In the early 1990s, with the purchase of a video camera, the Video Testimonies’ Project was launched. Holocaust survivor, Phillip Maisel, began volunteering and immediately recognised the enormity of the challenge, given the passage of time and the ageing of survivors, so he made it his passion and goal to interview as many survivors as possible. He has dedicated himself tirelessly to the task. The 1300 testimonies collected are a testament to his energy and perseverance. Phillip was awarded an OAM in recognition of his efforts. More recently he has turned his focus to the ongoing challenge of digitising the collection and has taught himself to work in a digital environment. Future challenges include improving the testimonies’ database, as well as indexing the collection to make it more accessible for researchers.
If you would like to give your testimony or know of someone who is interested in giving a testimony, please contact Phillip Maisel on (03) 9528 1985 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Below is an example of the video testimonies we collect from survivors of the Holocaust.
In 1939, the Nazis occupied the city of Lodz in Poland. The Jewish population was confined in the Ghetto where many atrocities were committed. This testimony is from Mrs Genia Rovi describing such events, and was taken on the 19 September 1998 at the Jewish Holocaust Centre, by Mr Phillip Maisel as part of the Video Testimonies Project.
For more examples of the Suvrivor Testimonies take by the Centre, please visit our "Eyewitness: Short-form Survivor Testimonies" page.
