HOLOCAUST AWARENESS
This page is intended to be a living page in memory of those who perished during the Holocaust and under the oppression of hate. By living, we mean it will grow and hopefully be nourished during that time by the ones who do remember. If you have suggestions and contributions please contact Beth Israel Synagogue.
This year's Holocaust Education Week program and other resources can be found at: 29th Annual Holocaust Education Week Nov. 1-9 2009.
- Voices of the Holocaust
- Holocaust Education Week (2009): The Counterfeiters
- Holocaust Education Week (2009): My Personal Testimony--Same Shene
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: Maps
- March of the Living
- Stories of Light from the Shoah
- Holocaust Education Week
- Articles and Commemoratives
- Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust Remebrance Day): 27th of Nissan (March/April)
- Links and Resources
Voices of the Holocaust: Oral Histories
Dr. David P. Boder, a psychology professor from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago documented the Holocaust through the oral accounts of survivors in 1946.
To listen and remember click Voices of the Holocaust.
Who better to introduce this film and afterwards, to lead us in an exploration of the issues it raises, than Marilyn Herbert. Many of you will know Marilyn from her visits to Peterborough under the auspices of RJCO for book and movie evenings. You know that she will be well prepared with background information and research, and thought-provoking discussion topics that will lead to a stimulating evening. Not to be missed.
At Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough.
Growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s, we all knew people who had numbers tattooed on their arms and we knew what those numbers meant. The number of living survivors of the events of 65 years ago is now declining rapidily and it is unlikely that the next generation will be able to hear personally from people who lived through this time. Therefore, attending this event is perhaps a special opportunity for teens and young adults, Jewish or not, to hear their story and to take their message to future generations. Not to be missed.
At Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough.
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: Maps
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum describes the Museum's mapping initiatives as the "use of tools such as Google Earth and animated maps to enable citizens to understand Holocaust history and to bear witness to current threats of genocide across the globe."
Click Holocaust Maps.
March of the Living
Evan Mendel from the RJCO has written the following regarding the upcoming March of the Living:
Dear friends,
Registration for the 2010 March of the Living program for the Regional Jewish Communities of Ontario will be opening very shortly, (October 5th), with an application deadline soon after that, (October 23rd). This is an incredible program that is being offered to high school students grades 10- 12, giving participants the opportunity to powerfully experience two of the most significant dates in the modern Jewish calendar in two very appropriate locations: Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in Poland, and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) in Israel. Thousands of students will march together the 3- kilometer distance separating Auschwitz from Birkenau on Yom Hashoa, followed by the celebration of the 62nd anniversary of Israel on Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel. If you would like to receive more information, or an RJCO March of the Living application form, please contact me as soon as possible by any means I have listed below. As well, please forward this e-mail and be in contact with those in your community who are eligible for the program, and who may not have received this e-mail directly from me.
My very best regards,
Evan Mendel Coordinator, Youth & Community Outreach Programs, Regional Jewish Communities of Ontario (RJCO). 4600 Bathurst Street, Suite 315 Toronto, ON, M2R 3V3 E-mail: ehmendel@gmail.com Phone: 416- 636- 7655 ext. 236 Cell: 416- 727- 8986
Stories of Light from the Shoah
| June 21 | RJCO Event 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
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The Slice of Bread that Saved the World: Stories of Light from the Shoah, the Kingdom of Night. We are very fortunate to have Eli Rubenstein, one of the chief forces behind the annual March of the Living as our guest speaker for this event. Perry Romberg of UIA will be bringing Mr. Rubenstein and will also be giving us his annual update on RJCO/UIA activities and plans for the outlying communities. Eli Rubenstein is perhaps best known for his work as National Director of the March of the Living. However, this is but one facet of his extensive career that brings together holocaust remembrance and outreach to the Jewish world and the wider world that diaspora Jews live in. He is a key spokesperson for the Jewish community and a positive force for continuing education that aims to reinforce values of tolerance and justice. More details of this event and Mr. Rubinstein's accomplishments are described in his Biography. Erica Cherney will once again be generously opening her house to the community for this event, the last one for RJCO before the fall. For directions and RSVP, please contact Mark Siegel: Tel: 705-292-8349 or Email: m.siegel@sympatico.ca |
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| On behalf of Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough. |
Holocaust Education Week 2008 (5769)
| Nov 12 | Holocaust Education Week 7:00 p.m. |
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Award winning film, "Rosenstrasse" that takes place in Berlin, early 1943. The Nazis rounded up Jewish men in Berlin at that time. As the men were detained in a building on Rosenstrasse, their non-Jewish wives and mothers gathered daily in silent protest until their release. Click Holocaust Education for more details. For a listing and details about other Holocaust Education Week events in other locations, go to the holocausteducationweek.com web site. At Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough. |
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| Nov 4 | Holocaust Education Week 7:00 p.m. |
Survivor Faige Libman is to present her personal testimony. Faige was born in Kaunas (Kovno) Lithuania. As a young child, she and her mother lived in the Kovno Ghetto and were later transferred to the Stuthof Concentration Camp before being liberated by the Soviet Red Army. She lived in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria, annd came to Canada in 1948. Click Holocaust Education for more details. It is planned to start each evening by reading the names of victims of the Holocaust that are family members or relatives of our Beth Israel community, in order to remember these victims who are special to us as well as to remind us of the human face of victims both of the Jewish Holocaust of WWII and of other such events before and sadly, since. We would like to get started as soon as possible on collecting these names and Mark Siegel is looking after this, so please send them to him at Mark Siegel . Along with the names, please send the name of the city or place where they were living, if you know this (or the country if you only know that) and what relation they are to you. Please keep the dates open and RSVP to Mark Siegel if you are able to attend either or both nights. For a listing and details about other Holocaust Education Week events in other locations, go to the holocausteducationweek.com web site. At Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough. |
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| Oct 24 | Judi Cahorn's Book Release 7:00 p.m. |
Judy Cahorn's launches her new book entitled: The Incredible Walk. This book describes her parents experiences during the Holocaust and Nazi-occupied France. Click Cahorn's Book for details. At Titles Book Store on George St. in Peterborough. |
Articles and Commemoratives
On Tuesday evening, Nov. 4, 2008, the first of two Holocaust Education Week events took place at Beth Israel Synagogue.
The chairperson for the evening, Dr. Mark Siegel, opened the program by reading names of victims lost to family members in our community.
The first speaker was Judi Cahorn whose book The Incredible Walk was released just last week. It tells the story of her parents, Dr. Paul Sekelj and Trudy Katzenstein and their escape from France. It describes their journey, including her mother giving birth on the ship as they sailed to North America. They eventually settled in Montreal where Judi was born.
Our guest speaker from Toronto was Faigie Libman, at 74, one of the youngest survivors of the Lithuanian Jews. She lived through the Slobodka ghetto, and labour and concentration camps because of the fierce determination of her mother and some luck or miracles.
For many years she did not speak of her experiences at all, but the catalyst was -in her own words - in 1982 when the commander of her ghetto, Helmut Rauca, “the Butcher of Kaunas,”(her hometown) was arrested on war crimes — accused of being responsible for the death of 10,500 Jews — two streets from her Toronto home. Since then Mrs. Libman has been speaking all over Ontario. She particularly favours telling her story to young people, yet spreading words of optimism. She entrusts youth with bettering the world with tolerance, understanding and absolutely no hatred.
There were tears and some smiles as people chatted over coffee at the end of the program.
Many thanks to Jocelyn Cooper for this article.
Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust Remebrance Day): 27th of Nissan (March/April)
Beth Israel wishes to commemorate this day but also to reaffirm the need to never forget, at any time, the victims of the Holocaust who were persecuted and silenced by hate.
Items for Holocaust remembrance and education will be presented on this page. These items should never be taken as a measure of the significance of the Holocaust to humanity. They represent a small voice that hopefully will help to "never forget" and to continuously break the silence that accompanied the deaths of the victims.