Local Holocaust education project goes global

A Perth-based Holocaust education initiative is gaining international recognition, with new partnerships across the United Kingdom and Europe.

The “In My Pocket” project, developed by the WE ARE HERE! Foundation, invites upper primary students to reflect on a simple but powerful question: what would you take with you if you had to leave home suddenly? Through this lens, students connect with the experiences of Kindertransport children, fostering empathy, identity and a deeper understanding of history.

Founders Eli and Jill Rabinowitz recently met with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis in Perth, marking a significant milestone in the project’s growing global profile. The Chief Rabbi has a personal connection to Herzlia School in Cape Town, one of the first schools to adopt the program when it launched in 2023.

“The strength of In My Pocket lies in its simplicity. It allows students to form an emotional connection to history in a way that is both personal and lasting,” Eli Rabinowitz said.

The project continues to expand internationally, with Eli Rabinowitz set to travel later this month to England, Lithuania, Latvia and Scotland. Meetings are planned with the German Foreign Office, which already supports the German embassies in Canberra and Wellington, to explore expanding the project into new educational settings, including schools and Holocaust education initiatives across Germany and internationally.