NEWS
AUSTRIAN VIPs VISIT
16 February 2023
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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27 January 2023
HCNZ Chair Deb Hart interviewed on 'Connecting Cultures' - oarDunedin 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' - oarDunedin 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
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
14.2.2022
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!
14.2.2022
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!
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
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
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
November 15 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 protesters using Nazi, Jewish imagery on Holocaust anniversary
10 November 2021, NEWSHUB
by Dan Satherley
Image - Getty Images
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.
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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 kiwi49ersfanz@gmail.com. |
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
August 6, 2021 by David Zwartz
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.
***HCNZ ANNOUNCEMENT*** August 4, 2021
Tēnā koutou e te whānau ki te Pūtahi Urupatu o Aotearoa,
Dear members and friends of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, Shalom.
We write to advise you of the resignation of Chris Harris, CEO of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
Chris is leaving his role to seek new experiences and follow his passion in education. We are grateful that he has agreed to continue his association with the Centre in a fixed term capacity, to ensure a smooth transition in some of the Centre’s key Holocaust education initiatives.
Chris joined HCNZ in August 2015 serving first on our Board, then as National Director of Education, before being appointed the Centre’s inaugural CEO in January 2019.
Chris has been a loyal and dedicated member of our team, giving huge energy to the Centre.
He has helped lead HCNZ through a period of exponential growth, and significant change. During his tenure the Centre has increased in size and visibility, and has developed into a national organisation. You will all be familiar with many of our flagship achievements, such as the Yad Vashem seminars, our coordination of national Holocaust remembrance efforts, and of course the creation of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial. Chris has played an integral role in all of these, and in too many other projects to list here.
This period of growth and change is ongoing, with innovative education initiatives, exciting plans for the creation of a new centre in Auckland, and the ever-renewed commitment to vigilance against Holocaust denial and antisemitism. HCNZ is in a strong position to carry out its mission, and we look forward to working with all our stakeholders – staff, members, volunteers, donors and institutional partners – in order to do so.
The HCNZ Board will soon begin the process to appoint a new CEO. In the meantime, the Board will work with staff and stakeholders to ensure that the transition creates as little disruption as possible. In the interim, the Board has shared the responsibilities of the CEO. Any queries can be directed to Board Chair, Deb Hart: deb@debhart.co.nz.
Chris’s last day as CEO will be 21 August, but he has agreed to continue to work with us on key projects, notably education in the Auckland region, as Education Projects Director, until the end of the year.
We will farewell Chris at the Centre’s AGM on 12 September.
B’shalom,
Deborah Hart
Chair
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Dear members and friends of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, Shalom.
We write to advise you of the resignation of Chris Harris, CEO of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
Chris is leaving his role to seek new experiences and follow his passion in education. We are grateful that he has agreed to continue his association with the Centre in a fixed term capacity, to ensure a smooth transition in some of the Centre’s key Holocaust education initiatives.
Chris joined HCNZ in August 2015 serving first on our Board, then as National Director of Education, before being appointed the Centre’s inaugural CEO in January 2019.
Chris has been a loyal and dedicated member of our team, giving huge energy to the Centre.
He has helped lead HCNZ through a period of exponential growth, and significant change. During his tenure the Centre has increased in size and visibility, and has developed into a national organisation. You will all be familiar with many of our flagship achievements, such as the Yad Vashem seminars, our coordination of national Holocaust remembrance efforts, and of course the creation of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial. Chris has played an integral role in all of these, and in too many other projects to list here.
This period of growth and change is ongoing, with innovative education initiatives, exciting plans for the creation of a new centre in Auckland, and the ever-renewed commitment to vigilance against Holocaust denial and antisemitism. HCNZ is in a strong position to carry out its mission, and we look forward to working with all our stakeholders – staff, members, volunteers, donors and institutional partners – in order to do so.
The HCNZ Board will soon begin the process to appoint a new CEO. In the meantime, the Board will work with staff and stakeholders to ensure that the transition creates as little disruption as possible. In the interim, the Board has shared the responsibilities of the CEO. Any queries can be directed to Board Chair, Deb Hart: deb@debhart.co.nz.
Chris’s last day as CEO will be 21 August, but he has agreed to continue to work with us on key projects, notably education in the Auckland region, as Education Projects Director, until the end of the year.
We will farewell Chris at the Centre’s AGM on 12 September.
B’shalom,
Deborah Hart
Chair
Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Anne Frank memorial unveiled in Ellice Park, Wellington
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.
By David Zwartz ONZM
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
Bess Mason. Stuff.co.nz .12 June 2021
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
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
Meaningful Holocaust Work Sees Film From PhD Study [Victoria University of Wellington press release 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
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, 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
May 18, 1934 - February 26, 2021
"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 - Maori 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 Worship (22 January 2020)
Photo: Wellington City Council
Staff announcement - New 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 at 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 Holocaust?
A 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.
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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 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. One and a Half Million Buttons ISBN: 9780995115552 Publisher: The Copy Press Format: Paperback Dimensions: Width: 297mm, Height: 210mm RRP: $20 with proceeds going towards the project enabling the memorial to be transported around Aotearoa New Zealand and towards future printing of the book. To purchase: You may purchase at the Holocaust Centre by cash or EFTPOS or via online banking of $20 plus $5.50 postage & handling, to HCNZ account 03-0515-0507281-00 ref Buttons & your name. Send an Email with your name and address for postage to officeadmin@holocaustcentre.org.nz |
Anne Frank's Diary translated into te reo Māori
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.
