Learn Holocaust lessons and act on anti-Semitic hatred, says Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin

Auschwitz horrors revisited on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the evil death camp have significant relevance today to Australians, says Alex Ryvchin.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive officer Alex Ryvchin at Auschwitz concentration camp. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

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As leaders come together at Auschwitz-Birkenau to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of the Nazi camp where 1.1 million people, mainly Jews, were murdered, The Australian’s co-Australian of the Year Alex Ryvchin called on the community to remember how the Holocaust began.

He said Australia’s unique value of mateship had become an empty slogan and urged people to speak in support of Australia’s Jewish community to rid the country of anti-Semitism.

“If we become a nation that is passive in the face of hatred, then our national characteristic, that mateship, just simply washes away,’’ he said, adding that the 80th commemoration reminds people of the lesson of history.

“When we talk about collaborators, when we talk about bystanders, when we talk about those who maybe had it in their power to do something to prevent the charge of racial hatred and extremism (in World War II)”, it is a significant reminder that the majority of people can’t stand apathetic, ambivalent and silent.

“We learned from the Holocaust that that’s all that’s needed for horrors to be perpetrated,’’ Mr Ryvchin said. “The circumstances now are entirely different: we’re not living in a time of fascism in Australia, people can stand up, they can speak to the Jewish community, they can defend us and support us. And sadly, it’s not ­really happening.”

Visitors walk through the ''Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) gate at the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, a former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp, in Oswiecim, Poland. Picture: AP Photo

Mr Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, is in Auschwitz-Birkenau to attend the commemor­ation alongside Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism in Australia Jillian Segal. Holocaust survivor and founder of Westfield Frank Lowy will attend alongside other dignitaries such as King Charles.

Sir Frank had sourced and donated the authentic German train wagon used to transport Hungarian Jews to the camp to honour his father, Hugo, who was murdered by the SS at Birkenau. The wagon is central to the commemorations.

Some in the Australian Jewish community are furious that Anthony Albanese has decided not to attend, nor Governor-General Sam Mostyn. Instead, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who has been instrumental in calling for Israeli restraint against Hamas and accused by some of “trashing” Australia’s relationship with Israel, will take part alongside Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

Senator Wong said in a statement: “What happened at Auschwitz and during the Holocaust is a reminder of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice and the need to remain vigilant against a repetition of the atrocities perpetrated there.

“The 80th anniversary of the liberation is also an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable contributions and enduring resilience of the approximately 27,000 Holocaust survivors and their families who made Australia their home after World War II.”

She said Australia was a proud member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and was committed to Holocaust remembrance, education and research, and ongoing efforts to counter the spread of Holocaust denial and anti-­Semitism.

Australian-Israeli philanthropist Eitan Neishlos, an ambassador of the Holocaust education group March of The Living, has helped raise funds to conserve the 8000 shoes of Jewish children murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau, which had begun to deteriorate.

Victims’ shoes at the former Nazi German Auschwitz I Concentration Camp and extermination camp on January 16, 2025, in Oswiecim, Poland. Picture: Getty Images

He told The Australian: “As we mark the 80th commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz, the campaign to restore the shoes belonging to Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust stands as a powerful testament of our history. Each shoe carries the untold story of a child, a family and a ­future lost to hatred and racism.

“In an era where anti-Semitism is resurging at an alarming rate globally, preserving these last remnants of innocence is not just a Jewish responsibility, it is a universal call to humanity.

“We must walk in their shoes and ensure that no one can deny or distort the unspeakable horrors endured by the Jewish people.

“Regardless of religion or culture, we must stand together, preserving evidence and trans­form­ing it into a lasting commitment to fight hate in all its forms.”

The commemoration events of the liberation of Auschwitz-­Birkenau will begin with the laying of wreaths and lighting of candles by survivors at the Wall of Death near Block 11 at 7pm on Monday (AEDT).

The main commemoration will start at 2am on Tuesday (AEDT) with speeches by Auschwitz survivors and a tribute to victims by survivors and heads of state ­delegations.