The State Comptroller's report on Yad Vashem found deficiencies in the preservation of items from the Holocaust | Israel Today

During the months of July 2019-November 2020, the State Comptroller's Office examined a number of issues concerning the core of Yad Vashem's Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism Authority, including the museum's activities, including registration, storage and preservation of collection items and their display on the Yad Vashem website, Holocaust research activities, operations To raise donations, aspects related to the activities of the administrative institutions and the current budget balance of Yad Vashem.

The auditor's report states that Yad Vashem uses fluorescents that produce ultraviolet radiation, which stated that "not in accordance with the preservation conditions set for museum spaces, according to which it is better to block radiation completely, ten storage spaces at Yad Vashem fluorescent bulbs were not covered."

In addition, three exhibition spaces were found in which a higher-than-normal level of lighting was measured in the guidelines of the Museums Division.

More than 80% of the measurements made in the years 2019-2016 in archives containing paper items, a deviation from the desired humidity was found.

In the photo warehouse, a deviation from the permissible humidity was found during this period in a small part of the measurements.

In those years, a deviation from the permissible temperature was also found in the photo warehouse, as well as in archives containing paper.

Also, the storage spaces do not have a flood warning system. "

Yad Vashem, in 2020, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

The report further states that Yad Vashem did not hold a tender before contracting with two service providers to raise funds, and no minutes of the tenders committee or other documents were found stating that the contract with the two service providers and its extensions are exempt from tender. The contract with the two fundraisers is about NIS 1.9 million a year.

The report states that: "According to Yad Vashem's financial reports for 2020, the annual deficit from current operations was NIS 25.6 million, and the amount of contributions to current operations is less than NIS 101 million in 2019 to NIS 80 million in 2020." The auditor clarifies that: "2020 was an exception due to the corona plague, but already according to a five-year forecast prepared by Yad Vashem in 2019 and presented to the Finance Committee in March 2020, a current annual deficit of NIS 10 million was expected in 2020. According to the five-year forecast, the deficit "The cumulative annual operating activity for the years 2024-2020 will be approximately NIS 81 million. At the end of the audit, Yad Vashem's management has not yet completed the plan to reduce the current annual deficit projected in the plan for those years."

The Comptroller emphasizes that: "It is recommended that Yad Vashem take the necessary steps to reduce the possible damage to items, including periodic inspections of the level of lighting, radiation, temperature and humidity in the museum spaces and warehouses. It is recommended that Yad Vashem formulate a multi-year fundraising policy, including all "Regarding the rate of donations, which serve as a source for Yad Vashem's ongoing activities. It is also recommended that Yad Vashem's management complete the work of the headquarters to examine innovative ways of raising digital donations."

"Improve registration and catalog of items from the Holocaust"

Regarding engagements with fundraisers, the auditor's report clarifies that Yad Vashem must act in accordance with the procedure of the Tenders Committee. The State Comptroller notes that: "The king way for such engagements is the publication of a public tender.

It is recommended that Yad Vashem complete an up-to-date and balanced plan for the years 2024-2021.

This need is sharpening due to the corona crisis and its impact on Yad Vashem's activity in the past two years. "

As is well known, Yad Vashem holds large collections of objects and documents of unique historical value, designed to help commemorate the memory of the Holocaust.

Engelman clarifies in the report that “the audit findings indicate the need to improve the management of these collections, to ensure their preservation for future generations.

This includes Yad Vashem improving the listing and cataloging of items;

Manage the conservation operations in a computerized manner and work to complete them before the condition of the items deteriorates;

Ensure compliance with standards regarding temperature, humidity and lighting, which will conform to current museum standards.

Yad Vashem must pay attention to the annual deficit from current operations, and therefore the management of Yad Vashem is required to act to balance the annual budget. "

Yad Vashem (Archive), Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Yad Vashem's response to the State Comptroller's report

: "Yad Vashem has not had a deficit in recent decades and there is no deficit today. Yad Vashem did not approve a deficit budget and did not complete a year of deficit work. Yad Vashem's budget was balanced and remained balanced. Contrary to what has been said, the amount of NIS 25.6 million is not a deficit, as it is based on a five-year future forecast that Yad Vashem made in 2019 and which took into account stringent discounts and was intended to allow preparations accordingly. Over the years, Yad Vashem has been able to accumulate funds that will ensure its long-term resilience, and thanks to this it will not run a deficit in 2020 either. "Since only about a third of Yad Vashem's budget is a government budget, if the government increases its participation in Yad Vashem's budget, the budgetary balance will be maintained as it has been so far."

"It should also be noted that as a body that relies heavily on donations, Yad Vashem has acted in a controlled manner and with a long-term vision in this area as well, in order to avoid deficits, including a multi-year recruitment plan that is updated annually. The structure of its resource mobilization unit, the recruitment channels, the partnerships, the methods and methods of recruitment, the working policy with the friends' associations in Israel and around the world, etc. The two recruitment consultants are service providers for many years. "According to the law, Yad Vashem is not obligated to tender in these engagements. Yad Vashem's management, the Finance Committee and the public administration monitor the work plans (expenses and income) on an ongoing and quarterly level."

It was also stated: "Regarding findings regarding radiation that exceeds lighting, it should be noted that light-sensitive paper works are stored in dedicated boxes in drawers, so they are not exposed to light at all. As for temperature and humidity conditions - new air conditioning systems have been installed in recent years. Items from the Holocaust period, It was decided several years ago to build a new collection center, an underground structure that is currently under construction, where Yad Vashem collections will be housed in the best and most advanced storage conditions in the world, and conservation laboratories will be set up to international museum standards. "The places where the collections are currently stored (until they are moved to the new collection center) and where there are water pipes nearby, there is a flood warning system. It should be noted that no water will be found in the new collection area in the storage areas."

"The employees of the collections departments, who are professionals with expertise in the field of archives and museums, perform as part of their job cataloging of the items as well as diagnosing items that need urgent care or preservation upon receipt at Yad Vashem, while documenting the diagnosis in the system."