“Like a Volcano”: Survivor warns antisemitism has erupted across Australia as Royal Commission prepares interim report
Adelaide Holocaust Museum founder and Holocaust survivor, 93-year-old Andrew Steiner has described a sudden “volcano” of antisemitism erupting across Australia
He warned that the country he once saw as caring and generous has been transformed by rising hate. Steiner, who has dedicated decades to Holocaust education, told InDailySA he personally felt impacted by the surge in antisemitism. He warned that the hate is built on fabrications, misconceptions, deliberate lies, and online manipulation.
92-year-old survivor Andrew Steiner speaks at the Adelaide Holocaust Museum (Facebook)
“And then, like a volcano, it erupted, and this hate is based on fabrications, misconceptions, deliberate lies, and, in numerous instances, just through manipulation, through the internet, brainwashing,” Steiner said.
Born in Budapest in 1933, Steiner survived the Shoah in hiding and migrated to Adelaide with his family in 1948. He founded the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre, where he continues to serve as a board member and educator, sharing his story with thousands of students since 1990.
His comments come just one day before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion releases its interim report on 30 April 2026. The Commission was established following the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at a Chanukah celebration on Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, which killed 15 people.
Memorial for victims of Bondi Beach terror attack
Steiner stressed the preventive power of education. “Children are not born with hatred. It’s an acquired habit,” he said, urging Australian schools to strengthen Holocaust education programs. He called on leaders of all faiths to work together against prejudice and confirmed he would be making a personal submission to the Royal Commission.
Steiner added that the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre, which he founded, are ready to support the inquiry with their long experience teaching students about the dangers of antisemitism and racism.
The Commission has reportedly already received more than 3,500 submissions detailing experiences of antisemitism across Australian society.
