NEWS
On Sunday 25 August the board, staff, members and volunteers of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand came together in person and online, to receive reports on the 2023-2024 year at our AGM. It was a pleasure to have amongst us some of the founding members of the Centre.
Chair Deb Hart reflected on the past year and the challenges and opportunities that lie before us into the next year, and the new board was announced.
Matthijs Siljee was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and gift for his service to the Centre for over seven years, in such meaningful and poignant ways including his work on the design and advocacy of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial and the Anne Frank Memorial
Parikōwhai.
A sincere thank you to all of our members, volunteers, donors, funders, and partners, without whose support we could not achieve the mahi we undertake in our mission of Holocaust education and remembrance in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Chair Deb Hart reflected on the past year and the challenges and opportunities that lie before us into the next year, and the new board was announced.
Matthijs Siljee was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and gift for his service to the Centre for over seven years, in such meaningful and poignant ways including his work on the design and advocacy of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial and the Anne Frank Memorial
Parikōwhai.
A sincere thank you to all of our members, volunteers, donors, funders, and partners, without whose support we could not achieve the mahi we undertake in our mission of Holocaust education and remembrance in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Auckland Community Briefing - 11 August 2024
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is expanding its activities into Auckland, Waikato and Northland in order to widen engagement with our diverse communities and to reach more schools and students for Holocaust education. On Sunday 11 August 2024 our Auckland community was given an extensive briefing on the Centre's background and our wide-ranging work. We heard from Deb Hart, board Chair. Kris Clancy, Education Director, Rachel Korpus, board member and Gillian Wess, CEO.
Our special guest speaker was Aubrey Mason, Deputy Principal of Onehunga High Schoool and a graduate of the 2023 Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Teachers to Yad Vashem. Aubrey spoke eloquently about her experience of attending the seminar, what she learned about Holocaust education from her time at Yad Vashem, and the benefits of the Centre's expansion into the North for Holocaust education. She told us that her Yad Vashem experience taught the power of having a dedicated teaching and learning space for teachers and students. The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is a vital resource. The rise of antisemitism the world over means a one centre approach must change. Multiple centres creates a ‘strong coalition of support’. Teaching and learning about the Holocaust requires safe spaces for staff and students to learn, to question, especially in the current climate where some teachers are experiencing push back from curriculum leaders and their school community about the validity of teaching about the Holocaust.
Aubrey spoke of the importance of laying down the wero (challenge): “A country is not just what it does – it is also what it tolerates,” wrote the German essayist of Jewish origin, Kurt Tucholsky about the silence of the majority of Germans. "Let us not be silent. Let us help students see the universal trends in human behaviour that paved the road for the Holocaust to occur. Let us help them see those trends both overseas and here in New Zealand, so that Never Again is Now."
Thank you Aubrey for your powerful words and your dedication to Holocaust education.
Our special guest speaker was Aubrey Mason, Deputy Principal of Onehunga High Schoool and a graduate of the 2023 Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Teachers to Yad Vashem. Aubrey spoke eloquently about her experience of attending the seminar, what she learned about Holocaust education from her time at Yad Vashem, and the benefits of the Centre's expansion into the North for Holocaust education. She told us that her Yad Vashem experience taught the power of having a dedicated teaching and learning space for teachers and students. The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is a vital resource. The rise of antisemitism the world over means a one centre approach must change. Multiple centres creates a ‘strong coalition of support’. Teaching and learning about the Holocaust requires safe spaces for staff and students to learn, to question, especially in the current climate where some teachers are experiencing push back from curriculum leaders and their school community about the validity of teaching about the Holocaust.
Aubrey spoke of the importance of laying down the wero (challenge): “A country is not just what it does – it is also what it tolerates,” wrote the German essayist of Jewish origin, Kurt Tucholsky about the silence of the majority of Germans. "Let us not be silent. Let us help students see the universal trends in human behaviour that paved the road for the Holocaust to occur. Let us help them see those trends both overseas and here in New Zealand, so that Never Again is Now."
Thank you Aubrey for your powerful words and your dedication to Holocaust education.
Visit by His Excellency Tom Udall, United States Ambassador to New Zealand
On Monday 22 July, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand was delighted to host the United States Ambassador to New Zealand His Excellency Tom Udall, his spouse Jill Cooper, and Economic Advisor Patricia Sexton.
Our special guests were given a tour of the Centre exhibits and an introduction to the HCNZ's mission and educational initiatives.
We look forward to continuing this warm, supportive relationship with Ambassador Udall and the Embassy of the United States.
Our special guests were given a tour of the Centre exhibits and an introduction to the HCNZ's mission and educational initiatives.
We look forward to continuing this warm, supportive relationship with Ambassador Udall and the Embassy of the United States.
L to R: HCNZ Project Manager Tom Rockman Arielly, HCNZ PCVE Education Project Coordinator Sneha Pal, HCNZ Education Director Kris Clancy, HCNZ Chief Executive Gillian Wess, U.S Embassy Economic Advisor Patricia Sexton, US Ambassador HE Tom Udall & spouse Jill Cooper, HCNZ Chair Deborah Hart, Wellington Jewish Council & NZ IHRA delegate David Zwartz ONZM.
Message from HCNZ Chair Deborah Hart on the occasion of
'An Evening of Reflection on Kristallnacht After 7th October',
commemorative events held in Wellington and Auckland,
9th and 12th November 2023
This week I was in Rome and there on the Palatine Hill was the Arch of Titus, complete with its intricate carving of Jewish slaves carrying a menorah from the fall of Jerusalem. That same menorah is replicated as the emblem for the State of Israel and is symbolic of Jewish dispersion and now return. As a first century artefact, it is yet more evidence of Jewish roots in Jerusalem and more evidence, as if we needed it, of Jewish suffering.
Jewish suffering has been a theme this last month. The barbaric scenes played out in Israel, just over a month ago, have been chilling, haunting and altogether triggering for the Jewish community. The response of many has been simply appalling from their atrocious lack of sensitivity and humanity to blatant acts of antisemitism - antisemitism that is growing exponentially worldwide.
On this commemoration of Kristallnacht, we pause to remember how the Holocaust began and the devastation it caused for the Jewish people. We remember the six million and those few who survived. We have probably all seen the meme, “If you wonder what you would have done before the Holocaust, you’re doing it now.” Sounds about right to me. We now better understand who our friends are and who will shelter us.
At the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand we have seen wonderful responses to the recent events – messages of support and we are working collegially with so many. I am really very proud of our staff, some of whom have been directly affected by the atrocities, but have steadfastly worked in challenging conditions.
But we have also seen awful responses too. We are dealing with many schools which have experienced episodes of antisemitism. Most schools wish to sweep these episodes under the carpet and move on. We are doing everything we can to ensure they do not and deal with the issues effectively.
We have lost supporters who we thought were allies.
There are people who wish us to draw an equivalence between the actions of Hamas and Israel. We will not do so as it is patently untrue. Whilst we stand with compassion with the loss of civilian life and of course believe in human rights and the rule of law, the Holocaust Centre of NZ believes every nation state has the right to defend itself and denying that right to Israel is intrinsically antisemitic. There are those who want us to call Israel’s defensive war in Gaza genocide and invoke the Holocaust. We will do everything possible to ensure inversion theories and falsehoods do not capture the Holocaust and put it into some warped service that would besmirch the memory of six million.
And of course we are dealing with antisemitic abuse directed at us as an institution.
All of this and in this week, we have gathered many of the teachers we have sent to Yad Vashem for a two-day seminar. We have work to do to ensure the memory of the Holocaust and its lessons are learnt. That work continues.
So as I remember Kristallnacht, I ponder the suffering depicted in the Arch of Titus, its slaves and its menorah, and we add the memory of those who were so ruthlessly murdered on 7 October, the hostages who need to come home and the innocent lives lost since.
Friends, we have trodden this road. The Arch of Titus records it. Kristallnacht recalls it.
There is more work to be done, now more than ever, and the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand will play its part.
I hope you will help us.
Deborah Hart
Chair
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Jewish suffering has been a theme this last month. The barbaric scenes played out in Israel, just over a month ago, have been chilling, haunting and altogether triggering for the Jewish community. The response of many has been simply appalling from their atrocious lack of sensitivity and humanity to blatant acts of antisemitism - antisemitism that is growing exponentially worldwide.
On this commemoration of Kristallnacht, we pause to remember how the Holocaust began and the devastation it caused for the Jewish people. We remember the six million and those few who survived. We have probably all seen the meme, “If you wonder what you would have done before the Holocaust, you’re doing it now.” Sounds about right to me. We now better understand who our friends are and who will shelter us.
At the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand we have seen wonderful responses to the recent events – messages of support and we are working collegially with so many. I am really very proud of our staff, some of whom have been directly affected by the atrocities, but have steadfastly worked in challenging conditions.
But we have also seen awful responses too. We are dealing with many schools which have experienced episodes of antisemitism. Most schools wish to sweep these episodes under the carpet and move on. We are doing everything we can to ensure they do not and deal with the issues effectively.
We have lost supporters who we thought were allies.
There are people who wish us to draw an equivalence between the actions of Hamas and Israel. We will not do so as it is patently untrue. Whilst we stand with compassion with the loss of civilian life and of course believe in human rights and the rule of law, the Holocaust Centre of NZ believes every nation state has the right to defend itself and denying that right to Israel is intrinsically antisemitic. There are those who want us to call Israel’s defensive war in Gaza genocide and invoke the Holocaust. We will do everything possible to ensure inversion theories and falsehoods do not capture the Holocaust and put it into some warped service that would besmirch the memory of six million.
And of course we are dealing with antisemitic abuse directed at us as an institution.
All of this and in this week, we have gathered many of the teachers we have sent to Yad Vashem for a two-day seminar. We have work to do to ensure the memory of the Holocaust and its lessons are learnt. That work continues.
So as I remember Kristallnacht, I ponder the suffering depicted in the Arch of Titus, its slaves and its menorah, and we add the memory of those who were so ruthlessly murdered on 7 October, the hostages who need to come home and the innocent lives lost since.
Friends, we have trodden this road. The Arch of Titus records it. Kristallnacht recalls it.
There is more work to be done, now more than ever, and the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand will play its part.
I hope you will help us.
Deborah Hart
Chair
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
HOLOCAUST CENTRE OF NEW ZEALAND RECEIVES FUNDING
TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM IN SCHOOLS
10 Oct 2023
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is devastated by the Hamas militants’ attacks on Israel, the murder of hundreds of innocent people, and the capture of numerous hostages. Our thoughts are with all Israelis, including the many Holocaust survivors in Israel, as well as our colleagues at Yad Vashem.
We know that when Israel is under attack that there can be repercussions for Jewish people around the world, including for children. The Centre will continue to monitor any increases of antisemitism in Aotearoa New Zealand schools arising from the current situation in Israel. We encourage parents of children and students who might experience antisemitism in their schools and campuses to contact the Centre for support and advice.
The Centre has received funding from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund. The funding will be used for our Identifying and Combating Antisemitism by Early Intervention in Schools project, which addresses hate and intolerance by giving teachers and students the tools to identify, understand, and respond to antisemitic behaviour, actions, and hate speech online and on campuses. The project works in schools with teachers, students, and staff, and will result in a tool kit that will be available nationwide. This grant will augment the many programmes the Holocaust Centre teaches in schools throughout the country.
To facilitate the administration of this grant, a Project Coordinator has been appointed who will work with the Centre’s Chief Executive and Education Director. She will facilitate training and education opportunities with a pilot group of New Zealand teachers, including teachers we have sent in recent years to the Yad Vashem International School of Holocaust Studies. The Holocaust Centre is also supported for this project by a group of expert advisors on antisemitism, education, and the spread of hate.
Parents are asked to email [email protected] if they have any concerns or know of antisemitic incidents in their children’s schools. All correspondence and information will be strictly confidential, and no actions will be taken without permission and consideration of the students involved.
For further information please contact:
Gillian Wess, Chief Executive, Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
[email protected]
We know that when Israel is under attack that there can be repercussions for Jewish people around the world, including for children. The Centre will continue to monitor any increases of antisemitism in Aotearoa New Zealand schools arising from the current situation in Israel. We encourage parents of children and students who might experience antisemitism in their schools and campuses to contact the Centre for support and advice.
The Centre has received funding from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund. The funding will be used for our Identifying and Combating Antisemitism by Early Intervention in Schools project, which addresses hate and intolerance by giving teachers and students the tools to identify, understand, and respond to antisemitic behaviour, actions, and hate speech online and on campuses. The project works in schools with teachers, students, and staff, and will result in a tool kit that will be available nationwide. This grant will augment the many programmes the Holocaust Centre teaches in schools throughout the country.
To facilitate the administration of this grant, a Project Coordinator has been appointed who will work with the Centre’s Chief Executive and Education Director. She will facilitate training and education opportunities with a pilot group of New Zealand teachers, including teachers we have sent in recent years to the Yad Vashem International School of Holocaust Studies. The Holocaust Centre is also supported for this project by a group of expert advisors on antisemitism, education, and the spread of hate.
Parents are asked to email [email protected] if they have any concerns or know of antisemitic incidents in their children’s schools. All correspondence and information will be strictly confidential, and no actions will be taken without permission and consideration of the students involved.
For further information please contact:
Gillian Wess, Chief Executive, Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
[email protected]
NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE PLENARY SESSION
JUNE 2023
Shoshanna Maasland, was the first New Zealand IHRA expert delegate to attend a IHRA plenary session, held last week from 12-15 June in Dubrovnik. The session was also attended by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) official, Madison Edilson. New Zealand is an Observer Member of IHRA.
IHRA plenary sessions are held twice a year to coordinate activities and to exchange information on counteracting antisemitism and commemorating the Holocaust. This year’s sessions are being held in Croatia, which took over the presidency of the IHRA from Sweden in 2023. The first convention took place in Dubrovnik and the next one is planned in Zagreb.
IHRA was established in 1998 under the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust (the Stockholm Declaration) to support Holocaust remembrance, education and research activities. IHRA now has 35 Member Countries and 10 Observer Countries.
IHRA plenary sessions are held twice a year to coordinate activities and to exchange information on counteracting antisemitism and commemorating the Holocaust. This year’s sessions are being held in Croatia, which took over the presidency of the IHRA from Sweden in 2023. The first convention took place in Dubrovnik and the next one is planned in Zagreb.
IHRA was established in 1998 under the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust (the Stockholm Declaration) to support Holocaust remembrance, education and research activities. IHRA now has 35 Member Countries and 10 Observer Countries.
Left to right - Madison Edilson, MFAT, Suzanne Rutland, Australian IHRA expert delegate and Shosh Maasland, NZ expert delegate.
CLAIMS CONFERENCE
New York : 15 June 2023
Holocaust Survivors Will Continue to Receive Additional One-Time Payments from the German Government Until 2027 As a Result of Claims Conference Negotiations
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), announced the outcomes of their negotiations with the German Federal Ministry of Finance on behalf of Holocaust survivors living globally resulting in approximately $1.4 billion in direct compensation and social welfare services for survivors. Outcomes of these negotiations include nearly $105.2 million in additional funding for home care programs to address survivors’ increased needs. Additionally, a one-time payment per year to recipients of the Hardship Fund will continue to be paid until 2027. This is impacting more than 128,000 Holocaust survivors globally.
AUSTRIAN VIPs VISIT
16 February 2023
HCNZ Board and staff were delighted to host visiting Austrian Parliamentarians during their brief trip to New Zealand. The party was also able to meet our current Austrian Service Abroad volunteer Dimitri Teufl. We appreciate the time they spent with us and the copy of Volume 7 of Erinnerungen (“Lives Remembered”) with a focus on “Exile in New Zealand” - a two-volume bilingual book about Austrian refugees to New Zealand, and also Volume 5 "Exile in Australia", which they gifted during their visit.
Thank you Dr. Reinhold Lopatka Michael Hammer, Verena Nussbaum , Hannes Amesbauer, David Stögmüller, Michael Bernhard, and Matthias Matuschek.
Thank you Dr. Reinhold Lopatka Michael Hammer, Verena Nussbaum , Hannes Amesbauer, David Stögmüller, Michael Bernhard, and Matthias Matuschek.
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Credit: Entschaedigungsfonds
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UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
27 January 2023
HCNZ Chair Deb Hart interviewed on 'Connecting Cultures' - Dunedin Radio.
Listen from minute 3.50 - 38.08 where Deb speaks on UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the history, present activities, and future of HCNZ
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST
HCNZ Chair Deb Hart interviewed on 'Connecting Cultures' - Dunedin Radio.
Listen from minute 3.50 - 38.08 where Deb speaks on UN International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the history, present activities, and future of HCNZ
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising shows young people can lead the fight against racism in Aotearoa New Zealand
26 January 2023, by Danya Levy
J-Wire
Eighty years after Jewish youths fought for their lives on the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto, the family of an Auckland Holocaust survivor is calling on New Zealanders to reject hatred and treat everyone with dignity, no matter their background.
J-Wire
Eighty years after Jewish youths fought for their lives on the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto, the family of an Auckland Holocaust survivor is calling on New Zealanders to reject hatred and treat everyone with dignity, no matter their background.
The New Zealand Jewish Council and the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand are welcoming the government's decision to join the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
New Zealand has joined the alliance - which works to unite governments, promote Holocaust education, and to uphold the 2000 Stockholm Declaration - as an observer.
Holocaust Centre chair Deborah Hart said the centre had been asking the government to do more to combat antisemitism for some time.
She said racism had been growing in New Zealand and internationally, driven by pandemic-related fear.
"There's been dangerous anti-Jewish international conspiracies adopted in New Zealand by extreme elements," she told RNZ.
"We're just seeing a rise in antisemitism and we need to do everything we can to combat that."
Hart said learning about the Holocaust taught young people to treat others with humanity.
"We have taken the first step of becoming an observer and I think that that is a really good thing. The government is to be absolutely commended for taking this step."
New Zealand joins 44 other countries already in the alliance, including most of Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
New Zealand has joined the alliance - which works to unite governments, promote Holocaust education, and to uphold the 2000 Stockholm Declaration - as an observer.
Holocaust Centre chair Deborah Hart said the centre had been asking the government to do more to combat antisemitism for some time.
She said racism had been growing in New Zealand and internationally, driven by pandemic-related fear.
"There's been dangerous anti-Jewish international conspiracies adopted in New Zealand by extreme elements," she told RNZ.
"We're just seeing a rise in antisemitism and we need to do everything we can to combat that."
Hart said learning about the Holocaust taught young people to treat others with humanity.
"We have taken the first step of becoming an observer and I think that that is a really good thing. The government is to be absolutely commended for taking this step."
New Zealand joins 44 other countries already in the alliance, including most of Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Read the complete RNZ article HERE
18 May 2022
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SOUGHT NOW
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand invites educators to take part in the
Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Educators at Yad Vashem.
A 14-day intensive teacher training seminar from 6th - 23rd January, 2023, at the International School for Holocaust Studies, at Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, Israel, this programme brings teachers from all over Aotearoa New Zealand to learn from world experts in Holocaust education.
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand invites educators to take part in the
Inge Woolf Memorial Seminar for New Zealand Educators at Yad Vashem.
A 14-day intensive teacher training seminar from 6th - 23rd January, 2023, at the International School for Holocaust Studies, at Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, Israel, this programme brings teachers from all over Aotearoa New Zealand to learn from world experts in Holocaust education.
EDUCATION NEWS: PAUL SEIDEMAN SCHOLARSHIP - Open Now!
13 May 2022
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Paul Seideman was a great supporter of Holocaust education and remembrance in Aotearoa New Zealand, himself being a Holocaust survivor.
As a young Czech Jew, Paul managed to survive the Lodz Ghetto, several concentration and labour camps, including Auschwitz, and a death march, during World War ll. He was liberated at Dachau, aged 17. After liberation, Paul emigrated to Australia, and then New Zealand. Sadly Paul's father and mother died in the Lodz Ghetto, in 1942. and 1941 respectively. To commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet Army on 27 January 1945, and to encourage students in Aotearoa New Zealand to engage in Holocaust studies, Paul funded an annual Holocaust essay competition for secondary students. This was established in 2014 under the administration of HCNZ. Originally for year 10, and years 11 - 13 students, the Paul Seideman Holocaust Essay Competition grew into the Paul Seideman Annual Composition Prize, fpr students to submit entries in a variety of formats to answer the questions posed. HCNZ is honoured to carry on Paul's legacy and continues to administer this competition, which annually engages hundreds of students across the nation in Holocaust education, and has now become the Paul Seideman Scholarship. |
EDUCATION UPDATE
14 February 2022
Welcome to the 2022 school year! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and have enjoyed the summer, even if it is looking like the colder weather is setting upon us quicker than we would all like.
This year, we continue to navigate the world of Covid and its effects on schools and visits. With this in mind, we have been busy planning ways in which we can continue to engage with students even when they cannot make it to our centre.
Last year, we announced the new Teaching Trunks, which were welcomed by schools to incredible success! From the outset, the trunks were booked for the entire school year from Auckland to Southland! This year, we are adding to this success with another way students can engage with Holocaust education.
“Finding Hope: Seeking Refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand” is our new educational offering that schools can request, using a graphic novel style artwork to convey content to students. With the advent of the NZ Histories curriculum that will be released in 2023, this new offering gives teachers an important and unique tool in their box to teach the Holocaust with a NZ focus. This focus shows how refugees were welcomed, or not, into New Zealand and the liberation of San Sabba by the 28th Māori Battalion. The exhibition also features two panels on refugees that made their life, and impact, in New Zealand: Inge Woolf and Hans Klisser. Students also learn how the children of Holocaust survivors dealt with living in two worlds: Aotearoa New Zealand and the Jewish world.
HCNZ commissioned Roger Mason as the graphic artist/illustrator for 'Finding Hope: Seeking Refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand'.
We are excited to see this new educational material in schools and how students interact with the drawings and stories of refugees that came to New Zealand. It is our fervent hope that this brings home to students and the public alike that the Holocaust is just as much an Aotearoa New Zealand story as it is a European story.
We look forward to hearing the feedback from schools and students on this exiting offering!
Welcome to the 2022 school year! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and have enjoyed the summer, even if it is looking like the colder weather is setting upon us quicker than we would all like.
This year, we continue to navigate the world of Covid and its effects on schools and visits. With this in mind, we have been busy planning ways in which we can continue to engage with students even when they cannot make it to our centre.
Last year, we announced the new Teaching Trunks, which were welcomed by schools to incredible success! From the outset, the trunks were booked for the entire school year from Auckland to Southland! This year, we are adding to this success with another way students can engage with Holocaust education.
“Finding Hope: Seeking Refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand” is our new educational offering that schools can request, using a graphic novel style artwork to convey content to students. With the advent of the NZ Histories curriculum that will be released in 2023, this new offering gives teachers an important and unique tool in their box to teach the Holocaust with a NZ focus. This focus shows how refugees were welcomed, or not, into New Zealand and the liberation of San Sabba by the 28th Māori Battalion. The exhibition also features two panels on refugees that made their life, and impact, in New Zealand: Inge Woolf and Hans Klisser. Students also learn how the children of Holocaust survivors dealt with living in two worlds: Aotearoa New Zealand and the Jewish world.
HCNZ commissioned Roger Mason as the graphic artist/illustrator for 'Finding Hope: Seeking Refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand'.
We are excited to see this new educational material in schools and how students interact with the drawings and stories of refugees that came to New Zealand. It is our fervent hope that this brings home to students and the public alike that the Holocaust is just as much an Aotearoa New Zealand story as it is a European story.
We look forward to hearing the feedback from schools and students on this exiting offering!
HOLOCAUST CENTRE OF NEW ZEALAND APPOINTS A NEW CEO
After an extensive search, the Board of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is delighted to announce that our incoming Chief Executive is Gillian Wess.
Gillian was born and raised within the London Jewish community, spent many years in Christchurch, and now resides in Auckland. She has a deep understanding of the Holocaust and is passionate about Holocaust education.
Gillian has extensive professional and results-driven leadership experience across the not-for-profit, corporate, public, education, and creative sectors. This includes governance and executive management, with a particular focus on strategy, policy and programming, and organisational vision.
Gillian comes to us from a position as the Chief Executive of the Facilities Management Association of New Zealand. She is an executive member of the New Zealand Construction Industry Council, a Director of Enrich Arts and Business, and a member of the Institute of Directors, among other positions she holds.
Gillian has the experience, drive, and passion to ensure HCNZ's priorities, to inspire and empower action against antisemitism, discrimination, and apathy, by remembering, educating, and bearing witness to the Holocaust.
We are confident that Gillian will build on our strong foundations, to take our organisation to its next level of development.
We look forward to introducing Gillian to you. She starts in her new position on 31 January 2022.
Gillian was born and raised within the London Jewish community, spent many years in Christchurch, and now resides in Auckland. She has a deep understanding of the Holocaust and is passionate about Holocaust education.
Gillian has extensive professional and results-driven leadership experience across the not-for-profit, corporate, public, education, and creative sectors. This includes governance and executive management, with a particular focus on strategy, policy and programming, and organisational vision.
Gillian comes to us from a position as the Chief Executive of the Facilities Management Association of New Zealand. She is an executive member of the New Zealand Construction Industry Council, a Director of Enrich Arts and Business, and a member of the Institute of Directors, among other positions she holds.
Gillian has the experience, drive, and passion to ensure HCNZ's priorities, to inspire and empower action against antisemitism, discrimination, and apathy, by remembering, educating, and bearing witness to the Holocaust.
We are confident that Gillian will build on our strong foundations, to take our organisation to its next level of development.
We look forward to introducing Gillian to you. She starts in her new position on 31 January 2022.
HOLOCAUST TALK OFFENDS
6 December 2021 - NZ CATHOLIC, Michael Otto
One of the ten areas that the synod preparatory document proposes as key aspects of living as a synodal Church is titled “Dialogue in Church and Society”. Under that heading, one of the questions is, “What experiences of shared commitment do we have with believers of other religions and with non-believers?”
We are living in stressful times and many tempers are frayed. The need for scrutiny of Government moves is high, but the language of debate should not sink to a level that is very low.
A recent article by New Zealand journalist Miriam Bell on the website of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council stated that moves around vaccination mandates in the public and private sectors have “been quickly followed by objectionable comparisons to the Holocaust . . . “.
The article cited examples of this behaviour in New Zealand, and quoted Holocaust Centre of NZ chair Deborah Hart saying that “protests using the yellow Star of David and the Holocaust are making a false equivalence that diminishes the enormity of what the Nazis did in the Holocaust”. “In essence, no one is trying to systematically exterminate people who choose not to be vaccinated,” Ms Hart said.
“To compare the Holocaust and a government requiring vaccination if you want to do certain things, but leaving individuals the choice to decide, is grotesque, wrong and deeply hurtful to Holocaust survivors and their families, she said.
The article also cited NZ Jewish Council spokeswoman Juliet Moses saying that, if people want to criticise the Government or claim they are being persecuted or denied basic freedoms, they should do so without invoking the industrialised genocide of six million Jewish people, survivors of which are in our society today.
“Such ‘comparisons’ are historically illiterate and trivialise the Holocaust, which constitutes soft core Holocaust denial, as labelled by renowned Holocaust scholar Professor Deborah Lipstadt. Those who engage in this are not showing any sympathy for, or respect to, the victims of the Holocaust – quite the contrary,” she said.
We are living in stressful times and many tempers are frayed. The need for scrutiny of Government moves is high, but the language of debate should not sink to a level that is very low.
A recent article by New Zealand journalist Miriam Bell on the website of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council stated that moves around vaccination mandates in the public and private sectors have “been quickly followed by objectionable comparisons to the Holocaust . . . “.
The article cited examples of this behaviour in New Zealand, and quoted Holocaust Centre of NZ chair Deborah Hart saying that “protests using the yellow Star of David and the Holocaust are making a false equivalence that diminishes the enormity of what the Nazis did in the Holocaust”. “In essence, no one is trying to systematically exterminate people who choose not to be vaccinated,” Ms Hart said.
“To compare the Holocaust and a government requiring vaccination if you want to do certain things, but leaving individuals the choice to decide, is grotesque, wrong and deeply hurtful to Holocaust survivors and their families, she said.
The article also cited NZ Jewish Council spokeswoman Juliet Moses saying that, if people want to criticise the Government or claim they are being persecuted or denied basic freedoms, they should do so without invoking the industrialised genocide of six million Jewish people, survivors of which are in our society today.
“Such ‘comparisons’ are historically illiterate and trivialise the Holocaust, which constitutes soft core Holocaust denial, as labelled by renowned Holocaust scholar Professor Deborah Lipstadt. Those who engage in this are not showing any sympathy for, or respect to, the victims of the Holocaust – quite the contrary,” she said.
CONSPIRACY THEORIST FILMS HIMSELF CALLING SUBWAY STAFF 'NAZIS' FOR ASKING
FOR VACCINE PASS
7 December 2021
NEWSHUB
NEWSHUB
The chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand Deb Hart was horrified by the video. Hart said just because people disagree with the rules, doesn't mean those enforcing them are Nazis. "We have all sorts of requirements whether it be drinking laws, smoking laws but those requirements don't make the business enforcing them Nazis. To say it does trivialises what the Nazis did. Not everyone you disagree with is a Nazi."
Hart said the man was a "bully" and if he wants to protest he should aim it at the Government which is requiring COVID-19 vaccine passes.
"People bandy about that people are a Nazi which is a shorthand way to say they are evil," she says. "Words matter more than ever and this is a false equivalent.
"He is a bully and his behaviour is bullying. If he wants to protest he has every right to but he might like to aim his attention on who is requiring these vaccination certificates, not workers going about their business."
Hart said the man was a "bully" and if he wants to protest he should aim it at the Government which is requiring COVID-19 vaccine passes.
"People bandy about that people are a Nazi which is a shorthand way to say they are evil," she says. "Words matter more than ever and this is a false equivalent.
"He is a bully and his behaviour is bullying. If he wants to protest he has every right to but he might like to aim his attention on who is requiring these vaccination certificates, not workers going about their business."
PAUL SEIDEMAN z"l 1928 - 2021
15 November 2021
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It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Paul Seideman z"l this past weekend. We extend our condolences to all who knew and held Paul dear, as many of us at the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand did.
Paul was a great supporter of Holocaust education and remembrance in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a young Czech Jew, Paul managed to survive the Lodz Ghetto, and severall concentration and labour camps, including Auschwitz, and a death march, during World War ll. He was liberated at Dachau, aged 17. After liberation, Paul emigrated to Australia and then New Zealand. Sadly Paul's father and mother died in the Lodz Ghetto, 1942 and 1941 respectively. Paul will be remembered fondly by many. His generosity and legacy lives on through the annual competition he endowed, administered by the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand. May his memory be a blessing. |
CORONAVIRUS: JEWISH COMMUNITY SLAMS 'IGNORANT' ANTI-VACCINATION PROTESTORS USING NAZI, JEWISH IMAGERY ON HOLOCAUST ANNIVERSARY
10 November 2021
NEWSHUB
by Dan Satherley
Image - Getty Images
NEWSHUB
by Dan Satherley
Image - Getty Images
The Jewish community is horrified Kiwis opposed to vaccinations and COVID-19 restrictions are using Holocaust and Nazi imagery in their protests.
Thousands descended on Parliament on Tuesday, brandishing signs comparing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to Hitler, linking the media with the Nazis and calling for a new round of Nuremberg trials (the original resulting in death penalties for many senior Nazi figures).
At least one protester was reportedly wearing a Star of David with the word 'unvaccinated' - comparing themselves to the Jewish under Nazi occupation prior to World War II, who were made to wear badges to "mark them out for segregation and discrimination".
Making things worse, the protest took place 83 years to the day since Kristallnacht - the day the Holocaust began.
Thousands descended on Parliament on Tuesday, brandishing signs comparing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to Hitler, linking the media with the Nazis and calling for a new round of Nuremberg trials (the original resulting in death penalties for many senior Nazi figures).
At least one protester was reportedly wearing a Star of David with the word 'unvaccinated' - comparing themselves to the Jewish under Nazi occupation prior to World War II, who were made to wear badges to "mark them out for segregation and discrimination".
Making things worse, the protest took place 83 years to the day since Kristallnacht - the day the Holocaust began.
THE HOLOCAUST CENTRE FAREWELLS CEO CHRIS HARRIS
Thank You Chris 5 November 2021 
Dear Friends,
Today marks the final day of Chris Harris’s time with us as CEO. We want to acknowledge the incredible service Chris has given to the Centre over the years. Chris has been an inspiration to our staff and volunteers and has led the Centre from one that is small with big dreams, to one that makes those dreams a reality. Chris has led a range of projects in his time at the Centre, both before and during his time as CEO. Most significantly, he has ensured that the Yad Vashem programme for teachers is a mainstay of the Centre and Holocaust education has grown. Other projects Chris has worked on include the Children’s Holocaust Memorial, United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and most recently, the exhibition Finding Hope: Seeking Refuge in Aotearoa New Zealand, which will be available for viewing in 2022. Each of these projects provide important experiences that bring Holocaust education to life across the country. Chris, we thank you for your dedication and hard work. We thank you for your passion to ensure Holocaust education in New Zealand, and that young people across the country are informed, compassionate, and curious upstanders. As well as Chris, we also want to acknowledge his family who has supported him through his journey as CEO with the Centre, and in particular his wife Arna, and his sons Jack and Charlie. Thank you. Chris will continue on with the Centre in a volunteer capacity and will forever be a cherished member of our organisation. He can be contacted at [email protected]. |
ABSOLUTELY APPALLING - CHRISTCHURCH PARTYGOERS SLAMMED FOR 'IGNORANT' HITLER, HOLOCAUST VICTIM COSTUMES
14 September 2021
By: Anna Leask
By: Anna Leask
A photograph of Christchurch partygoers dressed as concentration camp victims surrounding Adolf Hitler and making Nazi gestures has gone viral and been labelled "absolutely appalling".
A woman whose family members were murdered in the Holocaust said their choice of costume showed ignorance and a cruel lack of empathy and education.
And she said it was especially sad given those in the photo live in a city that had recently experienced a massacre driven by hate and racism.
The photo was posted to social media site Instagram over the weekend and supplied to the Herald this morning.
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand chair Deborah Hart said the photo was "absolutely appalling". "I was absolutely appalled at the lack of empathy coupled with a seemingly complete ignorance of quite recent history," she told the Herald.
..."I would say to any one of these young people in that photo who chose to dress up as Holocaust victims and to the woman who dressed up as Hitler- reach out to us."
A woman whose family members were murdered in the Holocaust said their choice of costume showed ignorance and a cruel lack of empathy and education.
And she said it was especially sad given those in the photo live in a city that had recently experienced a massacre driven by hate and racism.
The photo was posted to social media site Instagram over the weekend and supplied to the Herald this morning.
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand chair Deborah Hart said the photo was "absolutely appalling". "I was absolutely appalled at the lack of empathy coupled with a seemingly complete ignorance of quite recent history," she told the Herald.
..."I would say to any one of these young people in that photo who chose to dress up as Holocaust victims and to the woman who dressed up as Hitler- reach out to us."
BOYD KLAP HONOURED FOR MAINTAINING THE MEMORY OF ANNE FRANK
6 August 2021
by David Zwartz ONZM
by David Zwartz ONZM
Over a decade of activities promoting the memory and messages of Anne Frank’s short life was recognized with a special presentation to 94-year-old Dutch-born Boyd (Boudewijn) Klap.
ANNE FRANK MEMORIAL UNVEILED IN ELLICE PARK, WELLINGTON
By David Zwartz ONZM
On a cold, windy Wellington day about 200 people gathered in a park – a former quarry – to see the Deputy Prime Minister unveil a challenging new Anne Frank memorial.
The creation of university design lecturer Matthijs Siljee consists of three chairs – two facing each other, the third facing away, excluded. Wording on the chairs and plaque, in te reo Māori and English, explains how depicting prejudice and exclusion links to Anne Frank and the Holocaust. Siljee spoke of the frightening speed with which Anne Frank was overtaken by Nazi Germany’s genocide of the Jews: “Within 15 years she was born into democracy and died in barbarity.” He also commented that, as the chairs are made of not only steel, but a tough recycled plastic, “You have all contributed by handing in your soft plastic bags.”
Unveiling the memorial, Deputy PM Grant Robertson told the audience that the Holocaust was the worst example in our times of discrimination and hatred. “Yet we see examples of that around us every single day. So every single day it’s our job to call that out, to say it’s unacceptable. We have to stand up for the values that Anne Frank wrote about – a world of hope, courage, respect and inclusion.”
Attendees included five Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, three local mayors, Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and two human rights commissioners.
Netherlands ambassador Mira Woldberg spoke of the importance of having such a memorial, not to forget. “Anne Frank gave us a message of hope and action that we must teach our children – to speak out, not remain bystanders.” Two young children of Netherlands Embassy staff members read a poem, in Dutch and English, about the chestnut tree that Anne Frank saw through her attic hideout window.
The man who developed the memorial project, 94-year-old Dutch New Zealander Boudewijn (Boyd) Klap, explained how 15 kōwhai trees were planted at the quarry-park two years ago, representing her age when she died in Bergen-Belsen death camp, plus another 75 trees, on the day that would have been her 90th birthday.
When the trees mature and flower, the new memorial will be circled by glorious colour.
In honour of Mr Klap’s dedication to bringing the memorial into being, as well as two Anne Frank touring exhibitions, and the publication of her diary translated into te reo Māori, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand presented him with a JNF Holland certificate for trees planted in his name in the Anne Frank Forest in Israel, and a special JNF Holland chestnut sculpture.
Holocaust Centre chairperson Deborah Hart said that the memorial fulfilled the organisation’s aims – to witness and remember the Holocaust, educate, and inspire action against hatred, prejudice and antisemitism.
The ceremony closed with beautiful singing of a Māori song by the choir of Wellington East Girls’ College, which adjoins the quarry-park. The school’s principal, Gael Ashworth, spoke of the power of Anne Frank’s message for present-day school pupils, and said the college will have a neighbourly relationship of care with the memorial.
On a cold, windy Wellington day about 200 people gathered in a park – a former quarry – to see the Deputy Prime Minister unveil a challenging new Anne Frank memorial.
The creation of university design lecturer Matthijs Siljee consists of three chairs – two facing each other, the third facing away, excluded. Wording on the chairs and plaque, in te reo Māori and English, explains how depicting prejudice and exclusion links to Anne Frank and the Holocaust. Siljee spoke of the frightening speed with which Anne Frank was overtaken by Nazi Germany’s genocide of the Jews: “Within 15 years she was born into democracy and died in barbarity.” He also commented that, as the chairs are made of not only steel, but a tough recycled plastic, “You have all contributed by handing in your soft plastic bags.”
Unveiling the memorial, Deputy PM Grant Robertson told the audience that the Holocaust was the worst example in our times of discrimination and hatred. “Yet we see examples of that around us every single day. So every single day it’s our job to call that out, to say it’s unacceptable. We have to stand up for the values that Anne Frank wrote about – a world of hope, courage, respect and inclusion.”
Attendees included five Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, three local mayors, Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and two human rights commissioners.
Netherlands ambassador Mira Woldberg spoke of the importance of having such a memorial, not to forget. “Anne Frank gave us a message of hope and action that we must teach our children – to speak out, not remain bystanders.” Two young children of Netherlands Embassy staff members read a poem, in Dutch and English, about the chestnut tree that Anne Frank saw through her attic hideout window.
The man who developed the memorial project, 94-year-old Dutch New Zealander Boudewijn (Boyd) Klap, explained how 15 kōwhai trees were planted at the quarry-park two years ago, representing her age when she died in Bergen-Belsen death camp, plus another 75 trees, on the day that would have been her 90th birthday.
When the trees mature and flower, the new memorial will be circled by glorious colour.
In honour of Mr Klap’s dedication to bringing the memorial into being, as well as two Anne Frank touring exhibitions, and the publication of her diary translated into te reo Māori, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand presented him with a JNF Holland certificate for trees planted in his name in the Anne Frank Forest in Israel, and a special JNF Holland chestnut sculpture.
Holocaust Centre chairperson Deborah Hart said that the memorial fulfilled the organisation’s aims – to witness and remember the Holocaust, educate, and inspire action against hatred, prejudice and antisemitism.
The ceremony closed with beautiful singing of a Māori song by the choir of Wellington East Girls’ College, which adjoins the quarry-park. The school’s principal, Gael Ashworth, spoke of the power of Anne Frank’s message for present-day school pupils, and said the college will have a neighbourly relationship of care with the memorial.
NEW ZEALAND's FIRST ANNE FRANK MEMORIAL UNVEILED IN WELLINGTON
Located in Ellice Park in Mt Victoria, the memorial is the first of its kind in New Zealand, commemorating Anne Frank and the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust.
Boyd Klap CNZM QSO - Chairman Anne Frank New Zealand, Deputy Prime Minister Hon Grant Robertson, memorial designer Matthijs Siljee, Massey University.
[Woolf Photography]
[Woolf Photography]
MAN ON A MISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
12 June 2021
Bess Mason. Stuff.co.nz .
Bess Mason. Stuff.co.nz .
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand. On the eve of the launch of the Anne Frank Memorial in Wellington, the DomPost pays tribute to one of our wonderful volunteers, Boyd Klap and the astounding work he has done to fight antisemitism and discrimination. HCNZ is honoured to be associated with him.
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF
NORTH & SOUTH MAGAZINE - June edition out now
Well-researched & well-written cover feature article on former Waffen-SS soldier, and one of the founders of Mount Hutt Ski Field, Willi Huber, by Andrew Macdonald and Naomi Arnold. To read the article, and more, pick up a copy from your nearest retail outlet.
Cover artwork by Ross Murray Art
MEANINGFIL HOLOCAUST WORK SEES FILM FROM PHD STUDY
Victoria University of Wellington press release
28 April 2021
28 April 2021
Lucy Liu and her supervisor have made a documentary telling the story of composer Boris Pigovat, his Holocaust Requiem, and the massacre that spurred it.
A memorial on the site of the 1941 Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine.
When violist Xi (Lucy) Liu came to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington as a PhD candidate after studying music in China and Russia, she didn’t expect to end up co-producing a film based on ‘Requiem – the Holocaust’ by composer Boris Pigovat.
Lacrimosa Dies Illa, which she produced alongside her supervisor Emeritus Professor Donald Maurice, tells Pigovat’s story while exploring the music of the Holocaust Requiem in relation to the event that spurred it, the 1941 Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine. The film will premiere at the Penthouse Cinema in Wellington on Thursday 6 May at an event co-hosted by the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
Lacrimosa Dies Illa, which she produced alongside her supervisor Emeritus Professor Donald Maurice, tells Pigovat’s story while exploring the music of the Holocaust Requiem in relation to the event that spurred it, the 1941 Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine. The film will premiere at the Penthouse Cinema in Wellington on Thursday 6 May at an event co-hosted by the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
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Event details:
Lacrimosa Dies Illa, featuring ‘Requiem – the Holocaust’ 6–7.30 pm, Thursday 6 May Penthouse Cinema & Cafe, Brooklyn, Wellington Book here |
MOUNTAIN STEPS OUT FROM NAZI SHADOW, MOSTLY
25 March 2021
David Williams reports
David Williams reports
After months of pressure, a ski run and restaurant at Canterbury’s Mt Hutt are being renamed.
A ski field has quietly wiped a Nazi officer’s name from its slopes – but not from the entire mountain.
A ski field has quietly wiped a Nazi officer’s name from its slopes – but not from the entire mountain.
ANNE FRANK EXHIBITION OPENS IN NAPIER
19 March 2021
Hawke's Bay Today article ' Examining horrors of war at Anne Frank exhibition' by Thomas Airey.
Photo Paul Taylor.
(click image to read article)
Hawke's Bay Today article ' Examining horrors of war at Anne Frank exhibition' by Thomas Airey.
Photo Paul Taylor.
(click image to read article)
INGE WOOLF QSO z"l
It is with great sadness that we, at the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand (HCNZ), inform you of the passing of our Founding Director, Inge Woolf z"l.
Her memory is a blessing unto us all.
Her memory is a blessing unto us all.
INGE WOOLF: A LIFE DEDICATED TO TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY
"One of the last things she did before her death was approving the cover of a book to be published later this year on her life. Fittingly, it is called Resilience."
Nicholas Boyack Mar 06 2021
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week: Te Rātaka a Tētahi Kōhine gifted to high schools
THE LEGACY OF A FORMER NAZI SOLDIER, GIVEN REFUGE IN NZ, IS NOT SIMPLY A SKI FIELD
NAZI SYMBOLS GRAFFITIED AT WELLINGTON JEWISH PLACE OF WORSHIP22 January 2020
Photo: Wellington City Council
STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTNew Education Director for the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Welcome Kristopher Clancy
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is pleased to announce our new Education Director, Kristopher Clancy. Kris joins us all the way from Houston, Texas, where he was an educator for many years. Kris majored in Political Science and Religious Studies at the University of Houston, having a diverse background in community engagement and involvement. He brings with him a passion for educating teens and young adults in human rights and the lessons from history that are very much applicable today. Upon starting his new position, Kris said "The lessons of the Holocaust are still just as important today as they were 75 years ago and the mission and vision of HCNZ are very important. We must reach out to the next generation and impart to them the values that can make this world a more peaceful, equitable place for all to live and thrive." Kris is looking forward to using his knowledge from his studies and his experience teaching European History and partnering with New Zealand schools and tertiary institutions to continue the vital work in educating students and adults in the Holocaust. Op Ed - Dom Post, 7 Nov 2019: Anniversary of Kristallnacht shows why hateful words matter
When 18th-century Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke said that "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing", he could not have imagined what the future would hold, and how his words would resonate for the world we live in today.
The Boemestrasse Synagogue in Frankfurt, Germany, burning on November 10, 1938. Photo credit: Yad Vashem
NEW CHAIR FOR THE HOLOCAUST CENTRE OF NEW ZEALAND
The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand has elected its board, naming Deborah Hart as its new Chair.
IS POOR AWARENESS OF THE HOLOCAUST JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?20 August 2019 Giacomo Lichtner, associate professor of History at Victoria University of Wellington's opinion piece on the recent Auckland Holocaust Memorial Trust/Curia Market Research poll on popular awareness of the Holocaust in New Zealand.
"This poll should encourage us to take on a more demanding conversation, which is partly about Holocaust remembrance and partly about how we relate to and teach the past in this country....... History is the conversation that gives us the ability to recognise the signs the next time around, and hopefully the collective resilience to stand up." Also included in this article is an interview with HCNZ Founding Director on the Children's Holocaust Memorial (now on display in Auckland Central City Library) and one of our Yad Vashem NZ Teachers Seminar Grads, St Oran's College teacher Liz Wright, reflecting on aspects of this Professional Development and its impact on her teaching. ARE WE FORGETTING THE HOLOCAUSTA new poll shows that a nearly a third of New Zealanders know little or nothing about the Holocaust and less than half know that six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Mark Jennings reports.
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One and a Half Million Buttons - Book Launch
Photo: Alex MacLeod being presented her raffle winning copy from Dame Joy Cowley.
One and a Half Million Buttons ISBN: 9780995115552 Publisher: The Copy Press Format: Paperback Dimensions: Width: 297mm, Height: 210mm RRP: $20 Postage & handling separate. |
11 May 2019
At special Q&A and reading sessions, for children, with Joy Cowley, at the Featherston Booktown 2019 festival, now in its 5th year – Joy shared her newest children’s book ‘One and a Half Million Buttons’. This book was written inspired by the ‘Button Project’ of the Moriah School, and encapsulates the project’s development from inception, button collection to finally the Children’s Holocaust Memorial being launched by the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand on November 2018. Whilst the book is suitable for reading ages 7 – 9 it has already been embraced by young and old. With the message firmly embedded, to remember the children killed during the Holocaust and to accept and embrace diversity, Joy Cowley reaches young readers through visuals and text. Thank you to Joy for your work and your wisdom. Dame Joy Cowley is the Patron of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial. |
ANNE FRANK'S DIARY TRANSLATED INTO TE REO MāORI
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Fore more details on this project and all Anne Frank NZ items go to the
Anne Frank Aotearoa New Zealand page of this website. |
VIP VISITS. 2019
Over the past few months we have been fortunate to have the pleasure of visits from Ambassador Georgii Zuev from the Embassy of the Russian Federation, British High Commissioner Ms Laura Clarke and Ambassador Mira Woldberg from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
We are grateful to you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to see our work and to discuss the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance.
We are grateful to you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to see our work and to discuss the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance.
