Elise Hawthorne
Courage to Care tackles some hard topics, this outreach program run by B’nai B’rith has for the past twenty years informed Australians of the dangers of prejudice and discrimination; its volunteers visit schools, workplaces and community groups, educating participants about understanding the roles of the victim, perpetrator and bystanders.
In 1992, inspired by the many stories of rescue and courage displayed by non-Jews who saved or helped Jews during the Holocaust, the Raoul Wallenberg Unit of B’nai B’rith Victoria mounted the first Courage to Care exhibition in the Jewish Museum of Australia. The exhibition has, since 1998, been taken up by B’nai B’rith NSW
Courage to Care’s mission is to combat discrimination in all forms by inspiring and empowering the individual to become an upstander and to take positive action if needed. This inspiring organisation oversees a travelling exhibition, together with an integrated education program, aiming to spread its message of social justice far and wide.
Hezie Lazarov, program coordinator, Courage To Care
(NSW) said, “Courage To Care NSW is very proud of its achievements over the
past 20 years. We have set up and curated over 40 exhibitions that have been
seen throughout regional NSW and in many parts of regional Queensland, reaching
a diverse audience who have been moved by what they saw and heard. Our living
historians, the Holocaust Survivors, have told their stories to over 100,000
students who otherwise may have never heard these extraordinary
testaments.”
“We will continue to run two regional exhibitions a year as well as expand our school incursion program in Sydney. We are also growing our fantastic workplace program. We hope that over the coming 20 years we can continue the great work of Courage To Care and share our message that every person, every single act can make a difference. Like Moses, we want to reach 120,” said Lazarov.
Courage to Care celebrates the people who had the courage to care – ordinary people, whose acts were extraordinary in their bravery and impact. It tells the story of individuals who, stood up and confronted discrimination and injustice, often risking their own lives and sometimes those of their loved ones, to save others. In a perfect world an organisation such as Courage to Care wouldn’t need to exist, but thank goodness it does.
For more information visit: www.couragetocare.com.au
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