PM: Antisemitism ‘will not find a home here’
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum held an event in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised the importance of keeping memory alive in an address to a commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD) on Monday night.
In a video at the commemoration, held at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum (MHM), the PM reflected, “As we are starting to lose the last generation of Holocaust survivors, the work of documenting their lives has never been more important. Their stories carry the dark weight of sorrow and they also carry the important message: Never Again.
“We must make sure that generations to come know the full history. Antisemitism is on the rise but it will not find a home here. Australia will always denounce it and reject it utterly, just as we do all forms of racism and prejudice. We owe it to our country, we owe it to our Jewish community and we owe it to our survivors. They deserve nothing less.”
Melbourne survivor Dr Henry Ekert reflected, “The end of our war was not the end of Jewish suffering and certainly not of mine.”
Ekert – a child survivor, who became an eminent Australian oncologist and haematologist and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) – recounted harrowing incidents from his childhood, including losing many family members at the age of five. But the antisemitism continued after the war.
Daniela Gavshon, director of the Truth and Accountability program at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, spoke about the power of technology, its impact on human rights and its potential to be used for both good and evil.
Gandel Foundation director Lisa Thurin shared the impressions of Yad Vashem educators and students.
A candle-lighting was coordinated by MHM CEO Jayne Josem, with participants including Abram and Charlie Goldberg (survivors), Paul and Julie Valent (child survivors), Stephen and Luca Jolson (descendants of survivors), Eva Collins (whose mother Rena Skovronska was a Righteous Among the Nations), Gary and Suzanne Adler (representing MHM volunteer Jeremy Adler, with Suzanne also representing other groups targeted during the Holocaust), and Maria Tumarkin and Galyna Piskorska (representing Ukraine).
The Bashevis Singers offered a moving Kaddish.
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