Marking 80 years

Federal government pledges $4.4 million for National Holocaust Education Centre

Announcement 'has come at a critically important time and will be great encouragement to Australia’s Jewish community during a difficult period'

Mike Kelly speaks at the funding announcement in Canberra on Monday.
Mike Kelly speaks at the funding announcement in Canberra on Monday.

The federal government has announced a $4.4 million investment to build a National Holocaust Education Centre in Canberra.

The announcement was made on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, which this year marked 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

To be delivered in partnership with the Australian Capital Territory Jewish Community, the new centre will be accessible to the more than 165,000 Australian school children who travel to Canberra each year. It will also be available to the more than five million Australians who visit the nation’s capital annually and will include access to exhibits and information explaining Jewish culture.

Former MP and government minister Mike Kelly, a member of the project team for the centre, said the announcement “has come at a critically important time and will be great encouragement to Australia’s Jewish community during a difficult period”.

“Most importantly this project will make a critically important contribution to the national effort to reinforce social cohesion and build understanding,” he said.

“The location of the National Holocaust Education Centre in the nation’s capital will enable the thousands of school children who visit Canberra every year to learn about the deep evil that racial discrimination can lead to and how this has affected many people around the world.

“It will also reinforce the importance of our democracy and the need to be well-informed citizens.”

Kelly told The AJN that there was a unique opportunity in Canberra “to broaden our fight against antisemitism by focusing on the education of the students who visit Canberra from all over the nation”.

“Many of these students won’t have the opportunity to visit Museums elsewhere. This is how we can be most effective in the long run,” he said.

Kelly said the centre will not aim to replicate what is available in Holocaust museums in Melbourne and Sydney but will instead “focus on the preservation of testimonies and engaging in discussion and utilising the technology that enhances the education experience without depending too much on physical exhibits”.

“This also helps to keep costs down as we avoid the expense of curating, preserving and exhibiting a larger number of objects,” he said.

Senator for the ACT Katy Gallagher said education and understanding “is the key to eliminating hatred and bigotry, including the scourge of antisemitism”.

“Our government recognises this, which is why we are so proud to be partnering with the ACT Jewish Association to deliver this crucially important Centre,” she said.

Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill said there was no place in Australia for antisemitism, hatred or discrimination of any kind.

“By establishing the National Holocaust Museum and Education Centre, Australians will have the opportunity to learn about one of the darkest chapters in modern history and how the scourge of antisemitism continues to have an impact this day – including in Australia,” he said.

Member for Canberra Alicia Payne noted that many Australian families have a connection to the Holocaust and a central location for all Australians to learn about the impact and the horrors of the Holocaust was critical for future education.

“I am proud to have advocated for this proposal from the ACT Jewish community, and I look forward to seeing their project come to fruition,” she said.

Member for Fenner Andrew Leigh added, “By preserving the stories of survivors and educating future generations we strengthen our resolve to combat antisemitism, racism, and discrimination, which will help us build a more compassionate and inclusive future for all.”

Member for Bean David Smith said, “This is a timely investment in combating antisemitism, understanding, remembering, and learning from the immense tragedy of the Holocaust and, importantly, will be located in our nation’s capital.”

Kelly told The AJN that in order to make the centre a reality, “We need help to cover the remaining costs of building the facility. We would greatly appreciate donor engagement to help us with this in raising around $3 million.”

Potential donors can contact Mike Kelly at mike.kelly@actjc.org.au to discuss how they can help.

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