Highlights and statistics from an exciting year 2019 Year in Review Year Board Office of the Museum Director Operations Co-Presidents Museum Director Operations Manager Pauline Rockman OAM & Jayne Josem Laura Etyngold Sue Hampel OAM Executive Assistant Finance Manager The Jewish Holocaust Centre Treasurer Evelyn Portek Roy John Richard Michaels Audio-Visual Producer is dedicated to the memory of Vice-President Robbie Simons David Cohen Education Special Projects & Bookkeeper Secretary Director of Education Daniel Feldman the six million Jews murdered Elly Brooks Lisa Phillips Office Manager Board Directors Educational Engagement Manager Lena Fiszman Abram Goldberg OAM by the Nazis and their collaborators Jennifer Levitt Maxwell Volunteer Coordinator Paul Kegen Rae Silverstein Helen Mahemoff Education Officers Fanny Hoffman Administrative Support Officers Non-Executive Directors between 1933 and 1945. Soo Isaacs Georgina Alexander Allen Brostek Anatie Livnat Tosca Birnbaum Anita Frayman Karen Miksad Phil Lewis Melanie Raleigh Operations Support Officers We consider the finest memorial Mary Slade Museum Claire Jordaan Lana Zuker Senior Curator Austrian Interns to all victims of racist policies Sandy Saxon JHC Foundation Nargis Kurtkaya Curatorial Assistant Michael Stromenger Chairperson Gavan O’Connor to be an educational program Helen Mahemoff Trustees Nina Bassat AM Centre News that aims to combat antisemitism, Joey Borensztajn AM Collections Editor Allen Brostek Ruth Mushin David Cohen Senior Archivist Dr Anna Hirsh racism and prejudice in the Jeffrey Mahemoff AO Yiddish Editor Director of Testimonies Project Alex Dafner Phillip Maisel OAM community, and fosters Librarian/Information Manager Julia Reichstein understanding between peoples. Development & Marketing Director of Marketing and Development Leora Harrison Marketing Manager Danielle Kamien Jewish Holocaust Centre, Melbourne Front cover: Victorian school students writing reflections from their visit to the Po Box 1018 Elsternwick, VIC 3185 Jewish Holocaust Centre jhc.org.au Photographer: Rozanna Nazar 4 JHC Year in Review 2019 JHC Year in Review 2019 5 Message from the Board Pauline Rockman OAM & Sue Hampel OAM, Co-Presidents The support of the Federal Government, and that of We wish to thank our team of staff and volunteers for It’s incumbent on every all our major donors and supporters, members and their tireless efforts to fulfil our mission, especially Today our work at the JHC is as relevant visitors, makes possible the valuable work the JHC the core group of survivors who come to the JHC Australian to learn about as it was 36 years ago, when survivors delivers. The Capital Campaign, ably chaired by JHC every week to present their testimony to students and the Holocaust and say first opened its doors. In fact, JHC is Foundation Chair, Helen Mahemoff and Board Member, other visitors. We would also like to recognise the Phil Lewis, has been key in allowing us to move contribution of our fellow Board directors in guiding never again…the Holocaust taking on even deeper significance given forward with this major redevelopment. the JHC. Their commitment and enthusiasm have the rise in antisemitism around the world delivered considerable accomplishments this past year museum plays a vital role We also received a momentous pledge from the and positioned us well for the immense changes in the and, in particular, a number of distressing Goldman family resulting in the establishment of years ahead. in educating the community events that took place in Melbourne the Judy and Leon Goldman Centre for Holocaust Education. Education about the Holocaust is at the At the end of the year we honoured Phillip Maisel OAM at large about this terrible schools in 2019. core of everything we do, so this will ensure that the with a Life Governorship of the JHC in recognition of his episode in world history and JHC develops and delivers quality Holocaust education outstanding contribution. He is the third Life Governor, programs and resources in perpetuity. after Shmuel Rosenkranz and Abram Goldberg OAM. the importance of ensuring This year will be our last year in Selwyn Street We welcomed noted academics and community As members of the JHC family we all have a sacred tolerance and respect for Elsternwick in its current form, as our planning and leaders, both as speakers and visitors. They included mission – to keep the legacy of our survivors alive and fundraising for the exciting redevelopment project our fellow citizens. Australia’s Ambassador to Israel the Hon Chris to educate future generations. We look forward to an are proceeding well and we are scheduled to move Cannan, Premier of Victoria, the Hon Dan Andrews exciting 2020. into temporary premises mid-2020. MP, Executive Director of the Shoah Foundation, The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP In a year filled with highlights, the most significant Dr Stephen Smith, and Professors Jan Grabowski, occurred in May when the Federal Treasurer, the Hon Christopher Browning, Marcia Langton and Deborah Josh Frydenberg MP and the Minister for Education, Lipstadt. the Hon Dan Tehan MP, announced that the JHC will Museum Director, Jayne Josem, has focussed receive an unprecedented $10 million grant for our her energy on meaningful engagement with local redevelopment. They emphasised the importance of and international visitors and stakeholders, and is ensuring that the JHC reach every Victorian school overseeing the redevelopment project. A review of our student with our education programs where we teach operations has resulted in significant improvements the vital lessons of the Holocaust and the dangers of and Jayne is leading an energised and capable team racism and the value of democratic processes. of staff and volunteers to deliver wonderful outcomes. (L-R) David Cohen, JHC Board & Executive Member, Sue Hampel OAM, JHC Co-President, Helen Mahemoff, Chair of JHC Foundation, Leon Goldman, Dr Stephen Smith, Terri and Jonathan Lazarus, Pauline Rockman OAM, JHC Co-President, Jayne Josem, JHC Museum Director, Richard Michaels, JHC Treasurer. 6 JHC Year in Review 2019 JHC Year in Review 2019 7 Message from the Museum Director Jayne Josem, Museum Director Our educators had The change in my role from Senior Curator We cannot save the 6 million, another successful necessitated changes in our curatorial team and I am so proud of everything we year – reaching 23,000 we welcomed Sandy Saxon and Jennifer Levitt but we can save their have achieved in my first full year students with excellent Maxwell to the JHC. Jennifer is also working with our memory and in doing so as Museum Director. programs, including educational team on engagement – supporting their our Hide and Seek excellent pedagogy and co-designing new programs make it that much less likely program aimed at a to ensure students have a deep and meaningful younger audience. The experience. that anything like this will The announcement in May that our redevelopment work our Education would be boosted by an unprecedented government team does every day is A major focus in 2019 was on restructuring our ever happen again to Jews, grant of $10 million was an incredible validation of truly remarkable. They operations team and improving our processes and or to anyone else. our efforts – everything the survivors and volunteers manage to ensure that systems. This has laid the foundations needed have worked towards for so many years. they deliver their message to every student who visits to support the changes and growth that the the JHC, while navigating the challenges of working redevelopment project will bring. Our new Operations The Jewish Holocaust Centre, Holocaust education is at the core of everything we with Holocaust survivors who are well into their Manager, Laura Etyngold, and Finance Manager, Roy its staff, and its volunteers, do and in August we were delighted to announce the 80s and 90s, facilitating them to deliver eyewitness John, are spear-heading this team. creation of the Judy and Leon Goldman Centre for testimony. Although team members are under have been doing this work Holocaust Education, in recognition of that family’s pressure in that moment, they are always focussed on In 2019 we farewelled long-serving staff members, incredible support of our work. Under this banner delivering the best possible outcome. I congratulate Lena Fiszman and Tosca Birnbaum, as well as Leora for 35 years and I cannot the JHC can ensure delivery of the best possible our educators, Holocaust survivors and volunteers Harrison from our Development Team, and Fiona thank-you enough for doing education to the State of Victoria and beyond. who together deliver powerful, memorable programs. Kelmann from our Educational Team. it and for being here. In line with the creation of this new centre, and in We continue to progress the redevelopment of our Delivering the redeveloped JHC will be a team effort new home, with its two incredible museum spaces. and a community partnership. We have an excellent response to some terrible antisemitic incidents in Elliot Perlman schools and elsewhere, the JHC worked with the I am guiding two curatorial teams to design content dedicated team working with great passion to achieve Department of Education and like-minded Jewish for a permanent Holocaust exhibition, as well as an our goals and we are heartened by the ongoing communal organisations to emphasise that Holocaust innovative museum for a younger audience. Regular support we receive from our community. education should be taken