The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand says a survey released today on the views of New Zealanders towards Jewish people, shows the need for more Holocaust education in Aotearoa New Zealand, board chair Deborah Hart says.

The Antisemitism Survey of New Zealand 2021 was conducted by Curia Research and put 18 internationally recognised statements to just over a thousand New Zealanders to measure antisemitic sentiment.

The survey asked about New Zealanders’ understanding of what occurred during the Holocaust.

Of those surveyed not even half, (only 42%) could correctly identify that six million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust. Nearly a fifth, or 17%, said they knew virtually nothing about the Holocaust. Disturbingly, it also found that 6% agreed with the statement that the Jews brought the Holocaust on themselves.

Deborah Hart says the findings echo a 2019 poll which found 57% of New Zealanders were unaware that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. In that poll, 70% of New Zealanders said they had “little” or “no knowledge” of the Holocaust.

“Misinformation about the Holocaust – or Holocaust distortion – is a form of antisemitism. It minimises the suffering of a great number of Jewish families and the murder of their loved ones.

The survey also found that 63% of New Zealanders agree with at least one antisemitic view and 6% hold nine or more antisemitic views out of the 18 questions posed. Almost one in five Kiwis believe Jews have too much financial control and 10% believe they have too much control over the media.

Deborah Hart says the Holocaust is not just a Jewish issue.

“Holocaust education provides lessons for all humanity. Antisemitism is often considered the indicator of more widespread racism. A society that tolerates antisemitism will soon accept other forms of racism.”

The Holocaust was a critical event in world history and occurred in the context of the Second World War. But decades later, societies continue to wrestle with both the memory and historical record of the Holocaust in the midst of contemporary challenges. These include persistent antisemitism and racism.

“At the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, we educate about the Holocaust. Although unique in time and place, the Holocaust was a human event that raises challenges: about individual and collective responsibility, the meaning of citizenship, the rightful use of laws and about the structures and societal norms that can become dangerous for certain groups and society as a whole.

“If people understand what the Holocaust actually was, this acts as a buffer against the rise of antisemitism and other forms of racism. Holocaust education is a safeguard for civil society”, Deborah Hart says.

The Holocaust Centre would like to see more secondary schools adopt its successful #JustOneWeek programme which teaches students about the impact discrimination had through the real-life experiences of Jewish survivors. The resource is currently used by 262 secondary schools throughout the country.

The Holocaust Centre is planning to build a centre in Auckland which will increase access to Holocaust education for thousands of Auckland school children and their whānau. "However, we can't do it alone and would like to see public funding for this centre," Deborah Hart says.

Background information:

· The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is the country’s national Holocaust education and remembrance centre. It inspires and empowers action against antisemitism, discrimination, and apathy by remembering, educating, and bearing witness to the Holocaust.

· The Holocaust was the deliberate attempt to exterminate the Jews, defined by antisemitic ideology, propaganda, legislation, and the systematic implementation of unprecedented extermination techniques.

· The Holocaust did not happen in isolation, and many other people were also persecuted with dedicated measures. Some, such as the Roma People and the disabled, were targeted for extermination alongside the Jews, and many others were also oppressed by the Nazis on the basis of their ethnicity, political ideas, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.

· The New Zealand Jewish Council is the representative body of Jewish communities in New Zealand. There are congregations in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin.

There are approximately 10,000 Jews in New Zealand with the largest population in Auckland followed by Wellington.

· A copy of the Antisemitism Survey of New Zealand 2021 report can be found at https://nzjc.org.nz/2022/03/30/antisemitism-in-new-zealand-2021-survey/

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