The Holocaust and the Australian Aboriginal response
Biographer Barbara Miller has published a handbook online focusing on Australia’s response to the events leading up to and during the Holocaust.
William Cooper
In particular, it highlights the specific response of Aboriginal political and social activist William Cooper and fellow members of the Australian Aboriginal League (AAL).
Success is not always achieved overnight. William Cooper marched to the Consulate of Germany in Melbourne on 6 December 1938 to present his petition in support of Germany’s Jews. His petition was not accepted. This deed was only fully recognised by the German government in 2017.
The handbook also covers the current worldwide definition of antisemitism and what can be done to stand up to it.
This is a resource for educators and teachers and for upper secondary students and adult education programs in Australia and internationally.
“Some say that William Cooper only performed one act of solidarity in protesting the Germans’ cruel treatment of the Jews. However, I sense that he has become more than a Christian Aboriginal Upstander. He has become a symbol of the bond between Jews and Aborigines which was formed through his protest and which has deepened with the commemoration of his actions.”
The WE ARE HERE! Foundation, funded by a US government grant, brought US educator Nance Adler to Australia in 2019 to run a series of events and workshops on the theme of Upstanders. The Foundation provided new resources for educators, highlighting the story of Aboriginal Upstander William Cooper. On her return to the United States, Ms Adler introduced the William Cooper narrative to her students as part of what it means to be an Upstander in the face of discrimination and injustice. She continues to do so today.
To request your free online copy of the handbook, visit the website and complete the contact form: https://wah.foundation/handbook-request/
