUSTODIANS OF MEMORY 19 Collections HISTORY AND MEANING OF PRISONERS’ TATTOOED NUMBERS 20 Michael Cohen Community Relations’ Coordinator EXCITING NEW DONOR RECOGNITION KIOSK 21 Phillip Maisel OAM, Head of Testimonies MARVELLOUS MODEL 21 Ursula Flicker OAM, Head of Archives SUE WRIGHT’S MEMOIR PUBLISHED IN AUSTRIA 22 Sabina Josem & Rosa Freilich, Librarians EVENTS 24 Nicole Brittain, Development Manager CLUB JHC 27 Daniel Feldman Project Administrator SEEN AROUND THE CENTRE 28 Lena Fiszman, Office and IT Manager FRIENDS 30 Tosca Birnbaum, Reception Claude Fromm, Assistant Archivist STORIES FROM THE COLLECTION 32 Rae Silverstein, Volunteer Coordinator NEW ACQUISITIONS 33 Centre News Editorial Commitee: OBITUARY 34 Editor: Ruth Mushin THANKS 35 Nicole Brittain Pauline Rockman OAM Michael Cohen Lena Fiszman Jayne Josem 13–15 Selwyn Street OPENING HOURS Moshe Ajzenbud (Yiddish) Elsternwick Vic 3185 Mon–Thu: 10am–4pm Australia Fri: 10am–2pm On the cover: t: (03) 9528 1985 Sun & Public Hols: 12pm–4pm f: (03) 9528 3758 George Ginzburg, survivor guide, Closed on Saturdays, with students in the new JHC e: [email protected] Jewish Holy Days and museum. w: www.jhc.org.au some Public Holidays Photo: Dr Abhijit Chattaraj Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Centre News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those This publication has been designed and produced of the magazine editor or editorial committee. While Centre News welcomes ideas, articles, photos, poetry and by Izigraphics Pty Ltd www.izigraphics.com.au letters, it reserves the right to accept or reject material. There is no automatic acceptance of submissions. 2 JHC Centre NewsNews FROM THE PRESIDENT It is my great pleasure to welcome Centre. On the contrary, I am our new Executive Director, Warren constantly uplifted by the people Pauline Fineberg, who commenced working I am privileged to meet. In July Rockman OAM at the Centre at the beginning of I attended a ceremony at the May. He comes from a background German Consulate honouring Ditha of education and administration and Bruncel Slowey, in recognition of is a welcome addition to the Jewish her personal acts of courage and Holocaust Centre family. extraordinary bravery in Silesia, In April I spent a week in the Germany, during the Holocaust. I Ukraine with a wonderful group of am totally humbled when I meet s I write this report I am fellow travellers, prior to leading people like Ditha who stand up for filled with a great sense the international Adult March of their beliefs. I am also confronted of pride and joy at recent the Living group. It was an amazing with the question, ‘What would I events that have taken time. In his book Everything is have done?’ We will be interviewing A Ditha for our testimonies’ collection place at our Centre. Since the Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer upgraded museum was opened to writes: ‘What they are looking for so you will be able to hear her story the public in March, school students seems elusive – a truth hidden at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in have been flowing in, as has the behind veils of time, language and the future. general public. the horrors of war.’ Our journey I also met with Craig Kocinski, a Months of intensive planning, seemed to mirror this book. film producer who is making a coordination and cooperation One of my major tasks as film about the parallels between culminated in the official launch president is the involvement of indigenous Australians and Jewish of our upgraded museum on the next generations at the Jewish people. The film is a fictional story 18 July, at which Jayne Josem, Holocaust Centre. Indeed, they are based on historical events between Curator and Head of Collections, making their presence known on 1908 and 1938. Craig came to our brilliantly outlined the upgrade the Board, as guides and in some Centre to research our recognition project. The Hon Simon Crean MP of the Centre’s departments. I of William Cooper, another launched the museum and was was thrilled with the initiative of brave and principled person – an gracious and exuberant in his praise Lauren Spitalnik, a young guide and indigenous Australian who led for the Centre. Kitia Altman was member of the Young Friends of the a protest against the treatment dignified as she introduced her Jewish Holocaust Centre. Lauren of Jews during Kristallnacht. On two ‘custodians of memory’ and coordinated a successful function 15 December, William Cooper Mark Baker spoke of the relevance in July for the third generation of will become the first indigenous of our Centre in relation to others, Holocaust survivors to visit the Australian to be honoured with his specifically in Eastern Europe. upgraded museum and meet staff own memorial and garden at the I extend my sincere appreciation to and Board members. Kol hakavod, Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in all the participants and volunteers Lauren. I look forward to attending Jerusalem. whose efforts contributed to more Young Friends’ functions. I wish you a peaceful and making the event an outstanding People often ask if it is depressing harmonious year, a shanah tovah success. working at the Jewish Holocaust u’metukah. EDITOR’S LETTER a museum of the Holocaust which good friend Abram Goldberg – bears witness to what happened, who plays a major role in Bono’s Ruth Mushin preserves the voices of survivors story – and the whole community and educates young people and the of survivors in Melbourne that give general public. our museum its special flavour. As we have said before, what Child survivor Henri Korn gives makes our museum unique is that us a glimpse back into the world it features the stories of Melbourne of pre-war Poland in a delightful Holocaust survivors. In this edition tale about his grandfather, while we are proud to feature the story of the story of Grete and Albert elcome to Centre News, where we Bono Wiener, one of the founders of Liebmann reminds us of the are delighted to our Centre and a towering figure in heartbreaking consequences of the congratulate our the Melbourne Jewish community. Nazi occupation of Germany for W We are privileged that Arnold Zable, the Jews. The Liebmanns’ tragic president, Pauline Rockman, on receiving an OAM. In this edition, well-known author and friend of suicide letter is on display in the we continue to feature the new, Bono, has written a wonderful story new museum, as are documents upgraded museum. If you were not of Bono’s life. It is as much about painstakingly collected and hidden at the launch in July, Curator Jayne pre-war Lodz, the Bund, the Lodz by Bono Wiener and Abram Josem’s insightful article will give Ghetto and the post-war Melbourne Goldberg during the war. We hope you some idea of the challenges Jewish community as it is about you will come and see them for she and her team faced in creating Bono. It is stories like Bono’s, his yourselves very soon. JHC Centre News 3 DIRECTOR’S CUT is no wonder that the relevance of initiative, which will bring more Warren the Centre continues to grow. young people into contact with When Holocaust issues are raised in the Centre. These support groups, Fineberg the public forum, we are frequently together with our volunteer base, targeted for consultation and donations and bequests, allow us comment by newspapers, television to maintain our modest operational and radio broadcasters. Such was costs. the case with the YouTube clip, I will Special projects which will provide survive: dancing at Auschwitz, which an additional highlight to the Centre featured a Melbourne Holocaust include the temporary exhibition t the time of writing this survivor, his daughter and five Marked, a perspective on the report I have been in the grandchildren. The clip attracted the tattooing of Auschwitz camp victims, Executive Director’s chair attention of many viewers both in due to be launched in October, and Afor some six or seven Australia and internationally. The further access to our testimonies weeks, so I am able to view the ‘performance’, which was filmed at and archives. Centre and its operations with ‘fresh’ the Auschwitz concentration camp eyes.