Project Philosophy
The Holocaust Foundation’s work of capture and archiving of survivor stories is guided by a set of best-practice protocols. Among derivatives of our archive are exhibitions, Shadows of Shoah stories and educational resources. Our work communicates the gravity and significance of the Holocaust in a unique manner. Using photography and original music, selected episodes from survivors' experiences are presented in a brief, compelling format to reach a generation that often regards the Holocaust as of little relevance or significance.
The incomprehensible tragedy we refer to as the Holocaust ended in 1945. The antisemitism that inspired it lives on.
Despite the Holocaust's uniqueness and its status as one of the most comprehensively documented events in human history, the memory of this, one of the twentieth century's defining events, is increasingly under assault. Outright denial may remain a fringe phenomenon, but other less direct forms of distortion have arisen. Universalization, distortion, and dilution often function as not-so-distant-cousins to an anti-Israelism that shows itself to be little more than poorly veiled antisemitism. In a climate of popular ignorance, apathy, and passivity, these trends have combined to create conditions that seem eerily familiar to those who lived in 1930s Europe.
The Holocaust Foundation stands against the resurgence of the ancient hatred.
In May 2012, Shadows of Shoah was incorporated as a charitable trust. The trust more recently changed its name to Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Late in 2012, the Raye Freedman Trust agreed to support the construction of the Shadows of Shoah Exhibition. Work began immediately on construction of this highly innovative exhibition.
SHADOWS OF SHOAH EXHIBITION LAUNCH
On 25 January 2013, the Prime Minister of NZ, Rt Hon John Key, launched the Shadows of Shoah Exhibition at a United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day event.
Auschwitz. Now.
Our most recent exhibition was launched in January 2020 to an audience of 500 and then was staged at NZ’s Parliament. It is now available for bookings by museums, galleries, cultural centres, universities and other venues.
BACKGROUND
Perry and Dr Sheree Trotter are largely responsible for the work of the Holocaust Foundation. Perry is a photographer and formerly a musician. Sheree is of Māori descent (Te Arawa) and holds a PhD in History from the University of Auckland. She completed an educators' course at Yad VaShem in 2013 and studies in the field of antisemitism at Oxford in 2023.
The work is supervised by a board including survivors, academics and community leaders. The formal objectives are Holocaust and antisemitism education and our board is chaired by Robert Narev, CNZM, a survivor of Theresienstadt.
PROJECT HISTORY
The work began informally in 2008 while the Trotters were visiting friends at Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, Israel, with the interviews and photography of seven Holocaust survivors. Since that time they have photographed survivors in cooperation with Sydney Jewish Museum, Melbourne's Jewish Holocaust Centre, Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, and with other groups in Israel and New Zealand. The work is ongoing with other survivors having been interviewed in Jerusalem, Rosh HaNiqra, Tel Aviv, and USA.
To date seventy survivors’ stories have been captured and, subject to funding, the work will continue while it is still possible.
In order to reach the present culture our work uses strong imagery, original music and poignant, brief, historically accurate accounts. Read the comments of reviewers, visitors and VIPs.
PRODUCTION
Our work is multifaceted and exists, or will exist, in the following forms:
the Auschwitz. Now. exhibition
the original Shadows of Shoah Exhibition (awaiting refurbishment).
online movies at https://holocaustfoundation.com/stories
the Holocaust Foundation App
fully developed educational resources
film projects
