Humanities
Year 10 Holocaust & Shrine of Remembrance Excursion
On Monday 27 May, half of the Year 10 Nossal humanities classes went on an excursion to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.
The day started around 9:30 am as we entered the recently renovated building. Seated in a hall, a presenter explained the Holocaust's significance, beginning with propaganda and scapegoating.
After the introduction, we split into groups, joining some Bacchus Marsh High School students to examine sources from Nazi Germany, such as newspapers and Jewish passports, discussing their classification under categories like propaganda and resistance.
We then toured parts of the permanent exhibition, "Everyone had a name," which showcased various aspects of life under Nazi rule.
From coins to Yiddish typewriters thought to be used in the Polish Ghetto Resistance, we explored the detailed artifacts. The host asked questions about the themed areas, promoting discussion about the items, manuscripts, and videos.
We returned to the hall to hear from a Holocaust survivor, Peter Gaspar. Born in Slovakia in 1937, Peter recounted his experiences during World War II.
His family faced severe persecution, with many relatives exterminated in Auschwitz. He and his parents avoided initial arrests by hiding with the help of Christian friends.
Eventually, they surrendered after Peter caught a cold while hiding in a ditch in a village, and Peter and his mother were kept at Terezin concentration camp waiting to be sent to extermination camps, while his father was forced into slave labour.
After the war, the family emigrated to Australia in 1949, where Peter quickly integrated, happy to be bullied because he was not bullied for not being different. He maintained lifelong connections with his rescuers, honouring their bravery and compassion.
After a lunch break, we headed to the Shrine of Remembrance. We started with a video about the Shrine's construction and origin, then explored the site.
We examined detailed maps of world wars and other conflicts, and viewed items such as uniforms, everyday carry items, and medals. We saw the Book of Remembrance listing the fallen from WWI and enjoyed a balcony view of the Melbourne skyline.
After completing our exploration, we were dismissed for the day.
Group 1 Write Up
By Aurvind Mohan Rao
