Adelaide – Social media have published a photograph of hooded men standing outside Adelaide’s Holocaust museum performing Nazi salutes.
Nicola Zuckerman, Chair of the Adelaide Holocaust Centre and Steiner Education Centre, said: “Our museum is a counterpoint to the recent activity and propaganda. It has been daunting to establish a Holocaust museum and education centre in a city where the supporting Jewish population is very small, but the need for it was no different to larger cities.
The recent incidents reflect that Adelaide has an undercurrent of antisemitism manifested in the targeting of young disenfranchised youth to Neo-Nazi organisations.
As a society, we must ensure that our younger generations are equipped with knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust and other genocides; that these atrocities were born out of hatred and fear and made possible by the indifference of so many. Our education program encourages positive citizenship to create a kinder and more compassionate world.”
The president of the Jewish Community Council of South Australia, Annetay Henderson-Sapir, told J-Wire: “The Jewish Community Council of South Australia condemns the unacceptable actions in the photograph. The incident shows how criticial it is for the Adelaide Holocaust Museum to preserve Holocaust history and educate young people and the broader community about human rights. On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank the SA Police for its swift response to the abhorrent behaviour of these men.”
Media reports state that the social media image was accompanied by the caption: “why a Holocaust museum exists in Adelaide is anyone’s guess?”
The post was discovered by police who are investigating.
