Gandel Holocaust Education Conference in Melbourne

I was privileged to be invited to speak at the inaugural Gandel Holocaust Education Conference in Melbourne, which was held from the 26th to the 28th of May. I first became involved in Holocaust education when I was awarded a Gandel scholarship to study at Yad Vashem, the world's leading Holocaust Centre in Jerusalem. I returned there last year for a conference of international educators. May 2019 marked the first event of this kind in Australia.

The conference was opened by the Premier, Daniel Andrews, in the presence of the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, the Honourable Mark Sofer. Diplomats from Germany and Australia were also present, along with a number of state and federal MPs and community leaders. John Gandel, the Australian billionaire, and his wife and family were present for most of the conference which they had generously sponsored. The main organiser was Ephraim Kaye, the Director of International Seminars at Yad Vashem, who has twice visited St Joseph's College and spoke to Year 10 and 11 students. 

The workshops presented by Yad Vashem academics and expert Australian teachers invited participants to consider ways in which their teaching of the Holocaust could be improved in the classroom. There were two other significant experiences at the conference. Firstly, twelve Holocaust survivors attended so that teachers could discuss their experiences with them. Secondly, in what is an extremely rare occurrence, delegates witnessed the ceremony in which a family who had assisted Jews to hide during the Holocaust were honoured as "Righteous Among the Gentiles." Johannes and Tjerkje Wagenaar, a married couple from Holland, risked their live to save their Jewish friends and colleagues during the war, hiding them in their own house despite the risk that detection would have resulted in death. The attached photo shows Tjerkje Wagenaar receiving her certificate as ratified by the Israeli Parliament and conferred by the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Mark Sofer.

The Conference provided an impetus for reflection and improvement, and it was beneficial to be able to confer with other dedicated Holocaust educators throughout Australia, renewing friendships made here and in Israel.

James Rogerson

Acting Learning Leader - School of Communications