In April we were delighted to host Joanna Millan from London, on a speaking tour of Hong Kong schools. Joanna talked to over 1800 pupils at 13 different schools about her experiences as a child survivor from Theresienstadt concentration camp.

The pupils and teachers were captivated by her primary source material and for many it was their first introduction to the Holocaust.

Joanna also spoke at the jewish Communities Yom HaShoah event as well as to a Church based group.

The Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre collaborated on two public screenings of Claude Lanzmann’s monumental testament to The Holocaust, the film Shoah, as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The screenings were introduced by HKHTC’s Chair, Jeremy Amias, and followed by a discussion with professor Glenn Timmermans of Macau University.

HKHTC Board member, Silvain Gilbert, has been active all year going to schools in Hong Kong to tell pupils about his experiences as a hidden child, during the Holocaust. Children have been captivated by his story and primary source information about the Holocaust and for many it stimulated further enquiries and study.

To commemorate the United Nations Holocaust Memorial Day the HKHTC held a memorial concert titled “Music from the Ashes” at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. The concert featured musicians from Hong Kong, the United States and Israel who played music composed by eminent Jewish composers who perished in Nazi concentration and death camps. The leading musician was by the Professor Allan Sternfield of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Over 400 people attended the concert, including Consul Generals, local dignitaries as well as a diverse cross selection of the Hong Kong public.

As part of the Hong Kong Jewish film festival, we screened two films, the “Heart Of Auschwitz” and “The Last flight of Petr Ginz,” to more than 700 local school children at more than 11 different schools. These events enabled students to learn about aspects of the Holocaust in a unique and engaging manner. We supplied speakers to introduce the films and run question and answer sessions afterwards.

We took the film Hana and her Suitacase around 13 schools in Hong Kong for special screenings that were presented by her brother George.The film enthralled students and along with the presentation by her brother, it proved to be a highly effective medium for Holocaust education.