Lecture of Z. Pavlovska „Story of ship Patria“ in Centre of Holocaust and Genocide Johannesburg
14.06.2018 / 16:19 | Aktualizováno: 14.06.2018 / 16:29
The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Pretoria, in cooperation with the Holocaust and Genocide Center, organized a lecture on the story of ship Patria. This event took place on 5 June 2018 at the premises of the center in Johannesburg. The invitation was accepted by Mgr. Zuzana Pavlovska, Head of Education and Culture at the Jewish Museum in Prague.
Patria's story is an adventurous and sad story of Jewish refugees. In September 1940, 3,600 refugees from Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hungary embarked on three ships: the Pacific, the Milos, and the Atlantic which was headed for Palestine. British colonial authorities, however, prevented entry into Palestine and the refugees were transferred to the Patria boat for a trip to Mauritius. Before the ship left the Haifa port, there was an explosion on board, causing the ship to sink and killing many of the refugees. The surviving refugees were subsequently transferred and interned in refugee camps in Mauritius.
The lecture was also associated with the exhibition “Neighbors Who Disappeared”, one of the projects of the Jewish Museum in Prague for secondary school students.
There was great interest shown for the lecture and the exhibition. The introductory word was presented by H.E Mr Michal Král and the director of the Holocaust and Genocide Center, Tali Nates. The event was attended by about 60 people and the diplomatic community was represented by the Israeli Embassy by Ayellet Black.
The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Pretoria has long been collaborating with the Holocaust and Genocide Center (Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban) and has established a tradition of a Czech day where at least one cultural event is held annually in one of the centers.
Mrs. Pavlovska had teaching workshops for high school students about the history of Central European Judaism at the Westerford High School in Cape Town and in the Center of Holocaust and Genocide in Johannesburg.
Zuzana Pavlovská has been closely cooperating with Westerford High School in Cape Town for the last two years. Students visited the Jewish Museum in Prague during a history tour in Eastern Europe, Germany, and Austria in 2016. More than 100 students from Westerford High School attended the lecture and some of the students will participate in another history tour in 2019.
Anna Syková, Head of consular and cultural section, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Pretoria
Galleries
story of ship Patria - Zuzana Pavlovská
