September 2015 Jewish Holocaust Centre 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 Co-Presidents: Pauline Rockman OAM murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945. & Sue Hampel OAM, We consider the finest memorial to all victims of racist policies to be an Immediate Past President: Shmuel Rosenkranz educational program which aims to combat antisemitism, racism and prejudice in the community and fosters understanding between people. Secretary: Elly Brooks Treasurer: David Cohen Members: Goldie Birch, Allen Brostek, Alex Dafner, Abram Goldberg OAM, Paul Kegen, Helen Mahemoff, Viv Parry, Stephen Peterson, Mary Slade, Willy Lermer CONTENTS JHC Foundation: From the President 3 Chairperson: Helen Mahemoff Trustees: Editor’s letter 3 Nina Bassat AM Director’s cut 4 Joey Borensztajn Education 5 Allen Brostek Out of the shadows: recovering the stories of Jews who David Cohen survived the Second World War inside the Soviet Union 6 Jeffrey Mahemoff AO A scorpion on the white wall: surviving the war in Uzbekistan 8 Patrons: Jewish refugees in Shanghai 10 Professor Yehuda Bauer Arriving in Shanghai, November 1938 10 Mrs Eva Besen AO Mr Marc Besen AO Constance Koster’s extraordinary acts of courage Sir William Deane AC CBE honoured by the Jewish Holocaust Centre 12 Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE Comparative Analysis of 20th Century Genocides: Mrs Diane Shteinman AM a conference held in Yerevan, Armenia 13 Steven Spielberg Hope springs eternal 14 Taking care of the other: Muslims saving Jews 16 JHC Staff: Warren Fineberg, Executive Director The Jewish experience of the First World War 18 Lisa Phillips, Director of Education Reflections of a Jewish Holocaust Centre intern 20 Jayne Josem, Curator, Head of Collections One year at the Jewish Holocaust Centre: reflections of an Austrian intern 21 Michael Cohen, Director of Community Relations Book review: The Lia Mendez Trilogy 22 Michelle Malet, Director of Foundation & As far away as possible: Hannah Miska’s stories of Melbourne Holocaust Director of Advancement survivors launched in Germany 23 Reuben Zylberszpic, Development Manager Mir zeinen do: reflections on the Adult March of the Living 24 Phillip Maisel OAM, Student March of the Living: two crazy, powerful and emotional weeks 25 Head of Testimonies Project Robbie Simons, Testimonies Assistant JHC Social Club 26 Coordinator / Audio-visual Producer Friends of the Jewish Holocaust Centre 27 Tammy Reznik, Education Officer Community news 28 Anatie Livnat, Education Officer Some poems of Ellina Zipman 29 Rae Silverstein, Volunteer Coordinator Claude Fromm, Assistant Archivist Seen around the Centre 30 Daniel Feldman, Project Administrator Stories from the Collection 32 Julia Reichstein, Librarian / Information Manager New acquisitions 33 Lena Fiszman, Office and IT Manager A son continues carries on his mother’s legacy: Tosca Birnbaum, Reception contributing towards Holocaust education 34 Community news 35 On the cover: 13–15 Selwyn Street OPENING HOURS Mrs Constance Koster with Elsternwick Vic 3185 Mon–Thu: 10am–4pm Her Excellency Mrs Annemieke Australia Ruigrok, The Netherlands Fri: 10am–2pm Ambassador to Australia, and Joe t: (03) 9528 1985 Sun & Public Hols: 12pm–4pm f: (03) 9528 3758 de Hann Closed on Saturdays, Photo: Maximilian Gartner 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 that at our Annual General Meeting Philips, our Director of Education, so in May this year, Sue Hampel OAM wonderfully encourages students Pauline was appointed co-president to to express their feelings about what Rockman OAM serve with me. Sue is well known in they have experienced during their the community for her dedication visit, and I was very impressed with and wonderful work in the area their responses. As the session of Holocaust education. She has closed with the lighting of memorial been a longtime educator at Mount candles by students, Lisa said to Scopus Memorial College and them: ‘We do this so that you leave Monash University, and established the Jewish Holocaust Centre with hope, not despair.’ he Jewish Holocaust Centre the student March of The Living in 2000. She has served on the (JHC) was the fulfilment Lisa’s words sum up the message JHC Board since 2009, joining the of a vision by Melbourne of the JHC, which we pass on to Executive in 2013. She became vice- Holocaust survivors to the next generations, to the more T president in 2013, and it is a natural create a memorial to the millions than 22,000 students who pass of Jews who were murdered by progression that she has now through our doors annually. For the Nazis between 1933 and 1945, become co-president. I am delighted students, it is a powerful experience as well as a centre for education. that we shall be working together as to have met our beloved survivors, From its humble beginnings in 1984, we embark on the next phase of the to hear their stories and messages it has grown to become an active Centre’s development with its focus of tolerance, and to learn of the and internationally recognised on our building plans. importance of being upstanders institution dedicated to combating Whenever I have been away, rather than bystanders. When I read racism, hatred and prejudice. Today travelling for a period of time, I find the students’ comments scrawled our work is as relevant as it was 31 that I am drawn to the JHC on my on the big poster set up in the foyer, years ago. I would suggest that it is return. Sometimes I follow a student I feel optimistic for the future. These even taking on deeper significance group, just to immerse myself once students are our hope for the future as the years advance. more in the atmosphere of the and I feel so proud that their visit to Since its inception, there has been a Centre, and I am always in awe of the JHC has such a positive impact. tradition at the JHC of co-presidents the great work of our dedicated staff, heading the Board. Two of the survivors and other volunteers. Centre’s founders, Symcha Binem In June I hosted Susanne Olberg, the (Bono) Wiener and Aron Sokolowicz, press counsellor from the German served as the first co-presidents Embassy in Canberra, at the JHC. when the Centre opened in March She had attended the International 1984. When Aron passed away in Holocaust Memorial Day event at 1991, Shmuel Rosenkranz became the Centre in January and was so co-president with Bono Weiner. impressed that she wanted to return After Bono’s death in 1995, Shmuel for a longer visit. While showing served alone as president until I her through the museum, we came joined him as co-president in 2006. upon a group of visiting school I have now served as president since students who had gathered for the Sue Hampel and I wish you a 2007, and am pleased to announce closing part of their session. Lisa Shana Tova EDITOR’S LETTER not widely known. Like others who in the Soviet Union are becoming Ruth Mushin migrated to Melbourne as refugees, better known, and we are pleased to those who had spent the war years bring you his insightful analysis in in the Soviet Union or Shanghai this issue of Centre News. A perfect often did not speak of their wartime companion piece is the beautifully experiences as they were focused on written account of her family’s rebuilding their lives. However, many survival in Uzbekistan by Dr Maria were also reluctant to speak, as they Tumarkin. felt that their experiences paled into We also highlight two young insignificance compared with those authors: Tim Chan, a young man of the survivors of camps. hen I was growing who has written a moving account up in Melbourne in More recently the definition of his visit to the Jewish Holocaust the 1950s and 1960s, of ‘Holocaust survivors’ has Centre and his meeting with survivor a Holocaust survivor broadened, and there has been guide Maria Lewit OAM; and James Wwas someone who had been in a recognition that many who were not Carr, who has documented his concentration camp, and the stories in camps suffered immeasurably. research on the Jewish experience of others who had survived the Thanks to the research of academics of the First World War. I hope you Second World War in places like like Dr John Goldlust, the stories of enjoy these and the many other the Soviet Union or Shanghai were Polish Jews who survived the war articles in this issue. JHC Centre News 3 DIRECTOR’S CUT discussing further related projects work with colleagues in China to to take advantage of the survivors’ bring this special experience to Warren energies at this time and ‘bank’ Australia. I hope readers of Centre Fineberg their knowledge in the community News will join others and will in a way that it can be transferred bring family and friends to visit the from generation to generation. exhibition to gain a glimpse of the We shall keep you posted of these life of Jewish refugees who found developments.