As the world commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a timely national survey led by Deakin researchers has found almost a quarter of Australians aged 18 or older have little to no knowledge of the Holocaust.
September 30, 2022
As the world commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a timely national survey led by Deakin researchers has found almost a quarter of Australians aged 18 or older have little to no knowledge of the Holocaust.
The Gandel Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness in Australia Survey is the first and largest of-its-kind to help understand not just how much Australians know factually about the Holocaust, but also how aware they are of the catastrophe and its impact.
Commissioned by the Gandel Foundation, the survey asked over 3,500 Australians across states and territories to answer more than 70 individual questions. The questions asked Australians about their thoughts, experiences and understanding on everything from Australia’s connections to the Holocaust to the importance of Holocaust museums and memorials.
Survey responses were collected for the Deakin University researchers by the Social Research Center, Melbourne, via their Life in Australia online probability panel and were also supported by the Advisory Group comprising of a Holocaust survivor and representatives from Yad Vashem, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sydney Jewish Museum, Melbourne Holocaust Museum, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Gandel Foundation and a teacher who is an alum of the Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Australian Educators.
Lead researchers Associate Professor Steven Cooke, Dr. Donna-Lee Frieze and Professor Andrew Singleton all from Deakin’s Faculty of Arts and Education and Dr. Matteo Vergani from the Alfred Deakin Institute believe there are important lessons to be learned from the survey.
The survey found almost a quarter (24%) of the population aged 18 years or older have little to no knowledge of the Holocaust, with that number rising to 30% among millennials.
