Holocaust survivor shares wartime memories with Australian students at museum

Mark Spigelman, a former surgeon and medical archaeologist who endured the Holocaust by posing as a girl, now devotes his time to the Sydney Jewish Museum, recounting his experiences to young Australians. He was born in 1940 in Poland, survived hiding on a farm close to Auschwitz, and arrived in Sydney in 1949 with his family as refugees. Since restarting his volunteer work in 2020, he focuses on high-school audiences, hoping his testimony will curb the spread of hate.

His efforts coincide with the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is examining rising intolerance. The museum, which attracts over 50,000 visitors annually, continues its off-site education programmes despite a redevelopment closure. Other institutions, such as the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, are also calling for stronger Holocaust education in curricula.