here - Holocaust Education Centre

3–9 November National Narratives Presented by Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

We Gratefully Acknowledge Our Donors and Sponsors lead legacy sponsors

Elizabeth & Anthony Comper

Honey & Barry Sherman

media sponsors

corporate benefactors

legacy sponsor

corporate friends

corporate keynote

legacy sponsor

corporate & partner generations sponsors Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary

benefactors Joseph Gottdenker Family Foundation Zippy & Mark Orland Joyce & Aaron Rifkind Naomi Rifkind Mansell & David Mansell highlight program sponsors Jill & Joel Reitman artist-in-residence sponsor Collins Barrow LLP Julia & Henry Koschitzky educator-in-residence sponsor Cohen Family Charitable Trust scholar-in-residence sponsor Goodmans LLP reception sponsors Stacey & David Cynamon Gail & Stanley Debow Ganz Family Foundation The Gottesman & Beck Families Magna International Inc. Eleanor & Martin Maxwell with Scotiabank Bathurst/ Sheppard Branch The Sonshine Family Foundation Marilyn & Stephen Sinclair and the WordCheck Translation Team keynote program sponsors Anonymous Morris, Louis, & Garry Greenbaum and Families

The Harris and Taylor Family Foundation Debbie & Warren Kimel Gail Dexter Lord Annette Metz-Pivnick & Richard Pivnick with Danny Pivnick Hannah Nusbaum The Rapoport and Rosenthal Families Bryna & Fred Steiner and Family Helen Stollar Judy & Lawrence Tanenbaum Foundation Annalee & Jeffrey Wagman with Eleanor & Martin Maxwell generations sponsors Helena & Jeffrey Axler, Feiga Glazer, Gerry & Lilianne Glazer Tamara & Jerry Balitsky Wendy R. Eisen Endowment Fund Janis & Kenneth Finkelstein Sylvia & Edward Fisch The DH Gales Family Charitable Foundation of Toronto The Glicks and Glicksman Families The Glied, Goldstein, Beliak and Briffault Families Lillian Vine Glowinsky & Norman Glowinsky Marya & Herman Grad A. E. Grossman Foundation Mary Ellen Herman Lisa Richman & Steven Kelman Lianne & Bruce Leboff Michal & Sam Mizrahi

Bonnie & Larry Moncik with Eleanor & George Getzler Sylvia & Isaac Peck Yigal Rifkind Vivienne & Danny Saltzman Mary Seldon Carole & Jay Sterling Martha Sud Ernie Weiss Memorial Fund Sasha & Tom Weisz Liora & Simon Yakubowicz and Family friends Deborah Berlach & Ron Csillag The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. Florence & Sydney Cooper Foundation Cooper’s Iron & Metal Inc. Crowe Soberman LLP Risa & David Dulberg Anita Ekstein and Family Daniel Feldheim and Ilse Feldheim Frankel Family Foundation Annice & Harvey Frisch Kitty & George Grossman Roslyn & Ralph Halbert Harry Klaczkowski Gayle & Alfred Kwinter Edna & David Magder Eva & Leslie Meisels Faye Minuk Dr. Carson Phillips Karen & Mel Rom The Rash Family

Aida & Avron Seetner Edith Sereny Rosalie & Isadore Sharp The Nathan & Lily Silver Family Foundation Frieda & Larry Torkin Nanci & Phillip Turk Elaine & Irvine Weitzman Sally & Mark Zigler The Jewish Foundation and Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre are pleased to announce the Holocaust Education Endowment Fund dedicated to ensuring that programming like Holocaust Education Week is sustained in perpetuity. This endowment will preserve legacies for future generations. 2013 lead endowment contributors honey & barry sherman To contribute by donation or bequest, please contact The Jewish Foundation at 416–631–5703.

Holocaust Education Week 2013

Holocaust Education Week 2013 explores different national, generational and cultural narratives of the Holocaust and its aftermath: the historical narratives of countries and regions where the Shoah occurred, the personal and collective narratives of individual survivors and communities who rebuilt themselves elsewhere in the world, and the next generations who will perpetuate their legacies. This year’s program focuses its lens on the dynamic process that unites historical events with personal experiences. In honour of Canada’s chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, HEW 2013 has assembled a group of outstanding national experts-in-residence. Our scholar is Professor Harold Troper of the University of Toronto; educator is Jacqueline Celemencki of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre; and artist is Rochelle Rubinstein, whose poignant visual narratives grace the pages of this publication.

Cover Image by Rochelle Rubinstein Artist Statement

This still life detail is from my collection of block-printed, painted, drawn, sewn and collaged accordion-folded books, in which I blend cultural legends and texts with my repertoire of imagery and memories. The books are connected by shared themes of ambiguity, loss, history, repression, and unreliable memory—themes that are steeped in the traditions and obsessions of my family and of my life as an artist. A key recurring image is a taupe-colored silk knee sock, which belonged to my father’s young son who was murdered in Auschwitz. I have been rendering, overlapping, decontextualizing and abstracting this precious object in an ongoing attempt to process unacceptable information and to somehow keep alive my father’s memory of his firstborn child. The cover image includes one of Uri’s socks, a spool of thread (always an evocation of my mother who was a beautiful dressmaker), and the printed word ‫למה‬, Hebrew for “why,” floating sideways. This one word represents the many questions that compete for attention during the creative process.

Letters

Prime Minister

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone taking part in the 33rd annual Holocaust Education Week.

On behalf of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I am pleased to extend my warmest regards to all the participants in the 33rd annual Holocaust Education Week in Toronto.

The horror of the Shoah casts a long shadow over the recent history of the Western world. The systematic murder of over six million innocent men, women, and children by the Nazi regime was a crime on a scale that surpasses human comprehension. It is our duty as a free and democratic society to remember the victims and to honour the resilience of the survivors and those who bravely risked their lives to assist them. By sharing their stories with future generations, we can remain vigilant in confronting those who propagate messages of hatred, antiSemitism, and Holocaust denial. This year, Canada assumed the position of Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. We are committed to an ambitious campaign in the coming year to combat anti-Semitism, to raise Holocaust awareness, and to preserve survivor testimony. Holocaust Education Week offers a powerful program of activities featuring films, discussions, and exhibits that encourage remembrance and denounce intolerance. I commend the dedicated staff and supporters of the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, for their efforts to make the annual Holocaust Education Week such a success. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my best wishes for a memorable series of events. The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.

The theme for Holocaust Education Week 2013—National Narratives: Giving Voice—resonates deeply with IHRA, an alliance of 31 member states. Each member state has its own collection of national memories, and legacy of the Holocaust, which they bring together in common purpose in their commitment to IHRA’s guiding principles, as outlined in the Stockholm Declaration. IHRA is committed to Holocaust education, remembrance, and research, to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten. These same principles inform HEW, which provides an opportunity for individuals of all ages to learn, to remember, and to reflect on the Holocaust. It also provides an opportunity for young people to learn the history of the Holocaust, as well as the stories of Holocaust survivors, to ensure that each generation remains committed to the principle of Never Again. As a longtime resident of Toronto, it is a privilege to participate in the high quality programming provided during HEW. In my role as IHRA Chair, I have been fortunate to meet with researchers and educators in countries around the world and to learn about the outstanding work being done, and I can say without a doubt, that Toronto’s HEW is worldclass. This type of international leadership in Holocaust education is one of the many reasons why Canada was selected by IHRA as this year’s Chair. On behalf of the IHRA, I would like to congratulate the HEW organizers for developing such a thoughtful and comprehensive program for 2013 and to offer my sincere hope that participants have an inspiring and edifying Holocaust Education Week. Sincerely, Dr. Mario Silva, 2013 Chair International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance

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Letters

Premier

Mayor of Toronto

On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to everyone participating in the 33rd annual Holocaust Education Week, organized by the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone participating in Holocaust Education Week in Toronto organized by the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre and the Jewish community.

Commemoration has always been an essential part of Jewish tradition. It is only through remembering that one is able to reflect, learn and therefore educate younger generations to ensure such events never again occur.

Holocaust Education Week marks an important time in history and raises awareness and education about the Holocaust. The week will feature those that have experienced racism, prejudice and anti-Semitism and look at ways to prevent any form of discrimination so as not to repeat the mistakes of history.

Holocaust Education Week provides Ontarians from all heritages the opportunity to delve into one of the darkest moments in human history—and emerge with universal lessons about hope, tolerance and human rights. By providing people in Ontario with the opportunity to hear Holocaust survivors testify about their experience, watch film on the matter and listen to panel discussions, the Education Centre is contributing towards building a province that is committed to protecting the dignity of every citizen. I would like to thank the staff and volunteers for their hard work in making this year’s event possible. Please accept my best wishes for a memorable and inspiring programme.

I encourage everyone to participate in the activities of this very significant week and commit to being leaders in the fight against all forms of discrimination and anti-Semitism. On behalf of Toronto City Council, I thank the organizers of this event and wish everyone a most informative week. Please accept my best wishes for continued success. Yours truly, Mayor Rob Ford City of Toronto

Kathleen Wynne Premier

holocaust education week 5

HEW Greetings

York Region Chairman and CEO

Co-Chairs

On behalf of York Regional Council and The Regional Municipality of York, it is my honour to extend greetings to the participants and organizers of the 33rd annual Holocaust Education Week.

On behalf of our dedicated volunteer committee and our loyal partners and sponsors, we are honoured to welcome you to the 33rd Holocaust Education Week, the Neuberger’s signature annual forum of educational, cultural and legacy programs. As Elie Wiesel so eloquently expressed, “Education is the key to preventing the cycle of violence and hatred that marred the 20th century from repeating itself in the 21st century.”

Esteemed Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel wrote, “To forget a Holocaust is to kill twice.” Holocaust Education Week serves to ensure we will not forget. It is through the brave words of those who suffered through, and ultimately triumphed over the atrocities of the Shoah, that future generations will remember and learn. Holocaust Education Week offers extensive programming designed to engage a cross-cultural audience. The films, discussions, exhibits and music have all been selected to stimulate conversation and create greater awareness of history. York Region is rich in cultural diversity. We are pleased to welcome residents from all over the world to our communities. I am thankful for the harmony we enjoy. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the contribution and efforts of the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto in organizing and promoting this vital event. Yours truly, Bill Fisch Chairman and CEO

We are proud of what HEW has become since being established by Holocaust survivors in our community: a civic event with international impact. And so we are very pleased to recognize Holocaust survivors in Canada and throughout the world with our theme this year of National Narratives. It is a privilege to give voice to Canadian Holocaust survivors during Holocaust Education Week and at our museum programs throughout the year and our collective privilege to listen. Our week is enhanced by experts in residence and visiting presenters from dozens of countries in a variety of disciplines. We thank our dedicated committee members for all their efforts and contributions to this important project. We are also grateful to our community partners and generous sponsors. Finally, we thank Neuberger Holocaust Centre Chair Honey Sherman, Executive Director Mira Goldfarb and professional staff Mary Siklos, Carson Phillips and Rachel Libman for their vision and tireless efforts. Eric Cohen Joyce Rifkind 2013 HEW Co-Chairs Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre


HEW Greetings

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto is proud to support the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre as a vital constituent and we are honoured to welcome you to the 33rd Annual Holocaust Education Week. Now a multifaceted and multinational event, Holocaust Education Week perpetuates the vision of its founders: to teach the history and legacy of the Shoah to new generations, Jews and non-Jews throughout this region and beyond. Holocaust Education Week generates knowledge and understanding about the Holocaust and serves as a forum for dialogue about civil society for present and future generations. This year’s program, on the theme of National Narratives, will again be an experience like no other. UJA Federation is proud to support it and participate in it. We invite you and your families to join us in learning, dialogue and community.

Holocaust Education Week 2013 focuses its lens on the dynamic process that unites historical events with personal experiences. In honour of Canada’s chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, HEW 2013 has assembled a group of outstanding national experts-in-residence. Our scholar is Professor Harold Troper of the University of Toronto, renowned co-chronicler of the Canadian response to the Holocaust; educator is Jacqueline Celemencki of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre; and artist is Rochelle Rubinstein, whose poignant visual narratives grace the pages of this publication.

Sincerely, Richard Venn, Chair Ted Sokolsky, President & CEO UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

We thank our volunteers, colleagues, partners, generous donors and ambassadors, without whom this event would not be possible. Special recognition goes to HEW Co-chairs, Eric Cohen and Joyce Rifkind and our dedicated co-lead sponsors, Elizabeth and Tony Comper, the Azrieli Foundation, and the Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation. We are privileged by visionary and dedicated leadership from our professional and advisory colleagues, especially Marilyn Sinclair (incoming Chair), Carson Phillips, Rachel Libman and Mary Siklos. UJA Federation of Greater Toronto is our sustaining supporter, enabling us to bring this program and more to the community and beyond. With an outstanding survey of compelling programs at the finest venues in our city and region, there are multiple touchpoints for engagement and inspiration. We invite you to join us and become a part of the ongoing narrative. Honey Sherman, Chair Mira Goldfarb, Executive Director Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre


HEW at a Glance

Opening Night SUNDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 7:30 PM One Story at a Time

Opening Night of HEW features five new authors in the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs program with a premiere screening of their new Azrieli Series Short Films. Meet the authors, hear their individual voices, and experience their personal narratives of survival.

Closing Night SATURDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 7:30 PM More than 3 Million Voices: Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett

Seventy years after the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett shares the mission of the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Built on the site of the Uprising, the museum honours and celebrates one thousand years of Jewish life and culture in Poland and speaks for the lives, culture and history lost during the Shoah. Closing Night of HEW will include a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Sunday 3 November

Monday 4 November

Tuesday 5 November

10:00 AM In Conversation . . .

10:00 AM In Conversation . . . Andy Réti

10:00 am In Conversation . . . Joe Leinburd

11:00 AM Traumatic Memory

10:00 am Programme de Holocauste french

10:00 AM Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust 11:00 AM Tales of Courage from the Shoah 11:00 AM Legacy Symposium for Young Professionals 11:00 AM In Conversation . . . Manny Langer 11:00 AM French-Language Teacher’s Seminar 1:00 PM A People Uncounted FILM 2:00 PM A Historiker in Geto: Emanuel Ringelblum YIDDISH 2:00 PM Memory: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story FILM 3:00 PM Countrymen 4:00 PM The Mystery of San Nicandro FILM 4:00 PM Witold Pilecki: The Auschwitz Volunteer OPENING NIGHT 7:30 PM One Story at a Time

11:45 AM Role of S.S. in Denmark 1:00 PM A Jewish Girl in Shanghai FILM 1:00 PM In Conversation . . . Judy Lysy 1:30 PM The Post-Holocaust Story 2:00 PM Enduring Alterations 2:30 PM National Narratives: Oral History 3:30 PM

Антисемитизм и Холокост

RUSSIAN

7:00 PM Wunderkinder FILM 7:15 PM Playing Games with Nazi Germany Harold Troper 7:30 PM Hungary: Holocaust History & Action Today 7:30 PM Narratives of Familial Resistance

11:00 am Holocaust Legacies: The Canadian Connection PANEL 12:00 PM Ephemeral Film–Digitally Preserved 1:15 pm In Conversation . . . Anne Eidlitz 1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Eva Meisels 1:30 pm Giving Voice to the Voiceless: The Armenian Genocide 2:00 pm In Conversation . . . AlexANDER Eisen 2:00 pm Enduring Alterations 3:00 pm Women and the Holocaust 4:30 pm The Holocaust and Christian Social Ethics 7:00 PM A Czech Torah Gives Voice 7:30 pm Branded by the Pink Triangle

7:30 PM No Place on Earth FILM & DISCUSSION

7:30 pm The Memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

7:30 PM Ephemeral Films: National Socialism in Austria

8:00 pm The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking 8:00 pm Out of the Fire FILM & DISCUSSION

Wednesday 6 November

Thursday 7 November

Friday 8 November

Saturday 9 November

10:30 am Stories of Chance and Circumstance

10:00 am Heart of Auschwitz FILM & DISCUSSION

10:00 am In Conversation . . . Renate Krakauer

8:45 am Bystanders to Genocide: The Role of Building Managers

1:00 pm The Secret of the Village Fool

10:30 am Using the International Tracing Service

12:00 pm Legalities of the ITS

11:30 AM Desperate Times / Desperate Measures / Desperate People

1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Leonard Vis 1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Edward Fisch 1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Magda Hilf 1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Hedy Bohm 2:15 pm In Conversation . . . Amek Adler 2:30 PM The Ninth Day FILM 7:00 pm Modern Rescuers: Using our Voices

12:00 PM My Mother’s Secret 1:00 pm In the Presence of my Neighbours FILM 1:30 pm In Conversation . . . Shary Fine 2:00 pm Reading Holocaust Survivors’ Testimonies 2:00 pm Kathy Kacer: Shanghai Escape 6:30 pm In Conversation . . . Mladen Vranic 7:00 pm Sculptures of the Holocaust

7:00 pm Bystanders to the Holocaust

7:00 pm “Euthanasia:” The First Victims

7:30 pm Portrait of Wally FILM & DISCUSSION

7:00 pm The History of the Yiddish/Jewish Press in Europe

7:30 pm ITS: Restoring Family Trees Severed by the Holocaust

7:30 pm The Persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands

7:30 pm Teaching about Shoah in Poland

7:30 pm Does a Second Generation Syndrome Exist?

7:30 pm Conspiracy FILM

7:30 PM Ger Mandolin Orchestra CONCERT

7:45 pm Through the Eye of the Needle FILM & PANEL 8:30 pm Voices FROM the Whirlwind CONCERT

2:00 pm None Is Too Many: Harold Troper 2:00 pm Heart of Auschwitz FILM & DISCUSSION 8:00 PM The Role of Survivor Accounts in Understanding Holocaust and Genocide

1:30 PM German Catholicism and the Third Reich CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM More than 3 Million Voices: Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett

Opening Night & Closing Night Programs

opening night Sunday, 3 November | 7:30 pm

closing night program & kristallnacht commemoration Saturday, 9 November | 7:30 pm

One Story at a Time

More than 3 Million Voices: The Museum of the History of Polish Jews

“In telling these stories, the writers have liberated themselves. For so many years we did not speak about it, even when we became free people living in a free society. Now, when at last we are writing about what happened to us in this dark period of history, knowing that our stories will be read and live on allows us to feel truly free.” —David J. Azrieli, C.M., C.Q., M.Arch., Holocaust survivor and philanthropist.

Holocaust Education Week Opening Night features the five most recently published authors with a premiere screening of five new Azrieli Series Short Films. The evening will provide an opportunity to meet the authors and hear the individual voices of those who prevailed in such terrible adversity. The Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program was established in 2005 to collect, preserve and share the memoirs and diaries written by survivors of the Holocaust who came to Canada after the war. The Program is guided by the conviction that each survivor has a remarkable story to tell and that such stories play a significant role in education, teaching us about the importance of acceptance and the dangers of remaining silent in the face of prejudice in our diverse, multicultural society. The Program is committed to honouring survivors and giving them a voice. These are Jewish stories of survival—and they are Canadian stories of rebirth. The memoirs also commemorate the six million Jews who perished whose voices and stories are lost to us forever. These stories are written from the intimate, personal perspective of those who lived through the Holocaust: more than half a century later, the diversity of stories allows readers to put a face on what was lost and to grasp the enormity of what happened to six million Jews—one story at a time. Coffee reception, with book sales and signing, follows the program. Co-sponsored by The Azrieli Foundation. The reception following the program is generously sponsored by Zippora and Mark Orland in honour of Honey Sherman and her chairmanship of the Neuberger. Queen Elizabeth Theatre 190 Princes’ Boulevard | CNE Grounds Toronto | 416–322–5928 location and parking information: www.theqet.com

Left: Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Above: Five new Holocaust survivor memoirs in the Azrieli Series.

“The Museum is in a geographical place of memory; you cannot be in the place of the Ghetto Uprising and not feel something very deep. There were 1,000 years of Jewish history in Poland; 1,000 years of activity, of extraordinary aspirations and endeavors and dreams and metamorphoses; 1,000 years, which must be studied and communicated and shared.” —Elie Wiesel

2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The new Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, honours and celebrates 1,000 years of Jewish life and culture in Poland and speaks for more than 3,000,000 Jewish lives and culture and history lost during the Shoah. Keynote speaker Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett is Program Director of the Core Exhibition. She will discuss the museum’s mission, supported by video, architectural images and developing displays. Closing Night of HEW will also include a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett is a scholar of Performance and Jewish Studies and a museum professional. She was born in Canada during the Second World War to Jewish immigrants from Poland. Professor of Performance Studies at New York University since 1981 (and distinguished University Professor since 2002), she is best known for her interdisciplinary contributions to Jewish studies and to the theory and history of museums, tourism, and heritage. Generously co-sponsored by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin; by the Joseph Gottdenker Family Foundation, in memory of the Gottdenker and Zuckerbrot families who perished in the Holocaust; by Joyce and Aaron Rifkind; and by Scotiabank’s Bathurst/Sheppard Branch with Martin and Eleanor Maxwell, in memory of his sisters, Josephine and Erna Meisels, who died in the Holocaust. Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland. We are grateful to the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada for their facilitation of this program, co-presented by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto and the North American Council for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Shaarei Shomayim Congregation 470 Glencairn Avenue | Toronto | 416–789–3213

Exhibitions

The Posthumous Landscape: Jewish Sites of Memory in Poland Today Before the deep fissure caused by the Second World War, Poland was a dynamic Jewish centre for more than 1,000 years. Today’s Polish landscape is dotted with sites of Jewish presence and absence. Synagogues, former Jewish neighbourhoods and ghettos, old cemeteries, and more have gripped David Kaufman’s attention for nearly a decade. In richly detailed, large-scale photographs, he has captured many inherently beautiful spaces ranging from ruined memorial gardens to restored places of worship. Rejecting a narrow view of post-Holocaust Poland, his work reveals the striking complexity of a place slowly embracing its Jewish past and present. David Kaufman is a Toronto-based photographer whose work focuses on architecture and the urban landscape. His recent photography exhibition of Toronto’s heritage streetscapes was named a must-see show of the CONTACT Festival by Toronto Life, NOW Magazine and Xtra! Kaufman is also a documentary filmmaker whose films have screened around the world. Please join an opening reception on October 29 at 7 PM with remarks from the artist and guest curator, Evelyn Tauben. 29 October 2013–2 February 2014 Beth Tzedec Reuben and Helene Dennis Museum 1700 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–781–3514 [email protected]

Rhythm Distributed

Rhythm Distributed Following the publication of her critically acclaimed graphic novel, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors in 2006, artist Bernice Eisenstein began to explore portraiture as an attempt “to depict the essence, the spirit of a life . . . to make what is invisible visible.” Eisenstein believes that each individual contains a library of memory and that portraiture can encapsulate the essential components of it into a distilled composition. Words and other abstracted fragments appear as poignant symbols in these visual narratives whose power exceeds the sum of its parts. Bernice Eisenstein is the author of the highly acclaimed graphic memoir, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors, which was translated into ten languages, and received the Jewish Book Award. It has been adapted into a NFB animated short film, voted by the Toronto International Film Festival among Canada’s Top Ten Short films of 2010. Eisenstein’s artwork has appeared in exhibitions in Europe and the United States. Her forthcoming book, Correspondences, with the writer Anne Michaels, will be published in fall 2013 by McClelland & Stewart. She lives in Toronto.

Precious Legacy Precious Legacy is a photography exhibit that celebrates the lives Holocaust survivors built after the devastation of the Shoah. Through the lens of his camera, Elliott Sylman will tell the story of the men, women and children who lived through unspeakable tragedy and went on to create beautiful new lives despite their harrowing past. Community members can view these striking portraits beginning on November 1st, displayed near the Bathurst Street Entrance of Baycrest Hospital. This project will not only educate people about the remarkable lives of these survivors, but will ensure that their legacy will continue for generations to come. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Bathurst Street Entrance of Baycrest. Free to the public. Generously co-sponsored by Marilyn and Stephen Sinclair and the WordCheck Translation team in honour of Honey and Barry Sherman for their outstanding leadership and commitment to Holocaust education. 1 November 2013–ongoing Baycrest Health Sciences 3560 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–785–2500 × 5162

Generously co-sponsored by Richard Pivnick and Annette Metz Pivnick and by Danny Pivnick, in honour of George Metz, who survived the Holocaust, and in memory of his sister Cesia and other family members who perished in the Holocaust. 29 October–18 November 2013 The Gallery at the Miles Nadal JCC 750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto | 416–924–6211


For program changes visit

www.holocausteducationweek.com

or call 416–631–5689

Sunday, 3 November

In Conversation with Holocaust Survivors

Tales of Courage from the Shoah FAMILY

An intergenerational program where the community will have the opportunity to hear testimony from survivors of the Shoah who are part of the BAYT family. Over breakfast, survivors will tell their personal stories in small table discussions, sharing their experiences and answering questions in an informal setting. Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, Senior Rabbi at the BAYT, and Arielle Wasserman, a young member of the BAYT who recently travelled to Poland, will also speak.

Tales of heroism and compassion make the past come to life through stories and songs of the Holocaust. Suitable for children ages 9+.

Generously co-sponsored by Tamara and Jerry Balinsky in memory of the members of our family murdered in the Holocaust and in gratitude for those who survived. Co-sponsored by Hillel of Greater Toronto. 10:00 aM | Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation 613 Clark Avenue West | Thornhill | 905–886–3810 Registration required: www.bayt.ca

Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust Jewish resistance during the Holocaust came in many forms, from organized rebellions to individual pursuits for freedom. Doris L. Bergen will examine Holocaust resistors and the psychology of resistance. An exemplar of Jewish resistance, Cantor Severin Weingort was only 15 years old when he escaped and rescued his parents from a Nazi forced labour camp. He recently recorded his journey of survival on film, which will be shared for the first time at this lecture. Severin Weingort was born in Poland. He immigrated to Toronto in 1948 and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Opera School. He performed with the Canadian Opera Company for fifteen years. In 1966, he became the Cantor of Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto, and is now Cantor Emeritus of Temple Sinai.

Eli Rubenstein is the National Director of the March of the Living Canada. Co-presented by Jewish Storytelling Arts. 11:00 am | Miles Nadal JCC 750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto | 416–924–6211 × 154

Legacy Symposium FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS How do next generations understand and internalize the narratives of the Holocaust in the context of 21st century world issues? This symposium will invite participants to examine narratives (local, national, past, present) and evaluate themselves as individuals and as a collective in the effort to preserve and personalize history. Keynote presentation from Yishai Goldflam, Holocaust educator, guide and filmmaker. A symposium for people in their 20s and 30s. The program is free of charge. Light lunch will be served; Kashruth observed. Co-presented by Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto, and in partnership with numerous community and civic organizations in Toronto. Generously co-sponsored by Fran and Ed Sonshine; by Annalee and Jeffrey Wagman; and by Martin and Eleanor Maxwell in memory of his sisters, Josephine and Erna Meisels who died in the Holocaust. 11:00 am | Registration at 10:30 am Hart House | 7 Hart House Circle | University of Toronto | Toronto registration: www.holocausteducationweek.com

Doris L. Bergen is the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on issues of religion, gender and ethnicity in the Holocaust and the Second World War and comparatively in other cases of extreme violence. She has taught at the Universities of Warsaw, Pristina, Tuzla, Notre Dame, and Vermont.

Journée de formation professionnelle pour les enseignant/es francophones de l’Ontario

Cantor Severin Weingort Holocaust Education Lecture.

Cette journée a pour thème la pensée et aura deux principales composantes.

10:00 am | Temple Sinai Congregation 210 Wilson Avenue | Toronto | 416–487–3281

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Polish Holocaust survivor Manny Langer who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 40. Generously co-sponsored by Edna and David Magder in memory of Reisl Chana Brodi and Marc Weissman, who were murdered in the Holocaust. 11:00 am | Bathurst Clark Resource Library 900 Clark Avenue West | Thornhill | 905–653–7323

ÉVÉNEMENT EN FRANÇAIS

Le matin—Conférence « Aux fondements des pensées totalitaires : nazisme, communisme et autres intégrismes biologiques et idéologiques » Par Boris Cyrulnik L’après-midi—Atelier « Enseigner la pensée historique à travers les récits de témoins d’événements historiques » Par Aurélien Bonin et Stéphane Lévesque Stéphane Lévesque est professeur de didactique de l’histoire à l’Université d’Ottawa, spécialiste de la pensée historique et co-auteur du manuel de référence pour l’Ontario sur la question de l’enseignement de la pensée historique. Aurélien Bonin est éducateur à la Fondation Azrieli. Événement gratuit présenté en collaboration avec la Fondation Azrieli, le Consulat général de France et le Neuberger Holocaust Centre. 11h | Dimanche 3 novembre 2013 Collège Glendon de Toronto | 2275 Bayview Avenue Pour réserver votre place: [email protected]


Sunday, 3 November

Emanuel Ringelblum capsules

A People Uncounted FILM & DISCUSSION

Memory: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story

This Canadian-produced documentary tells the story of the Roma, commonly referred to as Gypsies, a people who have been both romanticized and vilified in popular culture and who have endured centuries of intolerance and persecution in Europe, including during the Holocaust. A People Uncounted depicts their colourful but often difficult lives, including how their present condition has been shaped by the tragedies of the past. (2011, English, 99 minutes.) Gina Robah-Csanyi, Director of the Roma Community Centre of Toronto, will participate in a Q&A following the film.

FILM & COMMEMORATION

Co-presented by the Roma Community Centre.

Dr. Zipora Gur, Executive Director and Founder of Classrooms Without Borders, has worked in the field of Jewish education for more than 35 years. She holds a doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Division of Teacher Development, Curriculum and Supervision.

1:00 pm | Holy Blossom Temple 1950 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–561–0770

Memory: A Holocaust Survivor’s Story is a 2012 film by Classrooms Without Borders in Pittsburgh. Howard Chandler travelled to Starachowice (Wierzbnik), Poland, in the summer of 2011 to visit his childhood city and to recount his wartime experience. In 1942, his town was liquidated by the Nazis and two-thirds of its Jewish residents were murdered at Treblinka. For more than 65 years, survivors and descendents have conducted an annual memorial program for those murdered. (2012, English, 51 minutes.)

For Howard Chandler’s bio, see page 38. This program will include a candle-lighting ceremony. Children over ten years of age are welcome to attend. Copies of the DVD will be available for purchase. Generously co-sponsored by Lisa Richman and Steven Kelman in loving memory of her father Joseph Richman, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor. Co-sponsored by the Wierzbniker Society. 2:00 pm | Bialik Day School 2760 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–485–3390


Sunday, 3 November

‫געטא׃ עמנואל‬ ָ ‫היסטאריקער אין דער‬ ָ ‫ַא‬ ‫רינגעלבלום און דער עונג־שבת ַארכיװ‬ A Historian in the Ghetto: Emanuel Ringelblum and the Oyneg Shabes Archive YIDDISH-LANGUAGE PROGRAM

‫געטא און איין‬ ָ ‫װארשעװער‬ ַ ‫האלטענעם ַארכיװ אין דער‬ ַ ‫בא‬ ַ ‫רעדט װעגן דעם‬ ‫נגעשטאּפט מיט‬ ָ ‫ ָא‬,‫קאּפסולן‬ ַ ‫צײט‬ ַ ‫איבערצולאזן‬ ָ ‫באשטימונג‬ ַ ‫היסטאריקער׳ס‬ ָ ‫קאּפסולן ַזײנען אױסן געװען זיך‬ ַ ‫ די‬.‫געטא‬ ָ ‫גראבן אין דער‬ ָ ‫בא‬ ַ ,‫דאקומענטן‬ ָ ‫נישטמאכן דעם‬ ַ ‫געװאלט צו‬ ָ ‫נאר‬ ָ ‫האבן ניט‬ ָ ‫װאס‬ ָ ‫דײטשן‬ ַ ‫ַאנטקעגןצושטעלן די‬ ‫ לעקציע אױף ייִ דיש‬.‫נאר אױך זייער זכר‬ ָ ,‫ּפױלישן ייִ דנטום‬ This Yiddish-language lecture will discuss the secret archive in the Warsaw Ghetto and Ringelblum’s determination to leave time capsules buried under the ghetto streets. These capsules contained documents intended to thwart the German plans to obliterate not only the Jews of Poland but also their memory. Dr. Samuel Kassow is an internationally recognized scholar with special interest in modern Jewish and European History and the Holocaust. He is a consultant to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Dr. Kassow is the Charles H. Northam Professor of History at Trinity College and was a recent visiting professor at the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto. Co-presented by UJA Federation’s Committee for Yiddish, Friends of Yiddish and Toronto Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring. 2:00 pm | Sherman Campus | Lipa Green Centre | Tamari Hall 4600 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–631–5843

Countrymen LITERARY Bo Lidegaard presents his brand-new book, Countrymen, about the remarkable story of Denmark’s Jews during the Holocaust. In the fall of 1943, Danes living under Nazi occupation helped 6,500 of their fellow countrymen flee to Sweden. The refugees kept diaries and letters, which form the basis of this riveting account of moral courage in the Holocaust. Book sales and signing will follow the program. Bo Lidegaard is a Danish historian, diplomat, author and editor-in-chief of daily broadsheet newspaper Politiken. Bo Lidegaard received his degrees from Gentofte Statsskole in 1976, the University of Copenhagen in 1984 and his PhD in 1997. He has authored a number of books on Danish history. Co-presented by St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. 3:00 pm | Melrose Community Church 375 Melrose Avenue (at Avenue Road) | Toronto | 416–785–1980

The Mystery of San Nicandro FILM This film is based on Professor John Davis’ book, The Jews of San Nicandro, about a group of Roman Catholics in Fascist Italy who underwent a mass conversion to Judaism in the late 1920s–1930s at a time when it was dangerous to be Jewish. They left Italy and immigrated to the new state of Israel in 1949. (2012, English / Italian / Hebrew, 67 minutes.) The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Producer/Executive Producer Vanessa Dylyn. Vanessa Dylyn is a producer of documentary and factual programming. Her new projects include development on The Science of Sainthood for Vision TV, and Urania, a feature film project on Charles Dickens. Previous credits include the Gemini-winning The Musical Brain; Fixing My Brain, the highest-rated film on CBC Newsworld in 2008; the series Exotic Lives; the documentary, Made in Canada: the Italian Way; and the series Best Evidence. Vanessa’s films have been distributed in over 100 countries. Generously co-sponsored by the Rapoport and Rosenthal families in honour of Mania Rapoport and in memory of Jack Rapoport, both Holocaust survivors. 4:00 pm | Villa Charities | Columbus Centre | Carrier Gallery 901 Lawrence Avenue West | Toronto | 416–789–7011 × 219

Witold Pilecki: The Auschwitz Volunteer LITERARY

In 1940, as part of a Polish resistance operation, Captain Witold Pilecki volunteered to go behind the gates of Auschwitz. The result is an incredible tale of bravery and espionage. Imprisoned until his escape in 1943, Pilecki risked his life to give the Polish Underground and the Allies a direct testimony of what was going on behind the barbed wires of Auschwitz. University of Toronto Professors Piotr Wróbel and Tamara Trojanowska will examine Pilecki’s firsthand account, The Auschwitz Volunteer, and frame the newly released English-language book and related film in the context of literary representation of history. The book will be available for purchase following the program. Piotr Wróbel holds the Konstanty Reynert Chair of Polish History at the University of Toronto. During his long academic career in Europe and North America he wrote and edited many books on Polish history and the history of Polish Jews. Piotr Wróbel is a board member of The Polish–Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada. Tamara Trojanowska is a director of the Polish Language and Literature Program in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto where she teaches courses in Polish literature and culture. Her research and publications focus on discourses of modernity with particular interest in issues of identity. Co-presented by the Polish–Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Toronto, with the support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto. 4:00 pm | George Ignatieff Theatre | Trinity College University of Toronto | 6 Hoskin Avenue | Toronto | 416–978–4166


Monday, 4 November

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Holocaust survivor Judy Lysy who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 40. 1:00 pm | Dufferin Clark Library 1441 Clark Avenue West | Thornhill | 905–653–7323

A Jewish Girl in Shanghai STUDENT film SCREENING

A Jewish Girl in Shanghai

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Hungarian Holocaust survivor Andy Réti who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 40.

Based upon the popular graphic novel by Wu Lin, A Jewish Girl in Shanghai is the first Chinese animated film to depict the Holocaust. Artfully created with traditional animated imagery, this film offers a glimpse of Shanghai’s Little Vienna—the neighbourhood where approximately 30,000 Jewish refugees found shelter during the Second World War. This family film centres around the warm friendship between Rina, a wide-eyed European Jewish schoolgirl and A-Gen, a Chinese pancake seller, who teach each other about their distant worlds as Shanghai struggles beneath its own cruel Japanese occupation. (2010, Mandarin with subtitles, 80 minutes.) This animated film is recommended for grades 4–8. Registration required.

10:00 am | North York Central Library 5120 Yonge Street | Toronto | 416–395–5784

Co-sponsored by the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and by the Harris and Taylor Family Foundation in memory of Mary & Edward Harris.

Traumatic Memory

1:00 pm | Cineplex Entertainment LP 10 Dundas Street East (Yonge & Dundas) | Toronto registration: www.holocausteducationweek.com or 416–635–2883 × 5153

In this English-language presentation, Boris Cyrulnik, internationally renowned French neuropsychiatrist and author, will shed light on the The Last Folio neurological, emotional and sociocultural components of traumatic memory, with a specific focus on the Holocaust and psychiatric practice. Dr. Cyrulnik will present to students and faculty. Dr. Boris Cyrulnik was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1937. He survived the Holocaust as a hidden child. He then studied medicine, became a psychiatrist and greatly contributed to popularizing the concept of resilience. Co-sponsored by the Azrieli Foundation and the Consulate General of France. 11:00 am | Department of Psychiatry | University of Toronto 250 College Street | 8th floor | Toronto registration: [email protected]

Rescue of Denmark’s Jews and the Role of the S.S. Bo Lidegaard will focus on the rescue of the Danish Jews in October 1943. Using the findings presented in his book Countrymen, he will shed light on how it was possible for the vast majority of Danish Jews to escape from the Holocaust and will discuss the role of the S.S. men in the operation. For Bo Lidegaard’s bio, see page 13. Co-presented by Aird & Berlis LLP & PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. 11:45 am | Aird & Berlis LLP | Brookfield Place 181 Bay Street | Suite 1800 | Toronto | 416–863–1500


The Post-Holocaust Story: The Impact on the Second Generation Psychotherapist and teacher Pearl Goodman chronicles her parents’ stories juxtaposed with tales of growing up in Toronto in her book, Peril: From Jackboots to Jack Benny. For complete program information and her bio, see page 27. 1:30 PM | Barbara Frum Library 20 Covington Road | Toronto | registration: 416–395–5440

Enduring Alterations Enduring Alterations is an audio-visual performance on the theme of survival, consisting of original compositions in the Ashkenazi tradition. Combining archival photos and original artwork, the story traverses past and present. Miriam Preszow Weiner was born in Amsterdam in 1948 to survivors of the Holocaust, members of the Zaglembier Youth Organization in Bedzin, Poland. The family came to Halifax in 1951. This presentation was inspired by her father’s own expressions in story, poem and song, and was co-produced with Gannon Hamilton and Jason Laprade. 2:00 pm | Forest Hill Place Retirement Residence 645 Castlefield Avenue | Toronto | 416–785–1511

Monday, 4 November

Wunderkinder

National Narratives: Crestwood Students Give Voice through Oral History

Антисемитизм и Холокост

Crestwood Preparatory College uses an oral history approach to teach the Holocaust; over the last decade, hundreds of Holocaust survivors and Second World War veterans have sat with students, sharing their insights into a difficult period of history. Students learn facts firsthand, experiencing emotions and memories from the war, learning about them in a way that goes beyond the standard curriculum. Scott Masters and the students of Crestwood will present their project’s webpage, complete with its online video archive, and will share the lessons that they learned along the way.

С первых же лет после Второй мировой войны юдофобы всех мастей повели целенаправленную атаку на Холокост,стараясь преуменьшить размеры Катастрофы,а то и вовсе ее отрицать.В последние десятилетия тон в этой позорной кампании задают экстремисты.Их поддерживают русские антисемиты и неонацисты Европы.Лекция посвящается анализу неофашистской пропаганды и борьбе Израиля и мирового еврейства за сохранение памяти о погибших,против нацизма,ксенофобии,человеконе навистничества.

Scott Masters is a teacher at Crestwood Preparatory College, where he founded and presently directs the award-winning Oral History Project. Mr. Masters and his students have interviewed many Holocaust survivors at Baycrest’s Cafe Europa and in the larger Toronto community, building an oral history archive, which can be found at www.crestwood.on.ca. 2:30 pm | Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care 3560 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–785–2500 × 2271

RUSSIAN language PROGRAM

Роберт Меламед родился 1935 года в Одессе, Украина. В 1941 году отец ушел на фронт, Роберт с матерью были эвакуированы в Ташкент, Узбекистан. Oн закончил отделение журналистики Среднеазиатского университета и в 1957 году стал сотрудником Гостелерадио Узбекистана. Роберт факультативно преподавал основы радио-и тележурналистики на журфаке родного вуза. С 1993 года активно сотрудничал с Ташкентским еврейским культурным центром. В 1995 году был избран его председателем. В те же годы по приглашению среднеазиатского отделения Сохнут начал выпускать ежемесячную русскоязычную газету для евреев Средней Азии. Вместе с сыном, издал книгу по некоторым вопросам истории мирового еврейства. 3:30 pm | Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living 1003 Steeles Avenue West | Toronto | 416–225–2112


Monday, 4 November

Adolf Hitler and Josef Goebbels sign autographs for members of the Canadian figure skating team at the 1936 Olympics. Photo Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park.

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE

Playing Games with Nazi Germany: The Canadian Jewish Community and the Nazi Olympics Holocaust Education Week is a mere three months before the official opening of the 2014 Winter Olympics. This lecture will reflect on an earlier Olympic Games, one that helped pave the road to Holocaust. In 1931, before Hitler took power in Germany, the International Olympic Committee awarded it the 1936 Olympic Games. Once in power, Hitler scoffed at the Olympic ideal of international athletic competition, but embraced the opportunity to showcase the power of the ‘New Germany’ and the superiority of the German volke. Jews in Canada responded with dismay at the notion of Nazi Germany hosting Olympic Games while simultaneously refuting German Jews even the most basic rights and protection. The Canadian Jewish community organized a campaign to relocate the Games out of Germany and to boycott the Nazi Olympics. Both failed. This talk will discuss why not one Olympic member country, including Canada, refused to attend and, closer to home, why, in spite of its best efforts, the Canadian Jewish community failed to gather any appreciable public, media or government support. 2013 HEW Scholar-in-Residence Harold Troper is a professor of history at the University of Toronto. His work has been recognized with numerous honors and awards including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, the American Jewish Book Award, the Canadian Historical Association prize for best book in Canadian history and the Canadian Jewish Book Awards. He is best known for None Is Too Many, co-authored with Irving Abella, chosen by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important Canadian books of all times. Among his other books are Immigrants: A Portrait of the Urban Experience; The Ransomed of God; and most recently, The Defining Decade: Identity, Politics, and the Canadian Jewish Community in the 1960s. Playing Hitler’s Games: Canada and the Nazi Olympics, written in partnership with Richard Menkis of the University of British Columbia, is forthcoming. Public reception to follow program. The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Goodmans LLP. Public reception to follow program generously co-sponsored in memory of Carol and Herman Gottesman by their children and grandchildren. 7:15 pm | Beth Tzedec Congregation 1700 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–781–3514 × 234


Playing Games with Nazi Germany

Wunderkinder FILM Wunderkinder (German for child prodigies) is set in 1941 Ukraine, in a town only miles away from the front line between Stalin and Hitler. It tells the story of a deep friendship between three musically talented children: two Jewish children, both virtuosic, and a talented German girl who share a love of music. Their friendship extends beyond the gaps of different religions and nationalities. The Nazi invasion destroys their world. (2011, English, 96 minutes.) Co-sponsored by the Toronto Jewish Film Festival; co-presented by the Goethe-Institut Toronto. Generously co-sponsored by Gayle and Alfred Kwinter and family. 7:00 pm | Cineplex Entertainment LP 10 Dundas Street East (Yonge & Dundas) | Toronto registration required: www.holocausteducationweek.com or 416–635–2883 × 5153

Monday, 4 November

No Place on Earth FILM & DISCUSSION No Place on Earth tells the incredible unknown story of 38 Ukrainian Jews who survived the Second World War by living in caves for 18 months, the longest-recorded sustained underground survival. Built upon interviews with former cave inhabitants, as well as with Chris Nicola, the caving enthusiast who unearthed the story, the film is a testament to ingenuity, willpower and endurance against all odds. (2012, English, 83 minutes.) Director Janet Tobias will introduce the film and will be available for Q&A after the screening. Generously co-sponsored by Morris, Louis and Garry Greenbaum and families.

No Place on Earth

Following the program, attendees are invited to a public reception generously sponsored by the Ganz Family Foundation in loving memory of their family members who perished in the Holocaust. 7:30 pm | Beth Tikvah Synagogue 3080 Bayview Avenue | Toronto | 416–221–3433

Hungary: Holocaust History & Action Today How did Nazism take hold so readily in Hungary and how did it manifest during the Holocaust? This program includes presentations from high school students on the Holocaust and neo-Nazism in Hungary today and its impact on the Roma community. Holocaust survivor Max Eisen, a Jewish teenager when his family was deported from Hungarian-occupied Slovakia, will share his testimony. The program will conclude with candle lighting and reflection. For Max Eisen’s bio, see page 39. Co-presented by Richmond Hill United Church. Generously co-sponsored by the Axler, Glazer and Lang families in honour of Feiga and the late Mozes Glazer, Holocaust survivors. 7:30 pm | L’Arche Daybreak–Dayspring Chapel 11339 Yonge Street | Richmond Hill | 905–884–3454 × 226

Narratives of Familial Resistance This lecture will present the findings from research on familial resistance, which featured analysis of narratives including diaries, testimonies and memoirs, with emphasis on oral history interviews conducted with Lodz Ghetto survivors. These narratives illustrate familial resistance in the form of decisions, behaviours and actions taken by ghetto inmates to maintain the family unit and protect family members in the face of Nazi policies and imposed conditions. Rachel Iskov is the inaugural League for Human Rights Hamilton Family Fellow, in support of her research on familial resistance. In the course of her research, she has amassed a rich collection of archival documents, including wartime diaries and postwar testimonies. She has received a Charles H. Revson Foundation Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and a Claims Conference Fellowship at Clark University.

Ephemeral Films: National Socialism in Austria The Austrian Film Museum holds a unique collection of “ephemeral” films (home movies), which document the rise of the Nazi Party in Austria since 1932, Jewish everyday life before the Holocaust, the “annexation” of Austria in 1938 and the war years. The images on these films are more revealing than those of the highly controlled newreels which have come to dominate the visual memory of the National Socialist era in Austria. The project’s coordinator, Ingo Zechner, will explain the archival, academic and pedagogical objectives of collecting these ephemeral films. Dr. Ingo Zechner is a philosopher and historian affiliated with the Austrian Film Museum and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for History and Society, Vienna (Austria). Previous affiliations include an academic staff position at the Jewish Community Vienna, serving as Head of the Community’s Holocaust Victims’ Information and Support Center; Business Manager of the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies; and more recently, Research Fellow at the Labour History Society, Vienna. Since 2011, he is Project Manager of “Ephemeral Films: National Socialism in Austria,” funded by the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria. Dr. Zechner held the Raab Foundation Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum from 2012–2013. Generously co-sponsored by Gail and Stanley Debow in memory of Max & Maria Reisberg and Heneck Reisberg and by the Austrian Cultural Forum. 7:30 pm | Adath Israel Synagogue 37 Southbourne Avenue | Alex Tobias Hall Toronto | 416–635–5340

Co-presented by the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada. 7:30 pm | Lodzer Centre Congregation 12 Heaton Street | Toronto | 416–636–6665


Tuesday, 5 November

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Romanian Holocaust survivor Joe Leinburd who will speak about his personal experiences in Transnistria during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 40. 10:00 am | Sanderson Public Library 327 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–393–7653

FEATURE PROGRAM–PANEL

Holocaust Legacies: The Canadian Connection 30 years after the publication of None Is Too Many, the Abella/ Troper treatise on Canada’s infamous policies towards Jewish refugees fleeing Europe, why should 21st century Canadians care? How do we understand the historical significance of the Holocaust in our modern context? How should we address issues surrounding contemporary Holocaust remembrance and education? A panel of Canadian experts, Harold Troper (Scholar-inResidence), Jacqueline Celemencki (Educator-in-Residence), and Rochelle Rubinstein (Artist-in-Residence) will reflect on these questions and offer insight into how the Holocaust has influenced their work, and how it continues to play a role in shaping Canadian society. Introduced by Dr. Mario Silva, 2013 Canadian Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and chaired by Irving Abella, co-author of None Is Too Many.

Programme de Holocauste ÉVÉNEMENT EN FRANÇAIS Denise Hans, survivante de l’Holocauste, va discuter de son expérience en France durant la 2ème guerre mondiale et des efforts de sa mère pour cacher sa famille. 10:00 am | Bibliothèque de référence de Toronto 789 rue Yonge | Salle Elizabeth Beeton | 416–393–7175

Ephemeral Film–Digitally Preserved Ingo Zechner discusses his work with the preservation and digitization of a collection of ephemeral films that provide a unique look into daily life in National Socialist Austria. He will also explore the collection’s use for academic and pedagogical purposes and the challenge of preserving something that was never meant to endure. For his bio, see page 17. 12:00 PM | York University Centre for German and European Studies 4700 Keele Street | Toronto | www.ccges.apps01.yorku.ca/wp/

For Harold Troper’s bio, see page 16. Jacqueline Celemencki coordinates the educational programming at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (MHMC). A PhD candidate at McGill University, her area of concentration is the Holocaust and antiracist education. At the MHMC, Jacqueline is currently developing a new pedagogical tool on antisemitism in Canada between 1938–1945, while continuing to conduct training sessions on teaching the Holocaust through the prism of antiracist education. She is also engaged in the development of a set of best practice guidelines for the Centre’s collection of recorded survivor testimonies. Rochelle Rubinstein is a Toronto-based printmaker, painter, fabric and book artist. She is represented by loop Gallery and Fran Hill Gallery in Toronto, where her solo exhibitions are held regularly. Her work has been exhibited in diverse locations and can be found in many public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; New York Public Library; the Irish Museum of Modern Art; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. As a community arts facilitator, she runs workshops and projects involving at-risk groups based upon methods that are central to her own practice. Rubinstein curates exhibitions at the Mon Ton Window Gallery in Toronto. The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Goodmans LLP. The Educator-in-Residence is generously sponsored by the Cohen Family Charitable Trust. The Artist-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Collins Barrow LLP and by Julia & Henry Koschitzky in memory of Judith Rubinstein. 11:00 am | Ryerson University | HEASLIP HOUSE 297 VICTORIA STREET, 7th FLOOR | 416–979–5000


In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Belgian Holocaust survivor Anne Eidlitz who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 38. 1:15 pm | Richview Library 1806 Islington Avenue | Toronto | 416–394–5120

Safe Place POP UP EXHIBIT Artist-in-Residence Rochelle Rubinstein exhibits work on wood, paper, fabric, and accordion-folded books exploring the theme of National Narratives in the Mon Ton Window Gallery, viewable 24/7, and in her studio, which is transformed into a pop-up gallery in honour of HEW 2013. The artist will be present for conversation and tea. The Artist-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Collins Barrow LLP and by Julia & Henry Koschitzky in memory of Judith Rubinstein. 3–7 NOVEMBER | 12:00–3:00 PM & 5:00–9:00 PM HEW POP-UP GALLERY/MON TON WINDOW GALLERY 402 COLLEGE STREET (EAST OF BATHURST) | TORONTO 416–916–6059

Tuesday, 5 November

Photo still illustrating Nazification of daily life in Austria, including businesses such as Kaffee Deutschland, formerly Café Schwarzenberg. Circa 1938. Courtesy of Austrian Film Museum.

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Austrian Holocaust survivor Alexander Eisen who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 39. Generously co-sponsored by Liora & Simon Yakubowicz and family in memory of their beloved parents, Perla & Sam Yakubowicz and Esther & Mirko Bem. 2:00 pm | College/Shaw Library 766 College Street | Toronto | 416–393–7668

Enduring Alterations

Ephemeral Films: National Socialism in Austria

Miriam Preszow Weiner presents her audio-visual performance on the theme of survival inspired by her father’s expressions in story, poem and song. See page 14 for details. 2:00 pm | Kensington Place Retirement Residence 866 Sheppard Avenue West | Toronto | 416–636–9555

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Hungarian Holocaust survivor Eva Meisels who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 40. 1:30 pm | Ansley Grove Public Library 350 Ansley Grove Road | Woodbridge | 905–653–7323 × 4404

Giving Voice to the Voiceless: The Armenian Genocide The Armenian Genocide of 1915, during which approximately 1.5 million people lost their lives, was another human tragedy of the last century. Keynote speaker Raffi Sarkissian will focus on the role of education and highlights the struggle to give voice to the voiceless— generations lost in the Armenian Genocide—and how this could be applied to the Holocaust as more survivors age. Selected materials from Centennial Library’s special collections will be on display, including items from the John and Molly Pollock Holocaust Collection.

Women and the Holocaust Judy Weissenberg Cohen will intertwine her personal experiences with a general history of the Holocaust that pays special tribute to women victims, heroines and survivors. She will explain the reality behind the observation by Dalia Ofer, Holocaust historian and author: “The discussion of women’s unique experiences provides a missing element of what we must now see as an incomplete picture of Jewish life during the Shoah.” For Judy Cohen’s bio, see page 38. Generously co-sponsored by Mary Ellen Herman. 3:00 pm | University of Toronto Mississauga Women and Gender Studies Program | 3359 Mississauga Road North CCIT Building #1080 | Mississauga | 905–828–3743

Raffi Sarkissian is an educator, human rights advocate, public speaker and poet. He is Vice Principal of the A.R.S. Armenian Private School and the founder and director of the Sara Coming Centre for Genocide Education. He holds a BA Hons. in History, an M.Ed from York University and a B.Ed from Trent University. Raffi is a descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Co-presented by the Institute for Global Citizenship and Equity and The School of Advancement at Centennial College. 1:30 pm | Holy Trinity Armenian Church | Magaros Artinian Hall 920 Progress Avenue | Toronto | 416–289–5000 × 5418

Rochelle Rubinstein


Tuesday, 5 November

What Influence has the Holocaust had on Christian Social Ethics? Rev. John Pawlikowski will address how the Holocaust significantly challenged Christian understanding of the Jews and issued a new summons to become involved in the world. The lecture will be followed by a response from Mary Jo Leddy and an exchange with members of the audience. Rev. John Pawlikowski is Professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and also teaches Holocaust Studies on faculty at Regis College at the University of Toronto. Rev. Pawlikowski is an expert in Christian-Jewish relations and moral theology. He is an author, as well as an activist and founder of Romero House for refugees. Dr. Mary Jo Leddy is a well known Canadian writer and activist on faculty of Regis College, University of Toronto. A student youth symposium exploring this issue will precede the public lecture. To participate or for more information, call 416–922–5474 × 225. 4:30 pm | University of Toronto (Regis College) 100 Wellesley Street West | Toronto | 416–922–5474 www.regiscollege.ca/hew

A Czech Torah Gives Voice to a Once-Thriving Jewish Community Destruction of synagogues followed the Nazi invasion of Czechslovakia in 1939. Amazingly, numerous sacred items were saved, including 1,564 Torah scrolls. For 40 years, they lay abandoned in a wooden synagogue in deplorable conditions. In 1964, the scrolls were purchased from the Communist government and sent to the Westminster Synagogue in England. Many of the scrolls were restored and are now on permanent loan throughout the world. This multimedia lecture includes live choral music, tracing the journey of a scroll from Brno to a Thornhill synagogue. A 1937 recording of a Czech synagogue’s choir rehearsal will allow the voices of the Jews of Brno to be heard both figuratively and literally. Elaine Page is the Canadian Liaison for the Czech Memorial Scrolls Trust, facilitating communication between the Trust and the communities where Czech Scrolls are on permanent loan. 7:00 Pm | Beth Radom Congregation 18 Reiner Road | Toronto | 416–636–3451

Branded by the Pink Triangle LITERARY Award-winning author and storyteller, Ken Setterington, will present a program based on his recently published book, Branded by the Pink Triangle, which explores the rarely told story of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. The evening will bring to light the experience of gay men in 1930s Germany and throughout the dark years of the Holocaust. Photographs from the period interspersed with a survivor’s video testimony and stories of the lives of some of the survivors will serve as a reminder that these men’s stories must never be forgotten. Book sale and signing to follow the program. Ken Setterington is a storyteller, writer and librarian. He is also a regular book reviewer for CBC Radio. He has received numerous awards for his work including the Toronto Arts Award for Writing and Publishing, UofT’s Alumni Jubilee Award and Librarian of the Year from the Ontario Library Association. His publications include A Guide to Canadian Children’s Books (with Deirdre Baker), Mom and Mum are Getting Married, and Clever Katarina. Branded by the Pink Triangle is his first book for teens. Co-presented by Facing History and Ourselves; The Equity Program, New College-University of Toronto; and Kulanu Toronto. Generously co-sponsored by RBC Foundation. 7:30 pm | University of Toronto (New College) William Doo Auditorium | 45 Willcocks Street | Toronto 416–901–3831

Yitzhak Zuckerman and the Memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising This lecture will begin with the 1961 Eichmann Trial testimony of Yitzhak Zuckerman, the deputy commander of the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto, presenting his memories of those tumultuous events. Ever since the end of the Second World War, Zuckerman lived his life, as Israeli journalist Tom Segev once put it, “as though the Holocaust had never ended.” Over and over again he sifted the ashes of his experience, torturing himself with the impossible question: “What should we have done that we didn’t do?” The lecture will examine Zuckerman’s recollections of the Jewish underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, consider his anguished response to this question, and situate it in a context of Jewish politics and Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Michael R. Marrus is the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor Emeritus of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. He is a Canadian historian of France, the Holocaust and Jewish history. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2008. Co-presented by the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada. Generously co-sponsored by the Cynamon family in honour of our grandparents, David and Helen Cynamon, victims of the Holocaust. 7:30 pm | Holy Blossom Temple 1950 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–789–3291 × 239


Tuesday, 5 November

The Posthumous Landscape

The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking: The Camp as Form of Life in Nazi Germany An article published in March 2013 in the New York Times reported that Nazi Germany had operated over 40,000 camps. Apart from concentration camps such as Dachau, death camps such as Treblinka and hybrid camps such as Auschwitz, there was a perplexing plurality of forced labour camps, transit camps, police detention camps, internment camps, re-education camps, training camps, labour service camps; camps for refugees, doctors, philosophers and lawyers; army camps, Hitler Youth camps, etc. that blotted the map of first Germany and then German-occupied Europe between 1933 and 1945.

Out of the Fire FILM & DISCUSSION The narratives of the partisans are fascinating and diverse. Resistance fighter Faye Schulman will share her incredible life story through a screening of Out of the Fire, which depicts the struggles and triumphs she faced as a young girl in the Soviet partisans. Following the film, participants will have the opportunity to meet Mrs. Schulman during an intimate Q&A. Her unique photographs taken in the forests will also be on display. For her bio, see page 41. 8:00 pm | Petah Tikva Anshei Castilla 20 Danby Avenue | Toronto | 416–636–4719

Robert Jan van Pelt will highlight his research into the whole range of camps: those that have been well explored, as well as those that have received less coverage. Professor Robert Jan van Pelt is an author, architectural historian, professor at the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto and a Holocaust scholar. He has written several highly acclaimed books, and is world-renowned for his extensive research into issues surrounding the architecture of the Holocaust. 8:00 pm | Shaar Shalom Synagogue 2 Simonston Boulevard | Thornhill | 905–889–4975


Wednesday, 6 November

Stories of Chance and Circumstance LITERARY

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor

While volunteering for Stephen Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah, Alvin Abram heard many remarkable stories. In 1997, he wrote his first book about stories of chance and circumstance. This was followed by other biographies of survivors explaining how the Holocaust shaped them into becoming who they are, and influenced those around them. Book sale and signing to follow the program.

This program features Czech-Hungarian Holocaust survivor Magda Hilf who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust.

Alvin Abram is a storyteller, writer, and graphic designer of books. He began his writing career in 1995, and is the author of more than 15 books. He speaks to school children and adults widely. 10:30 am | Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living 1003 Steeles Avenue West | Toronto | 416–225–2112 × 124

The Secret of the Village Fool LITERARY

For her bio, see page 40. Generously co-sponsored by Carole and Jay Sterling in memory of her beloved father, Ralph Dankner. 1:30 pm | Locke Public Library 3083 Yonge Street | Toronto | 416–393–7730

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Romanian Holocaust survivor Hedy Bohm who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust.

Join author Rebecca Upjohn as she discusses her new book for youth that tells the true story of an unlikely hero who saved two brothers, their parents, and two orphaned young women during the Holocaust. The author will be available for book signing after the lecture.

For her bio, see page 38.

Rebecca Upjohn’s other books are the award-winning The Last Loon; Lily and the Paper Man; and Patrick’s Wish.


Co-presented by Second Story Press.

This program features Polish Holocaust survivor Amek Adler who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust.

1:00 pm | Runnymede Library 2178 Bloor Street West | Toronto | 416–393–7697

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Dutch Holocaust survivor Leonard Vis who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 41. 1:30 pm | Danforth/Coxwell Library 1675 Danforth Avenue | Toronto | 416–393–7783

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Hungarian Holocaust survivor Edward Fisch who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 39. 1:30 pm | Deer Park Library 40 St. Clair Avenue East | Toronto | 416–393–7657



or call 416–631–5689


1:30 pm | Wychwood Library 1431 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–393–7684

For his bio, see page 38. 2:15 pm | Louis-Honoré Fréchette School 40 New Westminster Drive | Thornhill | 905–738–1724

The Ninth Day FILM In the concentration camp of Dachau, a Catholic priest, Father Abbé Henri Kremer, gets a nine-day leave to return to his hometown for his mother’s funeral. SS Gestapo lieutenant Gebhardt tries to persuade Father Kremer to convince the local Bishop to stop resisting the Germans and petition the Vatican’s support. The ambivalent Henri questions himself and the Bishop in this test of faith. (2004, German with subtitles, 98 minutes.) Generously co-sponsored by Daniel Feldheim and Ilse Feldheim. 2:30 pm | Barbara Frum Library 20 Covington Road | Toronto | registration: 416–395–5440


Modern Rescuers: Using Our Voices How do Catholic teenagers inherit the memory of the Holocaust and give voice to one of humanity’s darkest times? In July 2012, five employees and 32 high school students of the York Catholic District School Board set out to explore this question. Travelling to various sites of memory in both Germany and Poland, participants were immersed in the rich historical narratives of the Holocaust. Attendees will experience an open-format communal event where young voices will demonstrate their vow to rescue the voices of those who can no longer speak. Students will also create a multimedia space to share their experiences and how they fulfill their promise of ‘never again.’ Co-presented by St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic School & the York District Catholic School Board. 7:00 pm | St. Elizabeth Catholic High School Theatre 525 New Westminster Drive | 905–713–2711 × 13663

Bystanders to the Holocaust István Pál Ádám will present on the role of building managers in Hungary—as powerful ‘ordinary’ Hungarians, they played a crucial role in either hiding or reporting Jews during the Holocaust in Hungary. See page 29 for full program information and detailed bio.

FEATURE program

ITS: Restoring Family Trees Severed by the Holocaust The International Tracing Service helps people find their families and learn their fate using several millions of documents. The Holocaust Survivors and Victims’ Resource Center ensures that the individual experiences of survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi-era persecution are collected, preserved and disseminated for future generations. Dr. Diane Afoumado is Chief of the International Tracing Service Research Branch at the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. She specializes in Holocaust survivors’ and victims’ resources. A historian who specializes in Holocaust studies, Afoumado has taught history at the University of Paris and collaborated on several research projects, including one with renowned historian and attorney Serge Klarsfeld on the French internment camps. On November 7, at the Lipa Green Centre, Dr. Afoumado will offer individual appointments to consult with people interested in accessing the ITS database. Appointments are limited; pre-registration is required at 416–635–2883 × 5153. 7:30 pm | Shaarei Tefillah Congregation 3600 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–787–1631

7:00 pm | Scarboro Missions 2685 Kingston Road | Scarborough | 416–261–7135

Portrait of Wally FILM & DISCUSSION This documentary traces the history of the iconic Portrait of Wally— Egon Schiele’s tender painting of his mistress, Walburga (Wally) Neuzil—from Schiele’s gesture of affection toward his young lover, to the theft of the painting from a Jewish art dealer fleeing Vienna for her life, to post-war confusion and the surprise resurfacing of Wally on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan in 1997. A fascinating account of the 13-year legal battle between Vienna’s Leopold Museum and the Jewish family from whom the Nazis seized the painting in 1939. Directed by Andrew Shea. (2012, English, 90 minutes.) Andrew Shea is an award-winning director and screenwriter. He teaches directing and film production at the University of Texas at Austin. His films have premiered at major film festivals, including Sundance and Cannes. He will be available for a discussion after the screening. 7:30 pm | Congregation Darchei Noam 864 Sheppard Avenue West | Toronto | 416–638–4783 × 24

Teaching about Shoah and Jewish Heritage in Poland Anna Kloza will discuss contemporary educational practices utilized in Poland. She will focus on four specific areas: a project on the Righteous Among the Nations, a theatrical performance based on stories about Jews of Białystok, an exchange project between an Israeli and a Polish school and an educational program about the musical “Korczak.” Dr. Anna Janina Kloza is a nationally known speaker on Polish–Jewish relations, teaching tolerance and advocating the teaching of tolerance from early childhood. She is an Honorary Ambassador of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Co-presented by StandWithUs Canada, Na’amat Canada Toronto, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, and the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada. Generously co-sponsored by Anita Ekstein in loving memory of Frank Ekstein. 7:30 pm | Na’amat Canada at The Borochov Cultural Centre 272 Codsell Avenue | Toronto registration: [email protected] or 416–636–5425



Conspiracy FILM A secret meeting is held in order to determine the method by which the Nazi government is to implement Adolf Hitler’s policy to make Europe free of the Jews. Conspiracy dramatizes the 1942 Wannsee Conference and delves into the psychology of Nazi officials involved in the “Final Solution” during the Second World War. Kenneth Branagh won an Emmy Award for Best Actor in the role of Reinhard Heydrich; Stanley Tucci won a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Adolf Eichmann. (2001, English, 96 minutes.) 7:30 pm | St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish (R.C.) 670 Sheppard Avenue East | Toronto | 416–221–8866 × 227

Through the Eye of the Needle

Through the Eye of the Needle FILM & PANEL When words fail us, is there another way? More than 40 years after the Holocaust, Esther Krinitz told her story of survival through a series of 36 collage and embroidery panels. This short film explores the capacity to heal through words and artwork. After the film, there will be a panel discussion with the director, Nina Shapiro-Perl, and Baycrest’s Michael Gordon. (2002, English, 20 minutes.) Survivors at Baycrest are creating a quilt to depict their memories with the assistance of Pomegranate Guild members, on display at this program. Nina Shapiro-Perl is the film’s director. She currently holds the position of Filmmaker-in-Residence at American University, where she teaches and leads the Community Voice Project. She earned her doctorate from the University of Connecticut in Social Anthropology. Through the Eye of the Needle has won awards at Jewish Film Festivals in Washington, San Diego and Los Angeles. Dr. Michael Gordon is a regular media commentator and author about the joys and problems of the elderly. He is a medical graduate of Scotland’s University of St. Andrews and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Medical Program Director of Palliative Care and the former Vice President of Medical Services and Head of Geriatrics at Baycrest Geriatric Centre. Co-sponsored by Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Textiles & Baycrest Geriatric Centre. Generously co-sponsored by Larry & Bonnie Moncik and George & Eleanor Getzler and families in loving memory of their parents, Abraham and Ida Moncik. 7:45 pm | Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation 613 Clark Avenue West | Thornhill | 905–886–3810

Voices from the Whirlwind: A Choral Concert Two secular choirs, a synagogue choir, and two religious institutions unite in a cross-cultural evening of music created before and during the Holocaust, and in its aftermath. The Upper Canada Choristers (Laurie Evan Fraser, conductor) perform the rare song cycle Voices from the Whirlwind by U.S. composer Annetta Lockhart. Texts include writings by children living in the Warsaw Ghetto. The Toronto Jewish Folk Choir (Alexander Veprinsky, conductor) sings Holocaust songs in Yiddish; Zhuravli (White Cranes), a Russian song about the loss of war; and, with the Temple Sinai Choir, Mordechai Gebirtig’s Es Brent (Cantor Charles Osborne, soloist). The three choirs perform I Didn’t Speak Out by Charles Osborne and Buchenwald Alarm Bell. The Upper Canada Choristers are a vibrant, SATB community choir that celebrates the diversity of music and community with rich programming ranging from classical favourites to newly commissioned works by Canadian composers. Founded in 1925 by immigrant needle-trade workers, the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir helps preserve the Yiddish language through its repertoire. They also perform contemporary works; Jewish music in Hebrew, JudeoSpanish (Ladino), Russian and English; and music of other cultures. The Temple Sinai Ensemble Choir is the adult volunteer choir of Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto. In addition to services and concerts at the temple, the Ensemble Choir also performs in major musical events throughout the greater Toronto Jewish community. Charles Osborne, senior cantor of Temple Sinai, is an internationally recognized singer, composer and conductor. He attended Hartt School of Music and the Cantors Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. This one-hour concert will be repeated after Shabbat services at Temple Sinai on November 15. See page 36. Co-presented by Temple Sinai Congregation. 8:30 pm | Grace Church on-the-Hill 300 Lonsdale Road | 416–488–7884


Thursday, 7 November

Heart of Auschwitz FILM & DISCUSSION

In the Presence of my Neighbours FILM

This emotional documentary tells the tale of 12 Auschwitz prisoners, mostly young women, who risked their lives in order to make a 20th birthday gift for a fellow prisoner. The remarkable story of the survival of the gift, recipient and several of its makers premiered at the 2011 Toronto Jewish Film Festival. (2011, English and French with subtitles, 85 minutes.)

In this startling investigative film, Canadian-Greek journalist George Gedeon focuses his camera on the historic and current climate of attitudes among Greeks towards Jews. The Jewish population in Greece went from 70,000 prior to the Holocaust, to 5,000 today. The film honours those who perished, the survivors and their saviours, and looks critically at Greece’s anti-Jewish traditions and today’s realities. (2012, English/Greek with subtitles, 47 minutes.) Director George Gedeon will be present for Q&A after the screening.

Jacqueline Celemencki, 2013 HEW Educator-in-Residence, will participate in a Q&A period after the screening. For her bio, see page 18. The Educator-in-Residence is generously sponsored by the Cohen Family Charitable Trust. 10:00 am | Downsview Library 2793 Keele Street | Toronto | 416–395– 5720

Using the International Tracing Service

1:00 pm | Palmerston Library 560 Palmerston Avenue | Toronto | 416–393–7680

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Romanian Holocaust survivor Shary Fine who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust.

Diane Afoumado is Chief of the International Tracing Service Research Branch at the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. She will offer individual 20-minute appointments to consult with people interested in accessing the ITS database. Appointments are limited; pre-registration is required.


10:30 am | Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre Sherman Campus | Lipa Green Centre | Tamari Hall 4600 Bathurst Street | Toronto | rEGISTration: 416–635–2883 × 5153

Holocaust survivors all over the world wrote their memoirs over a seventy-year period, in many languages and for different readers. They have extremely varied backgrounds and life experiences. While the events are shared, the way they are presented and relived can vary dramatically according to time and space. Alain Goldschläger proposes recurrent and constant themes and subjects in the written texts, demonstrating that the description of events depends on the moment it was put on paper and for whom it was intended.

My Mother’s Secret LITERARY J.L. Witterick’s first novel, My Mother’s Secret, is based on the true story of Franciszka Halamajowa and her daughter who risked their lives to save both Jews and a pacifist German soldier in Nazi-occupied Poland. Only 30 out of 6,000 Jews survived from the town of Sokol, 15 of them because of Franciszka and her daughter. Ms. Witterick was inspired to write about this story after the screening of Number 4 Street of Our Lady at a Holocaust Education Week event. Jenny Witterick immigrated to Canada from China in 1968 at the age of seven. She attended University of Western Ontario, graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business. She is a Certified Financial Analyst and is the Founder and President of Sky Investment Counsel, and is Past President of the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts.

1:30 pm | Weston Library 2 King Street West | Toronto | 416–394–1016

Reading Holocaust Survivors’ Testimonies

Dr. Alain Goldschläger, Professor of French Literature at Western University, is the Director of the Holocaust Literature Research Institute, which holds more than 3000 memoirs in 31 languages. He was the National Director of the Canada-Israel Foundation for Academic Exchanges. Former Chair of the Canadian Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, he is presently a Canadian Delegate to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. 2:00 pm | Miles Nadal JCC | ACTIVE SENIORS, BOOMERS & RETIREES 750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto | 416–924–6211 × 154

Introductory remarks by Dr. Arnold Noyek, MD, FRSC, FACS, Founder of CISEPO (www.cisepo.ca), former Otolaryngologist-In-Chief, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Director of International Continuing Education for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Both staff and the general public are welcome to attend. Book sale and signing to follow the program. All proceeds will be donated. 12:00 pm | Mount Sinai Hospital Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex | Ben Sadowski Auditorium 600 University Avenue | Toronto | 416–586–4800 × 8200



Shanghai Escape LITERARY

“Euthanasia:” The First Victims

Join award-winning author Kathy Kacer as she discusses her new book in the Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers, Shanghai Escape. The author will be available for book signing after the lecture.

This presentation will focus on the extermination of more than 200,000 people with disabilities who were among the first victims of the so-called “Euthanasia” program during the Holocaust. Beth Griech-Polelle will discuss the rise of the Eugenics Movement, provide historical information on the T-4 program, criteria and process used to determine who was deemed ‘inferior.’ The lecture will examine how communities were manipulated through propaganda to believe that people with mental and developmental disabilities should be seen as ‘life unworthy of living.’ The presenter will also talk about those who spoke out against the atrocities.

Kathy Kacer’s previous books include To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis; The Diary of Laura’s Twin; Hiding Edith; Clara’s War; and The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser. In 2011, Second Story Press published her first book for adult audiences: Restitution: A family’s fight for their heritage lost in the Holocaust. Co-presented by Second Story Press. 2:00 pm | Spadina Road Library 10 Spadina Road | Toronto | 416–393–7666

For Dr. Beth Griech-Polelle’s bio, see page 29. Co-presented by Itanu Toronto.

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Croatian Holocaust survivor Mladen Vranic who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 41. 6:30 pm | Richmond Hill Public Library 1 Atkinson Street | Richmond Hill | 905–884–9288 × 307

Sculptures of the Holocaust Working under the name of “anastasia,” Greek-Orthodox artist Anastasia Contoguris dedicates her oeuvre to Jewish history and the Holocaust. She communicates through the medium of bronze, giving voice to her response to the persecution of Jews. Anastasia Contoguris is a sculptor, born to Greek parents, living in Istanbul (Turkey). She creates bronzes that depict the life of the Jews in the Diaspora and during the Nazi persecution as a medium of self-expression. Her current work includes an installation piece dedicated to “Kristallnacht.” The artist will engage in an interactive conversation with the audience and selected sculptures will be on display at Beth Torah Congregation throughout Holocaust Education Week.

7:00 pm | Reena Foundation 49 Lebovic Campus Drive | Vaughan | 905–889–2690 × 2048

The History of the Yiddish/Jewish Press in Europe and the Role of the Media during the Holocaust Newspapers are mirrors—reflecting the light of a community back to itself. A main source of communication before, during and after the war, newspapers were also the main voice for the dissemination of information. Through its many voices, we learned about the events of the Holocaust. Mordechai Ben-Dat, former editor of the Canadian Jewish News, will discuss the voice of the newspaper as it related to the Holocaust and reflect on this concept historically and for today. Mordechai Ben Dat was editor of the Canadian Jewish News from 1995–2013. He received his degrees from University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto. He is the son of Holocaust survivors. Co-sponsored by the Ann Zworth Holocaust Education Fund of Temple Har Zion. 7:00 pm | Temple Har Zion 7360 Bayview Avenue | Thornhill | 905–889–2252 × 4

Co-sponsored by the Chenstochover Aid Society. 7:00 pm | Beth Torah Congregation 47 Glenbrook Avenue | Toronto | 416–782–4495 × 41

Rochelle Rubinstein



The Persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands: New Perspectives This lecture will focus on recent Dutch research into persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands during the Second World War, addressing the political, public, and private responses to National Socialism and the aftermath of the Final Solution. Wichert ten Have will discuss a wide range of issues: the role of the Dutch state apparatus in the success of the persecution; popular perception of the Jews in Dutch culture of the time; and a comparison of the treatment of Jews in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

FEATURE PROGRAM–coNCERT

Ger Mandolin Orchestra The Ger Mandolin Orchestra is a ‘living memorial’ project of reviving the Jewish mandolin orchestra that was active in the town of Gora Kalwaria (Ger in Yiddish) in pre-war Poland. Founded in 2011 by Israeli-American Avner Yonai, whose grandfather conducted the original group, the new Ger mandolin orchestra resurrects a musical and cultural phenomenon that was ubiquitous among east-European Jewry and immigrant communities in North America. Its unique repertoire includes Yiddish, Klezmer, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and other European and light classical music. Led by renowned American mandolinist Mike Marshall, and also featuring Grammy nominee Avi Avital, and klezmer music stalwarts Jeff Warschauer and Eric Stein, the Ger Mandolin Orchestra is a unique ‘supergroup’ of 11 virtuosic mandolinists from the US, Canada, Israel, and Europe. The members hail from varying cultural backgrounds and their musical expertise encompasses everything from Jewish and east European folk styles, to jazz, bluegrass, classical and Latin music. Presented by the Ashkenaz Foundation. In association with Yellow Rose Project.

Dr. Wichert ten Have is the Chair of Academic Working Group at International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the Director of NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (retired). He is affiliated with the University of Amsterdam’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies. He has published several books and articles on Dutch history in the 19th and 20th century and particularly about the Second World War, most recently The Persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands, 1949–1945, New Perspectives (Amsterdam, 2012). Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of the Netherlands. 7:30 pm | Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am 55 Yeomans Road | Toronto | 416–633–5500

Does a Second Generation Syndrome Exist? Peril: From Jackboots to Jack Benny is a firsthand account of growing up with Holocaust survivors attempting to rebuild their shattered lives in a new country, Canada, with a new language, English, in the late 50s and 60s. The author chronicles their stories while discussing the impact of their trauma upon their children. Pearl Goodman is a former secondary school English Literature and Dramatic Arts teacher who taught in the inner city for fifteen years. She is also a psychotherapist in private practice for the past ten years. Peril: From Jackboots to Jack Benny is her first published work. 7:30 pm | Beth Lida Forest Hill Congregation 22 Gilgorm Road | Toronto | 416–489–2550

Generously co-sponsored by Helen Stollar in memory of her husband, Jack Stollar; by the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto; and by anonymous donors. 7:30 PM | TORONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS GEORGE WESTON RECITAL HALL 5040 YONGE STREET | TORONTO | 416–250–3708 TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION $36, PREMIUM SEATING AND SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE. WWW.ASHKENAZFESTIVAL.COM OR 416–979–9901



or call 416–631–5689


Friday, 8 November

literary

None Is Too Many 2013 Scholar-in-Residence Harold Troper will give personal insight into the researching and writing of None Is Too Many and will share some thoughts on why the book continues to resonate with Canadian readers 30 years after its publication. Co-authored with Irving Abella, None Is Too Many was chosen by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important Canadian books of all times. For Harold (Hesh) Troper’s bio, see page 16. The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Goodmans LLP.

Heart of Auschwitz

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Polish Holocaust survivor Renate Krakauer who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 40. 10:00 am | Maple Library 10190 Keele Street | Maple | 905–653–7323 × 4504

Legal Aspects of the ITS Collection and Its Use for Compensation Diane Afoumado will explore the legal component of the International Tracing Service (ITS) collection, emphasizing its accessibility under the American privacy law. She will also present the role played by the ITS collection in helping Holocaust survivors seeking compensation.

2:00 pm | Forest Hill United Church 2 Wembley Road | Toronto | 416–783–0879

The Role of Survivor Accounts in Understanding Holocaust and Genocide Survivor memoirs transcend the personal and become symbols of a national voice. In both the Shoah and the Armenian Genocide, the voices of survivors have provided an anchor around which memories, information, and understanding can be passed on to educate future generations. This program will present and analyze Jewish memoirs as well as Armenian oral histories. Donald Miller, Prof. of Religion at University of Southern California, is the author of Armenia: Portraits of Survival and Hope (2003), and Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide (1993). He will focus on the significance of survivor testimonies in the Armenian Genocide. Doris L. Bergen is Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto. She will speak on Guilt, Morality, and Loss in Holocaust Survivors’ Accounts.


Co-sponsored by the The Azrieli Foundation and The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (a division of the Zoryan Institute).

12:00 pm | Stikeman Elliott LLP | 5300 Commerce Court West 199 Bay Street | 53rd Floor | Toronto | RSVP: [email protected]

Generously co-sponsored by Bryna and Fred Steiner, honouring the memory of their parents.

Heart of Auschwitz FILM & DISCUSSION A documentary about 12 Auschwitz prisoners and a birthday gift for a fellow prisoner. See page 25 for complete program information. 2:00 pm | Forest Hill Library 700 Eglinton Avenue West | Toronto | 416–393–7706


8:00 PM | Temple Emanu-El 120 Old Colony Road | Toronto | 416–449–3880

Saturday, 9 November

Desperate Times/Desperate Measures/ Desperate People: Narratives of Jewish Farm Settlement in Ontario 1938–39 Canada’s gates were closed to desperate Jewish immigrants in the years before the Second World War. Some applied as farmers but their credentials were suspect. In an effort to change this perception, Morris Saxe opened a Jewish Farm School in Acton, Ontario, and applied to sponsor the immigration for orphaned Polish Jewish youth from his hometown. This process triggered a long and fascinating correspondence with Canadian civil servant Frederick Blair that lasted more than a decade. This lecture will detail the story of what happened to the orphans and the Jewish Farm School and will challenge established narratives.

Kanada

feature program

Bystanders to Genocide: The Role of Building Managers in the Hungarian Holocaust Building managers were especially powerful ‘ordinary’ Hungarians; they played a crucial role in either hiding or reporting Jews during the Holocaust in Hungary. Budapest did not have a single closed ghetto, but apartment buildings dispersed throughout the city were designated for Jews and marked by a yellow Star of David on the façade. The managers of these houses did not officially belong to any authority; nevertheless, they policed the discriminative regulations and acted as intermediaries between the authorities and citizens, which gave them much wider latitude than other so-called ‘bystanders.’ The lecturer will speak immediately following the regular Shabbat Torah Service.

Dr. Jack Lipinsky is a historian specializing in Canadian Jewish organizational life in the 20th century. His award-winning book, Imposing Their Will, examined the institutional and organizational behaviour of Toronto’s Jews between 1933 and 1945. He is now working on a book on Jewish farmers in Ontario. He holds a doctorate in History from the University of Toronto, is an online teacher for Facing History, and has been at the Staszow-Slipi Congregation for more than 30 years, currently as the Spiritual Coordinator. 11:30 am | Anshei Stashow Slipi Congregation 11 Sultana Avenue | Toronto | 416–789–1333

German Catholicism and the Third Reich This lecture will explore the Catholic Church leadership’s role in seeking to collaborate with Hitler’s regime. The speaker will also include information about Bishop (later Cardinal) Clemens August Graf von Galen, the “Lion of Muenster,” and his role in denouncing the Nazi euthanasia campaign. Dr. Beth A. Griech-Polelle is Associate Professor (PhD, Rutgers, 1999) and Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of History, Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Dr. Griech-Polelle researches and teaches modern German history, modern European women’s history, and the history of antisemitism and the Holocaust. She has developed such courses as “Women and the Nazis,” “The History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust,” and “Nazi Policy History.” 1:30 pm | First Narayever Congregation 187 Brunswick Avenue | Toronto | 416–927–0546

István Pál Ádám is a PhD candidate in History at the University of Bristol (UK). He has an MA in History and Jewish Studies from the Central European University in Budapest. In 2012, he was the recipient of a fellowship at Yad Vashem. Mr. Ádám’s research questions the prevailing ‘perpetrators-victims-bystanders’ paradigm within Holocaust Studies. 8:45 am | Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street | Toronto | 416–633–3838



or call 416–631–5689


Ontario-Region Programs

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor After a short film, Pigeon, about a random act of kindness during the Holocaust in France, Hungarian Holocaust survivor Leslie Meisels will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 40. Aurora | Thursday, 7 November | 7:00 pm Aurora United Church | 15186 Yonge Street | 905–727–6639

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This program features Polish Holocaust survivor Rose Lipszyc who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 40. Barrie | Thursday, 7 November | 7:00 PM Am Shalom Synagogue | 767 Huronia Road | 705–792–3949

Teaching Tools from the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum 2013 Educator-in-Residence Jacqueline Celemencki will present curricular and teaching tools developed by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum, including a special activity designed for teaching about the Cambodian genocide. For her bio, see page 18. To register, contact Sue Nugent by October 31 at [email protected] or 519–621–3620. Refreshments will be served. The Educator-in-Residence is generously sponsored by the Cohen Family Charitable Trust. Cambridge | WEDNESDAY, 6 November | 4:00 pm Barrday, Inc. | 75 Moorefield Street | 519–621–3620 × 1228

In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor This lecture will educate the students of the University of Guelph and residents of Guelph about both the historical and personal implications of the Holocaust and why it is still relevant today on university campuses. Czech-Hungarian Holocaust survivor Magda Hilf will share her personal experiences during the war. For her bio, see page 40. Co-sponsored by Guelph Hillel and the University of Guelph Multi-Faith Resource Team. Guelph | Thursday, 7 November | 5:30 pm Peter Clark Hall | University Centre | University of Guelph 50 Stone Road East | 519–824–4120 × 56061

Steal a Pencil for Me

Defiance FILM Defiance is set during the occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany. The film is an account of the Bielski partisans, a group led by three Jewish brothers who saved and recruited Jews in Belarus during the Second World War. The film stars Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski, Liev Schreiber as Zus Bielski, Jamie Bell as Asael Bielski and George MacKay as Aron Bielski. The movie is an adaptation of Nechama Tec’s book, Defiance: The Bielski Partisans. (2008, English, 137 minutes.) Co-presented by Hamilton Public Library & Hamilton Jewish Federation Holocaust Education Committee. Hamilton | Sunday, 3 November | 2:00 pm Hamilton Public Library | 55 York Boulevard | 905–546–3200 × 6342

Steal a Pencil for Me FILM Steal a Pencil for Me is a story of a man, his wife, and the woman he has fallen deeply in love with, as they experience jealousy and heartbreak while housed together in the same barrack of a Second World War-era concentration camp. Oscar-nominated director Michèle Ohayon’s film depicts love in a land ravaged by war. (2007, English and Dutch with subtitles, 94 minutes.) Co-presented by the Hamilton Jewish Federation Holocaust Education Committee. Hamilton | Monday, 4 November | 7:30 pm Shalom Village | 70 Macklin Street North | 905–529–1613


Ontario-Region Programs

The Holocaust and The Press: A Tragic Failure KRISTALLNACHT COMMEMORATION

David Halton will deliver the keynote address at this commemorative program. Halton will speak about how the press failed in their coverage of the fate of European Jews from the mid 1930s to 1940s, arguing that the 1930s press was partly to blame for the appeasement policies that led to the Holocaust. He addresses how the decisions of these major papers were documented and produces evidence on how the papers failed. He conveys how journalists determine what is newsworthy, struggling to understand and evaluate the horrific, unprecedented news of the Holocaust within the context of one organization at a specific period of history. David Halton was the former Senior Foreign Correspondent for CBC Television and recipient of the Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism in 2005. His father, Matthew Halton, was a correspondent for the CBC and the Toronto Star before and during the Second World War and wrote extensive reports, warning about the growing threat of Hitler’s Nazi Party. He documents how some major Canadian newspapers were hoodwinked by Hitler’s propaganda machine. All are welcome to attend this free program. Co-presented by Hamilton Jewish Federation Holocaust Education Committee, Adas Israel Synagogue and The Hamilton Spectator. Hamilton | Thursday, 7 November | 7:30 pm Adas Israel Synagogue | 125 Cline Avenue South | 905–627–9922 × 24

Voices of the Tragedy in Transnistria An artificial geographic term, Transnistria refers to a region in the Ukraine where German and Romanian authorities murdered or caused the deaths of between 150,000 and 250,000 Romanian and Ukrainian Jews during the Holocaust. Yet 65 years later, Transnistria remains relatively unknown. Felicia Carmelly will discuss her anthology, Shattered! 50 years of silence, History and Voices of the Tragedy in Romania and Transnistria. For her bio, see page 38. Co-presented by Shaarei Beth El Congregation. Generously co-sponsored by Sasha and Tom Weisz in memory of Margaret and Arthur Weisz. Oakville | Thursday, 7 November | 7:00 pm Saint Matthew Roman Catholic Church | 1150 Monk’s Passage 905–825–0219

It Will Be Good: Survivor Testimony Today’s generations must bear witness to the past if they are ever to change the path of the future. Lithuanian Holocaust survivor Faigie Libman will share her personal testimony—a testament to courage, compassion and integrity. For her bio, see page 40. Trenton | Tuesday, 5 November | 3:00 pm Goodwin Learning Centre 149 English Settlement Road, RR#4 | 613–475–1256

Raoul Wallenberg Evening Raoul Wallenberg was the first person ever to be named an honorary citizen of Canada. He was a Swedish businessman who volunteered to work in the Swedish Embassy in Budapest, Hungary during the Nazi occupation of 1944–45. He is credited with saving the lives of 100,000 Jews. The evening will feature Eva Meisels, a Holocaust survivor of the Budapest Jewish ghetto from that time. Her life was saved by Raoul Wallenberg on two occasions. Fred Kallin will also speak about Raoul Wallenberg’s life and his family connections to the story. For Eva Meisels’ bio, see page 40. Fred Kallin is a member of Parkminster United Church in Waterloo. He was born in Sweden and grew up in Toronto. His father was Swedish Consul General in Toronto for over 25 years. Waterloo | Sunday, 3 November | 7:00 pm Parkminster United Church | 275 Erb Street East | 519–885–0935

8th Annual Holocaust Symposium and Anti-Discrimination Day How can the lessons of the Holocaust be taught to a new generation? An educational symposium organized by Garrison Road Public School and Centennial Secondary School featuring Holocaust survivors Bill Glied, Mel Goldberg, Stephen Kuti, Faigie Libman, Andy Réti, and Gershon Willinger, as well as victims of other forms of discrimination. For more information, contact Rachel Gracey at [email protected]. Welland | Wednesday, 6 November | 9:30 am Welland Centennial Secondary School | 240 Thorold Road


Pre-HEW Programs

Kanada EXHIBIT

“And Stockings for the Ladies” PLAY

During the Holocaust, several dozen barracks in Auschwitz-Birkenau containing personal items stolen from prisoners became known as “Kanada,” associating the goods with the riches and abundance of the country. Artist Joyce Lau constructs an installation that magnifies views of this plunder, preserved to this day as a memorial, drawing our sight and our thoughts to the individual.

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company presents Attila Clemann’s play about Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader Ted Aplin, nicknamed “The Angel of Belsen” for his humanitarian efforts at BergenBelsen concentration camp post-liberation. Based on a true story about a little-known chapter in Canadian military history. Winner at the Toronto and Montreal Fringe Festivals. One actor plays more than 20 characters in this powerful production.

Joyce Lau is a photo-based artist from Toronto. She graduated with a BFA from Ryerson’s Image Arts Photography program in 2004 and has been working as a professional artist since that time. Her art practice revolves around questions about identity, perceived ideas, history, and culture. Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography is a non-profit artist-run centre committed to photography as a multi-faceted and ever-changing art form. 13 September–12 October Opening Reception Friday, 13 September, 6–9 PM Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography 120–401 Richmond Street West | 416–979–3941

Production Sponsor: Singer, Kwinter–Personal Injury Lawyers. Tuesday, 8–24 October | 8:00, 2:00 and 1:00 pm Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company Toronto Centre for the Arts, Studio Theatre 5040 Yonge Street | 416–932–9995 TICKETS: 1–855–985–2787 or www.hgjewishtheatre.com

In Conversation with a Survivor This program features Dutch Holocaust survivor Gershon Willinger who will speak about his personal experiences during the Holocaust.

Numbered FILM & PANEL

For his bio, see page 41.

The blue-inked tattoos given to Auschwitz prisoners stripped them of their identities and reduced them to numbers. In this moving documentary, it is precisely these numbers that confer a unique individuality on each of the survivors interviewed. Using evocative photography, the filmmakers of Numbered (2012, Hebrew with English subtitles, 55 minutes) create an emotional portrait of memory and history. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion. The panel will be introduced by Mira Goldfarb, Executive Director of the Neuberger, and moderated by Michael R. Marrus, Wolfe Professor Emeritus of Holocaust Studies.

“Disobedience” & de Sousa Mendes Playground Dedication

This film screening is a public program presented as part of the annual meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. It is sponsored by the University of Toronto’s Wolfe Chair of Holocaust Studies and the Centre for Jewish Studies, and is part of an international conference on the Holocaust, “New Research/New Scholars on the Holocaust,” which will take place at the University of Toronto on October 6–7, with the generous support also from the Government of Canada. Admission free. No registration required. Sunday, 6 October | 7:00 pm Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto 2 Sussex Avenue | Toronto | 416–978–1624

Thursday, 17 October | 2:00 pm Woodbridge Library | 150 Woodbridge Avenue Woodbridge | 905–653–7323

On October 20, 2013, the City of Toronto will name the newly renovated playground the “Sousa Mendes Playground,” situated across from the new Leo Baeck Day School on Arlington Avenue. Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese Consul General serving in Bordeaux, France from 1938 to 1940. He was responsible for saving countless Jews and other refugees of the rapidly advancing Nazi army, by defying a Portuguese directive and issuing some 30,000 visas, including about 10,000 to Jews, allowing safe passage to Portugal from France. The program includes the unveiling of a plaque and speakers from the Jewish and Portuguese communities. After the unveiling, a brief reception will be followed by the screening of a recent French film Disobedience, about the times and struggles of de Sousa Mendes. The event will give voice to an important Portuguese & Jewish story of rescue and moral courage during the Holocaust. It will be facilitated by Councillor Joe Mihevc, working in partnership with the City of Toronto’s Parks Department and Leo Baeck Day School through Eric Petersiel, Head of School. Sunday, 20 October | 2:00 pm Leo Baeck Day School | 501 Arlington Avenue | 416–315–9849


Pre-HEW Programs


Shattering the Silence

This program features Romanian Holocaust survivor Felicia Carmelly who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust in Transnistria.

European memorials to homosexuals persecuted and killed during the National Socialist era in Germany frequently bear the inscription Tot Geschlagen, Tot Geschwiegen (Murdered, Silenced). Understanding the experience of homosexuals subjected to the brutality of Nazism was hindered for decades—both in Europe as well as North America— by the criminalization and social stigmatization that accompanied being gay. As a result, most gay survivors were afraid, ashamed and unwilling to share their stories. Carson Phillips will shed light on these “forgotten victims” by utilizing diary and testimony excerpts from those gay survivors who did step forward to shatter the silence.

For her bio, see page 38. Co-presented by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem–Canada. Sunday, 20 October | 2:00 pm Catch The Fire Ministries | 272 Attwell Drive | Toronto 416–674–8463 × 2205

Dutch Heroes During the Holocaust Based on a true story, the short film Pigeon features a random act of kindness in France during the Second World War. After the screening, Dutch Holocaust survivor and hidden child Ada Wynston will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust.

Dr. Carson Phillips, Assistant Director at the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, is an internationally recognized expert on teaching the Holocaust. Appointed to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2009, he serves on the “Education Working Group,” the “Standing Committee on the Roma Genocide,” and the sub-committee on “Teaching About the Holocaust and Other Genocides.”


This lecture is part of Friday night services. Dessert reception to follow.

Youth and young adults are welcome.

Friday, 1 November | 7:30 pm | Temple Kol Ami 36 Atkinson Avenue | Thornhill | 905–709–2620 × 246

Co-presented by Summit Community Church. Thursday, 24 October | 7:00 pm Heise Hill Church | 11760 Woodbine Avenue Stouffville | 905–887–5489

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project


This presentation focuses on the power of one person to change the world. Norm Conard presents the powerful story of Irena Sendler. He helped write the best-selling book, Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project, which inspired the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler.

This program features Lithuanian Holocaust survivor Helen Yermus who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. For her bio, see page 41. The lecture is part of the Sunday morning church service, followed by lunch. Street parking only. Co-presented by International Christian Embassy Jerusalem–Canada. Sunday, 27 October | 11:00 am Hallelujah Fellowship Baptist Church 425 Pacific Avenue | Toronto | 416–745–1226

Heroes Who Faced Nazis in Holland Ada Wynston and her two siblings survived the Holocaust in the Netherlands due to the heroism of Christian friends and heroes. A hidden child, Mrs. Wynston will tell a story of their survival. For her bio, see page 41. Co-presented by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church–Humber Heights. Friday, 1 November | 7:15 pm Dixie International Baptist Church 337–1550 South Gateway Road (At Eglinton) Mississauga | 905–629–4473

Norm Conard was Kansan of the Year in 2012, and in past years, Kansas Teacher of the Year, National Social Studies Teacher of the Year, Milken National Educator, NEA Civil Rights Awardee, and is in the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame. Friday, 1 November | 8:00 pm | Solel Congregation 2399 Folkway Drive | Mississauga | 905–820–5915

Traumatisme et écriture ÉVÉNEMENT EN FRANÇAIS Durant cette conférence en français, Boris Cyrulnik, célèbre neuropsychiatre français, interviendra sur le rôle de l’écriture et plus particulièrement de l’écriture de soi dans la mise en place d’un cheminement résilient. Boris Cyrulnik est né à Bordeaux, en France, en 1937. Il a survécu comme enfant caché durant la Shoah. Après ses études de médecine, il s’est spécialisé dans la psychiatrie et les neurosciences. Il a beaucoup écrit sur la résilience, concept qu’il a largement contribué à populariser en France. Événement gratuit présenté en collaboration avec la Fondation Azrieli, le Consulat général de France, le Neuberger Holocaust Centre et l’Alliance Française de Toronto. Samedi 2 novembre 2013 | 19h15 Salle A100 York Hall | Collège Glendon de Toronto 2275 Bayview Avenue | Pour réserver votre place, merci de contacter Aurélien Bonin : [email protected]


Pre-HEW Programs

My Personal Testimony This program features Polish Holocaust survivor Esther Fairbloom who will speak about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. A dance ensemble and music will also be part of this program. For her bio, see page 39. Co-presented by International Christian Embassy Jerusalem–Canada. Generously co-sponsored in loving memory of Ernie Weiss, a survivor speaker, by his wife, children and grandchildren. Saturday, 2 November | 7:00 pm | Friends of Jesus Christ Canada 181 Nugget Avenue | Toronto | 416–724–7212

Resistance and the Struggle to Survive in Kaunas Ghetto The presentation will highlight Holocaust survivor and partisan Sara Ginaite’s personal experience of everyday life and slave labour in the Kaunas (Kovno) ghetto. The lecture will describe the attempts of the people to survive, forms of resistance carried out at different levels of the population, the moral dilemma of escaping the ghetto while leaving family behind, and the fight against the occupiers in their partisan detachment in the living conditions of the forest. Dr. Sara Ginaite was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. In June 1941, just before she could graduate from high school, Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania. Sara and her family were forced to move into the ghetto. In 1942, she joined the underground movement, and at the end of 1943 she escaped from the ghetto, together with her husband Misha Rubinsonas and a group of ghetto fighters. They fought the occupiers and their collaborators in the forest, participating in the liberation of Vilnius. After the war, Sara studied at Vilnius University and the University of Leningrad, obtaining her PhD. In 1983, the family immigrated to Canada. Sara taught political and social science at York University and published numerous books on the Holocaust and the Soviet Union. Generously co-sponsored by Frieda & Larry Torkin in memory of Frank & Jennie Krystal. Saturday, 2 November | 7:30 pm | National Council of Jewish Women 4700 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–633–5100

The Holocaust and the Creation of the State of Israel The lecture will explore the connection between the atrocities of the Holocaust and the birth of a Jewish homeland, acknowledging that post-1948, many Jews—inclusive of survivors—see Israel as the safety net for the global Jewish community. Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman is Shalom Hartman Institute President and Director of the Engaging Israel Project. He has a doctorate in Jewish philosophy from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MA in political philosophy from New York University, an MA in religion from Temple University, and Rabbinic ordination from the Shalom Hartman Institute. He is the co-author of Spheres of Jewish Identity, a model curriculum in Jewish philosophy for secular Israeli high schools. Saturday, 2 November | 8:00 pm | Beth Sholom Synagogue 1445 Eglinton Avenue West | Toronto | 416–783–6103 × 231


At War’s End: British and Canadian Forces at Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen was one of the most filmed, photographed and discussed concentration camps. And yet, the story of its liberation remains incomplete. More than 1,000 Canadian military personnel became involved with or encountered Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Canadian airmen, paratroopers, soldiers, doctors and nurses, padres, nutritional and agricultural experts, war artists and photographers arrived to assist survivors, to bear witness to the crimes and to document the atrocities. Focusing on their oral and written responses, Mark Celinscak will examine the involvement of Britons and Canadians at Bergen-Belsen. Dr. Mark Celinscak is Assistant Professor at Trent University’s Department of History. He is also Visiting Research Associate at York University’s Centre for Jewish Studies in Toronto. He has been a recipient of several scholarships and awards. His first book, At War’s End: British and Canadian Forces at BergenBelsen, is currently scheduled for publication. Saturday, 2 November | 8:00 pm | Congregation B’nai Torah 465 Patricia Avenue | Toronto | 416–226–3700

Jewish Voices from Eastern Galicia (Ukraine): Accounts of Daily Lives in Hiding Between the summer of 1942 and the spring of 1943, Jews sought refuge in the villages and forests of Eastern Galicia, part of Ukraine. At a time when mass exterminations were being carried out, bunkers, attics, cellars and larger “family camps” served as refuges for Jews who fled nearby towns and villages. Confined in overcrowded hiding places, many fell ill and died, many more were betrayed and murdered. Drawing on archival sources, oral testimonies and published memoirs, Natalia Aleksiun will discuss survival strategies during their concealment. This case study analyzes the impact of fear and oppressive conditions on life in the bunkers—in particular, on intimate familial and other relationships, including those that formed within the hideouts. Natalia Aleksiun is Associate Professor of Modern Jewish History at Touro College, Graduate School of Jewish Studies, New York, and Assistant Professor of Modern History at the Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences. She studied Polish and Jewish history at the Warsaw University, the Graduate School of Social Studies in Warsaw and Hebrew University in Jerusalem and New York University. She received her doctorate from Warsaw University in 2001. In 2010, she received her second PhD from New York University. She is a recent recipient of a research grant from Lviv University, Ukraine. Saturday, 2 November | 8:00 pm | Kehillat Shaarei Torah 2640 Bayview Avenue | Toronto | 416–229–2600 × 2

Post-HEW Programs

Monsieur Batignole FILM Monsieur Batignole is a pointed look at morality in wartime. In France, 1942, butcher Edmond Batignole, responsible for the arrest of the Bernstein family who lived upstairs, is forced to examine his conscience when young Simon, the only Bernstein to escape, shows up at his former home. Directed by Gérard Jugnot, starring Jules Sitruk in a memorable performance. (2002, French / German, 100 minutes.) Yves Étienne Massicotte is an acclaimed journalist, film critic, and filmmaker. He is the producer of Groupe Media at TFO. He will be available for Q&A. Tickets: $15, $10 at 7:30 PM show for Young Adults (ages 18–35). Tickets are available 15 minutes prior to screenings. No advance sales. Monsieur Batignole

Letter from Bozena CONCERT The musical piece at the centre of this program is a song cycle composed by Charles Heller for soprano, viola and piano. It is based on letters from Czechoslovakia (written in German, later translated into English) in 1939–40 from the composer’s grandmother Bozena Hellerova to her son Otto in England, who had escaped continental Europe in 1939. The letters describe the growing tension and fear in that tragic period, but are also suffused with a mother’s hopes and prayers for a better future for the refugee survivors. Artists who will perform at this program include musicians from the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Canadian Opera Chorus, violist Barry Shiffman from the Royal Conservatory of Music and soprano Stacie Carmo. Sunday, 10 November | 2:00 pm Kiever Congregation | 25 Bellevue Avenue | Toronto | 416–593–9702

Co-presented by the Toronto Jewish Film Society and Alliance Française de Toronto. Sunday, 10 November | 4:00 pm & 7:30 pm Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC 750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto | 416–924–6211 × 606

The North-American Narrative of the Holocaust This lecture will explore the ways North Americans have interpreted and taught the Holocaust, and the implications of our attempts to make the Holocaust an institution in North American life from the classroom to the state house. The presenter will also look at how certain examples of North American fiction, arguably our most powerful transmitter of history and memory, has limited our interpretation of the event and ask what the consequences of such limitations are. Eric Beck Rubin received his PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and his Masters of Architectural Theory and History from McGill University. He teaches at Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, and lectures publicly on a variety of subjects. Co-presented by Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism.

The Trial of Adolf Eichmann FILM This absorbing, comprehensive documentary features detailed accounts of Eichmann’s capture, courtroom drama, and reactions to the 1961 trial from around the world. Beginning with his May 11, 1960 capture in Buenos Aires, archival footage shows the 55-year-old Eichmann being apprehended by the Mossad while the Argentines protest his removal to Israel. The film features survivor testimony from this watershed event along with observations from David Ben-Gurion, Mossad agents, German students and legal scholars. Canadian premiere screening. (2011, English narration, including Hebrew, German and French with subtitles, 90 minutes.)

Sunday, 10 November | 7:00 pm Don Heights Unitarian Congregation | 18 Wynford Drive #102 Toronto | 416–385–3910 | RSVP RECOMMENDED

Co-presented by March of the Living Canada. Sunday, 10 November | 7:30 pM | Congregation Habonim 5 Glen Park Avenue | Toronto | 416–782–7125


Post-HEW Programs

Nicky’s Family FILM British stockbroker Nicholas Winton organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Winton, now 104 years old, did not speak about these events for more than half a century. His heroism would probably have been forgotten, his wife hadn’t found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans, fifty years later. Nicky’s Family is a film about how one man’s story, even after 70 years, can inspire people to change the world. Toronto premiere screening. (2013, English, 96 minutes). Joe Schlesinger, the film’s narrator and one of the rescued children, will attend the screening. He was a foreign correspondent for CBC for 28 years, covering national disasters, political upheavals, and conflicts from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. In 2009, the Canadian Journalism Foundation honoured Schlesinger for his body of work. Free admission but pre-registration is required. Co-sponsored by Beit Rayim Synagogue and Hebrew School, the Town of Richmond Hill and the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

The Story of Hanns and Rudolf: How a Young German Jew Captured the Kommandant of Auschwitz LITERARY It was only at Hanns Alexander’s funeral in 2006 that Thomas Harding discovered that his great-uncle was responsible for arresting Rudolf Höss, the Kommandant of Auschwitz. Thomas spent the next six years researching the story that became the book Hanns and Rudolf: The True Story of the German Jew who Caught the Kommandant of Auschwitz, published by House of Anansi Press. Hanns’ twin brother Paul is featured in the book and was an early and active member of Congregation Habonim in Toronto. Join Thomas to hear the rest of Hanns’ astonishing tale. Thomas Harding is an author and journalist who has written for the Financial Times and The Guardian, among other publications. He co-founded a television station in Oxford, England, and for many years was an award-winning publisher of a newspaper in West Virginia. He lives in Hampshire, England. The author will be available for book signing after the lecture.

Sunday, 10 November | 7:30 pm Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts 10268 Yonge Street | Richmond Hill | 905–771–5526 TO REGISTER: 905–771–5526 or [email protected]

Co-presented by March of the Living Canada.

Reconstructing Trauma Across Genres through Language LITERARY

One Flight For Us ‫ טסה אחת בשבילנו‬

This presentation will examine how the Shoah has impacted the writing of the second generation across the genres of narrative and poetry. The talk will focus on reconstructing the narrative of trauma from a survivor’s oral testimony. The speaker will explore with the audience her quest for historical authenticity, the need to engage the reader empathically and the challenges of evoking the killing field her father experienced. Carol Lipszyc earned her PhD in Education at OISE, University of Toronto. Her book of poetry, Singing Me Home, was published by Inanna in 2010. She is currently an Assistant Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) at Plattsburgh teaching English Teacher Education and Creative Writing. Sunday, 10 November | 7:30 pm | Pride of Israel Synagogue 59 Lissom Crescent | Toronto | 416–226–0111

Voices from the Whirlwind: A Choral Concert This is a special encore performance of this interfaith concert following Shabbat services. For complete information, see page 24. Friday, 15 November | 9:00 pm | Temple Sinai 210 Wilson Avenue | Toronto | 416–487–4161 × 233


Sunday, 17 November | 8:00 PM | Congregation Habonim 5 Glen Park Avenue | Toronto | 416–782–7125

FILM

This film documents David S. Wyman’s research that Allied Forces during the Second World War knew about the destruction of the Jews yet failed to respond. Even though there were calls in 1944 to bomb the Auschwitz camp crematorium and the railroads leading to the camp, the US military rejected them. Based on Wyman’s research, Israeli Air Force Brig. Gen. Amir Eshel initiated a flyover of Auschwitz by three F-15 fighter jets as a memorial to the victims. (2005, Hebrew and English with subtitles, 60 minutes.) Tuesday, 19 November | 7:30 pm HAMIFGASH PROGRAM | Schwartz-Reisman Centre The Lebovic Jewish Community Campus 9600 Bathurst Street | Vaughan | 905–303–1821

School Programs

We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the following speakers, schools and organizations at closed school programs during HEW 2013: Adrienne Clarkson Public School Hiding Edith Kathy Kacer Apple Creek Adventist Church School & Immanuel Adventist Church Pigeon film A.Y. Jackson Secondary School Kristallnacht Memoirs Yael Spier Cohen Generously co-sponsored by Martha Sud in memory of her husband David, his parents and siblings.

Christian Centre LINC Martin Maxwell & Faigie Libman

Royal St. George’s College Elly Gotz

Crescent School How did “Never Again” become “Yet Again”? Col. Brent Beardsley & Vera Schiff

Sacred Heart Catholic High School George Berman

Crosby Heights Public School Simon Saks Glenforest Secondary School Gerda Frieberg Generously co-sponsored by Lillian Vine Glowinsky & Norman Glowinsky.

Signet Christian School Esther Fairbloom Sir John A. MacDonald School Andreas Schnitzer Stephen Lewis Secondary School Alex Levin

Bakersfield Public School Miriam Frankel

Greenwood College School Martin Maxwell

St. Matthew Catholic School Felicia Carmelly

Beverly Acres School Sally Rosen

Havergal College Martin Maxwell

The York School Elly Gotz

Bialik Day School Martin Maxwell

Kenton Learning Centre (Toronto District School Board LINC) Martin Maxwell & Amek Adler

Thornhill Woods Public School Faigie Libman

Bishop Strachan School Pinchas Gutter Generously co-sponsored in memory of Max & Guta Glicksman, Rose Glick, and in honour of Morris Glick, by their loving families. Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic High School Bystanders—István Pál Ádám Tolerance—Anna Kloza Branksome Hall Bill Glied Generously co-sponsored by the children and grandchildren of Marika & Bill Glied.

Maple High School Alex Levin Netivot HaTorah Day School & Leo Baeck Day School Pigeon film Leslie Meisels

Upper Canada College A Tale of Two Survivals Marina Nemat & Max Eisen Westmount Collegiate Institute Pinchas Gutter William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute Miriam Frankel

Northern Secondary School Edith Gelbard & Nate Leipciger Peel District School Board H.J.A. Brown Education Centre Student Symposium Generously co-sponsored by Yigal Rifkind in memory of his maternal and paternal grandparents. People’s Christian Academy Anita Ekstein


Holocaust Survivor Speakers

Amek Adler was born in Lublin, Poland, in 1928 and grew up in Lodz. After Nazi occupation in 1939, his family escaped to Warsaw and then to Radom. In 1943, Amek was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and from there was eventually shipped to Dachau, where his father and one brother perished. Amek was liberated on April 28, 1945. Amek worked with the Israeli Irgun Tzvai Leumi to help illegal immigrants into Palestine and immigrated to Canada in 1954.

George Berman was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1923. From 1940–1944, George and his family were interned in the Lodz Ghetto. In late 1944, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where his parents were murdered. Within a week, George was taken to Gorlitz, where he spent nine months. In the chaos preceding the advance of Soviet Forces, George escaped. He was liberated by the Soviet Army in May 1945. George immigrated to Canada in 1956.

Claire Baum was born in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1936. In 1942, when Jews were systematically arrested, Claire’s parents made the courageous and difficult decision to place both of their young daughters in hiding. Separated from their parents for three years, they were raised as Christians by a Dutch family. Fearing that betrayal was imminent, they miraculously survived in hiding with the help of the Resistance. They were reunited with their parents on May 5, 1945.

Hedy Bohm was born in Oradea, Romania, in 1928. In 1944, Hedy was deported from the local ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau. An only child, she saw her parents, many relatives and friends murdered by the Nazis. She was selected and shipped to Fallersleben, Germany, to work as a slave labourer at an ammunition factory. She was liberated by the US Army in April 1945 and immigrated to Canada in August 1948.


Felicia Carmelly was born in Romania in 1931. In October 1941, Felicia and her family were deported to the camps in Transnistria where 36 members of her extended family were murdered. Felicia was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1944, and returned to her home in 1945. After living under Communist rule in post-war Romania, Felicia immigrated to Canada in 1962. She is the author of the award-winning book, Shattered! 50 Years of Silence, History and Voices of the Tragedy in Romania and Transnistria.

Howard Chandler was born in Wierzbnik, Poland, in 1928. He was a prisoner in Starachowice Labour Camp between 1942 and 1944, then in AuschwitzBirkenau, Buchenwald and Theresienstadt between 1944 and 1945. He immigrated to Canada in 1947 as a war orphan with other children from England. Judy Weissenberg Cohen was born in Debrecen, Hungary, in 1928. She was deported to AuschwitzBirkenau in 1944 and survived Bergen-Belsen, a slave labour camp and a death march. She was liberated in 1945 and immigrated to Canada in 1948. Judy’s website, www.womenandtheholocaust.com, is an acclaimed scholarly resource. Anne Eidlitz was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1936. She lived with her parents, Kiva and Liba Jacubowicz, and younger sister, Rosie. Anne’s father was deported in 1942, and the family went into hiding. After their mother was arrested by the Gestapo, Anne and her sister remained in hiding until they were smuggled into Switzerland. They returned to Belgium in 1946, and were adopted by family. The sisters both immigrated to Canada in the early 1950s.

Representatives of the Neuberger’s Holocaust Survivor Speakers’ Bureau, 2013. Credit: Sarah Lefkowitz.

The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre gratefully acknowledges members of the Survivor Speakers’ Bureau for their inspired contributions to Holocaust education. For a complete listing of programs with Holocaust survivor testimony, including closed school programs, visit holocausteducationweek.com.


Alexander Eisen was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1929. After the Anschluss in 1938, the Eisen family fled to Hungary. In 1939 Alex’s father was arrested and fled to Palestine, leaving his wife alone with their three children. Alex and the rest of the family endured the hardships of the Budapest Ghetto, but later managed to escape and live in hiding until being liberated by the Soviet Army in 1945. Max Eisen was born in Moldava in the former Czechoslovakia, in 1929. In 1944, his family was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Hungarianoccupied Slovakia. Max worked in slave labour with his father and uncle, but in September 1944, the two were selected out. Max survived a death march to Mauthausen, Melk and Ebensee. He was liberated by the US Army in May 1945. He returned to Czechoslovakia and stayed in an orphanage for three years. Max immigrated to Canada in 1949. Anita Ekstein was born in Lvov, Poland, in 1934, to Edzia and Fischel Helfgott. In 1942, after her mother was taken away, she was placed in hiding. Anita was hidden by a Christian family; then in 1943, by a priest. Her mother was murdered in October 1942 in the Belzec death camp, her father was murdered in 1943. Anita was liberated in 1945. She immigrated to Canada in 1948, with a surviving aunt. Esther Fairbloom was born in the ghetto in Tarnopol, Poland, in 1941. When the Nazis began deporting Jews from the ghetto, her sister hid on one of the farms. Her mother asked the Mother Superior of the Catholic orphanage to hide six-month-old Esther. After the war, Esther learned that her parents had been killed. At the age of five, she was rescued by an aunt and uncle. She immigrated to Canada ten years later. Shary Fine Marmor was born in Bistrica, Romania, in 1927. She was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in early 1944, transferred to Plaszow labour camp where she worked in the stone quarry, and transferred back to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Later she was deported to the Stuttgart area in Germany for slave labour. Shary survived a death march to the Alps and was liberated by the US Army on April 29, 1945. She immigrated to Canada in 1948. Edward Fisch was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1933. In 1942, his father was conscripted into the Slave Labour Battalion in Hungary; his mother was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in the spring of 1944. Together with his younger brother, he survived in Swiss protected houses, and then in the Budapest ghetto until liberation in January 1945. Edward’s mother survived but his father was murdered by the Arrow Cross. Edward immigrated to Canada in 1948.

George Fox was born in Berdichev, Russia (later Poland), in 1917, where he lived with his family. The Nazis forced his family into the Brzeziny Ghetto, where they remained until its liquidation in 1942. George was sent to the Lodz Ghetto until 1944, and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was liberated by the US Army after a death march to Flossenburg, Gross Rosen and Pocking, in Bavaria. The only survivor of his family, George immigrated to Canada in 1948.

Edith Gelbard was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1932. She lived with her parents, sister and grandmother. After the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, her family fled to Belgium and then to France. In 1942, her father was murdered in Auschwitz. Edith and her brother were hidden in an orphanage. She was liberated in 1945 and reunited with rest of her family. After the war, she lived in Paris and immigrated to Canada in 1958.

Miriam Frankel was born in Dunajska Streda, Czechoslovakia, in 1927, and raised in Italy. After expulsion from her childhood home in Italy, she was trapped in Hungarian-occupied Czechoslovakia for the next four years. Her father was taken to a forced labour camp; the family was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in May 1944. Surviving two additional concentration camps, Miriam was liberated in Germany in April 1945. The sole survivor of her family, Miriam immigrated to Canada in 1948.

Bill Glied was born in Subotica, Serbia, in 1930. He was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944 along with his family. He was later transferred to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany and worked as a slave labourer. Bill was liberated by the US Army in April and immigrated to Canada as an orphan in 1947.

Gerda Frieberg was born in Upper Silesia, Poland, in 1925. In October 1939, her father was taken away. In 1940, Gerda, her mother, and sister were deported to the Jaworzno Ghetto. In 1942, she was sent to the Oberaltstadt concentration camp, where her sister was interned. Her mother joined them in 1943. Gerda worked in the machine shop of a spinning mill until liberation on May 9, 1945. After immigrating to Canada, Gerda dedicated herself to Holocaust education. Arnold Friedman was born in 1928 in Chudlovo, Czechoslovakia. His whole family was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. His parents, younger brothers and sisters were all murdered. In January 1945, Arnold survived a death march to the GrossRosen and Dachau concentration camps. He was liberated in May 1945 by the US Army. He immigrated to Scotland in 1946 and then to Canada with the assistance of Canadian Jewish Congress in 1947. Rosalind Goldenberg was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1939. Her mother arranged for Rosalind to be hidden with a member of the underground resistance, and later, Rosalind was placed with a Catholic woman and her granddaughter. After the war, Rosalind went to live in Dublin, then moved to London, and eventually immigrated to Canada.

Mel Goldberg was born in Biala Rawska (southeast of Warsaw), Poland, in 1942. As an infant, his parents placed him with a Christian family to be hidden and save his life. His parents and four siblings were likely murdered in Treblinka. First sent to an orphanage in Otwock, Mel immigrated to Canada at age six, and was adopted by his relatives in Toronto. Mendel Good was born in Nowy-Sacz, Poland, in 1925. He was first sent to Rosnow where he was able to escape. He also survived the Nowy-Sancz Ghetto, a labour camp, the Tarnow Ghetto, Plaszow, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Mauthausen, Melk and Ebensee. He was liberated in 1945 by the US Army and immigrated to Canada in 1948. Elly Gotz was born in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1928. His father worked in a bank and his mother was a nurse. Beginning in 1941, Elly spent three years in the ghetto/camp in Kovno and then one year in Dachau concentration camp, where he was liberated by the American army in 1945. After the war, he lived in Germany, Norway, Rhodesia and South Africa. Elly immigrated to Canada in 1964. Pinchas Gutter and his twin sister were born in Lodz, Poland, in 1933. In 1939, his family was forced into the Warsaw Ghetto. In April 1943, they were deported to the death camp, Majdanek, where the whole family was murdered on arrival, except for Pinchas. He was sent to a work camp, then to Buchenwald, and then on a death march from Germany to Theresienstadt. He was liberated by the Soviet Army in May 1945. Denise Hans was born in Paris, France, in 1938. In 1942, after her father, aunt and uncle were taken from her home and murdered, her mother sought places to hide her six children and two nieces. Denise was hidden twice with farmers and then in a convent. She and two sisters stayed there until 1948, when they were reunited with their mother and siblings. Denise immigrated to Canada in 1956.



Magda Hilf was born in Maly Kevesd, Czechoslovakia, in 1921. After Nazi occupation in 1944, her family was driven to the nearby ghetto in Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary. Shortly after, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where all were killed except for Magda, who was sent for slave labour. In April 1945, she was forced onto a death march, but she and four friends managed to escape. One month later, they were liberated. Magda immigrated to Canada in 1953. Lou Hoffer was born in Vijnitz, Bucovina, Romania, in 1927. He lived with his parents and his younger brother, Yosel. In 1940, Soviet forces occupied his town, and the entire family was deported to Transnistria in 1941. Lou was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1944, and his whole immediate family survived. After spending several years in various Displaced Persons camps, Lou immigrated to Canada in 1948. Jerry Kapelus was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1929. In 1939, his family was interned in the Lodz ghetto, where Jerry worked as a slave labourer. In 1944, he was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the rest of his family was murdered. In 1945, he was sent on a death march to Buchenwald concentration camp. He was liberated in April 1945 by the US Army. After the war, he was sent to a French orphanage, and then immigrated to Canada. Howard and Nancy Kleinberg were born in the village of Wierzbnik, Poland, and were raised in traditional, observant homes. By October 1942, their lives had changed forever. Before either of them had turned 20, Howard and Nancy endured years of forced labour, hunger, hardship, cruelty, forced marches, as well as internment in several concentration camps. After liberation from Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, they learned that their parents, most of their relatives and friends had not survived. Renate Krakauer was born in Stanisławów, Poland, in 1941, during the Soviet occupation and just before the Nazis invaded. In late 1942, her mother fled the ghetto and gave Renate to a family in a nearby village. After the area was liberated, threeand-a-half-year-old Renate was reunited with her parents who also survived in hiding. They immigrated to Canada in 1948. Renate is an Azrieli Foundation author, and will be presenting during HEW as a special guest. Mark Lane was born in 1929 in eastern Czechoslovakia. In 1939, with the division of the country, the area was ceded to Hungary. In the spring of 1944, he and his family were deported to AuschwitzBirkenau, where his mother, two brothers and sister were murdered. He remained in Birkenau until January 1945 when he was taken on a death march to Mauthausen in Austria. He was finally liberated in May 1945 from Günskirchen. Mark immigrated to Canada in 1951.


Manny Langer was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1929. Manny was forced to live in the Lodz Ghetto before being transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and BergenBelsen concentration camps. After liberation, he travelled back to Poland where he found two surviving sisters. In 1946, he immigrated to the United States, and in 1951, Manny and his sisters immigrated to Canada. Joe (Joseph) Leinburd was born in Suceava, Romania, in 1922. In 1941, the Romanian Fascist Regime, collaborating with Nazi Germany, deported the entire Jewish population of Northern Bucovina and Bessarabia to Transnistria, an area in southwestern Ukraine. Miraculously, his entire family survived a death march from Moghilev to Murafa and was liberated in 1944. After spending two-and-a-half years in Displaced Persons camps, Joe and his wife immigrated to Canada in 1949. Nathan Leipciger was born in 1928, in Chorzow, Poland. He survived the Sosnowiec Ghetto and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Fünfteichen, Gross Rosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg, Mühldorf am Inn and Waldlager (two sub-camps of Dachau). Nathan and his father were liberated in May 1945, and immigrated to Canada in 1948. Alex Levin was born in Rokitno (Volyn), Poland, in 1932. He survived a massacre at the Rokitno Ghetto where his parents and younger brother were murdered. He managed to escape into the forest with his older brother. He was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1944 and immigrated to Canada in 1975. His memoir, Under the Yellow and Red Stars, received the 2010 Pearson Prize Teen Choice Award. Faigie (Schmidt) Libman was born in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1934, an only child. In 1941, she and her family were forced into the Kovno Ghetto. When the ghetto was liquidated in 1944, her father was taken to Dachau, where he perished. Faigie and her mother were transferred—first to Stutthof, then to three slave labour camps—before they were liberated by the Soviet Army. They immigrated to Canada in 1948. Rose Lipszyc was born in 1929 in Lublin, Poland. On October 14, 1942 Rose escaped forced deportation. She survived the war under a false identity, posing as a teenage Polish child worker in Germany. Rose’s mother, father and two brothers were murdered by the Nazis. After liberation, Rose and her future husband Jack immigrated to Israel in 1948. They immigrated to Canada in 1952.

Judy Lysy was born in Kosice, Czechoslovakia, in 1928. She lived with her parents, sister and grandmother. In March, 1944, Judy and her family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and from there to various slave labour camps. She was liberated in May, 1945, by the US Army. She immigrated to Canada, in 1952, with her husband and daughter. George Lysy was born on a farm near Nové Zámky in Czechoslovakia, in 1916. In 1939, he was conscripted in the Hungarian army, in a separate Jewish slave labour battalion. He served 45 months and then escaped to Budapest, where he lived with false papers as a Catholic. He was liberated by the Soviet Army in February 1945. Martin Maxwell was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1924. His whole family (including four siblings) witnessed the Kristallnacht pogrom. Martin and his brother were sent on the Kindertransport to England, and adopted. Martin joined the British army in 1942, and fought in the liberation of Holland, where he was wounded and captured. He was freed in May 1945, but two of his sisters died in concentration camps. Martin immigrated to Canada in 1952. Eva Meisels was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1939, an only child. After her father was taken to a forced labour camp in 1942, Eva and her mother were in the Budapest Ghetto and eventually, a safe house. They obtained false papers from Raoul Wallenberg and were liberated by the Soviet Army. After the war, Eva went back to school and immigrated to Canada in 1956. Leslie Meisels was born in Nádudvar, Hungary, in 1927. He lived with his parents, two brothers and both sets of grandparents. He survived the ghettos in Nádudvar and Debrecen, slave labour in Austria and the eventual deportation to Bergen-Belsen. He was liberated in April 1945 by the 9th US Army from a death train. His mother, father and both brothers also survived. Leslie immigrated to Canada in 1967. Andy Réti was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1942. He survived in the Budapest Ghetto together with his mother and paternal grandparents. His father was murdered in a forced labour camp. Andy and his remaining family were liberated in January 1945. In October 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution, he and his mother were able to escape and immigrate to Canada to begin a new life. Sally Rosen was born in Poland, in 1929, and lived in the Lodz Ghetto with her mother for four-and-ahalf years during the war. In 1944 they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. From there, Sally was taken to Bremen-Hafen to clean bombarded houses. In April 1945 she was transported to Bergen-Belsen, from where she was liberated by the British Army. In all, she lost 45 members of her family during the Holocaust. Sally immigrated to Canada in 1948.


Simon Saks was born in Benezin, Poland, in 1932, an only child. Simon lived in a ghetto from 1939–1943. His mother was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was killed, and his father died of starvation in a labour camp. In 1943, Simon was sent to several camps (Blachame, Gross Rosen, Andberg and Buchenwald). He was liberated in Theresienstadt on May 8, 1945 by the Soviet Army and immigrated to Canada at the age of 16.

Inge Spitz was born in Potsdam, Germany, in 1927, where she lived with her parents and her sister. After Kristallnacht, her father escaped, but her mother was deported to Riga in 1941. Inge and her sister left for France with a transport of Berlin Jews escaping Germany. In 1944, Inge led a group of children escaping to Switzerland. The Spitz family survived and reunited in England. Inge and her husband immigrated to Canada in 1948.

Helen Yermus was born in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1932. She had to endure hardship, intimidation and fear in the Kovno Ghetto. Her brother was taken away and murdered. In 1944 the ghetto was liquidated, and her father was deported to Dachau, where he died of starvation. Helen and her mother were taken to the Stutthof concentration camp in Germany. Both survived the camp and immigrated to Canada together in 1948.

Vera Schiff (née Katz) was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1926. In 1942, the entire Katz family was deported to Theresienstadt, where all but Vera perished. She was liberated by the Soviet Army in May 1945. Vera is the author of the award-winning Theresienstadt—The Town the Nazis Gave to the Jews, Hitler’s Inferno—Eight Personal Histories from the Holocaust and Letters to Veruska.

Leonard Vis was born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1930. After the Germans occupied the Netherlands, his family went into hiding. They all survived and were liberated in 1945. After the war, Leonard served two years in the Dutch Army before moving to New York. In 1967, Leonard came to Canada for a job posting.

Roman Ziegler was born in Dombrowa Gura, Poland, in 1927, the youngest of eight children. He spent 31 months in four slave labour and death camps, including Brande, in Germany, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was liberated in May 1945 by the Soviet Army. Of his entire family of ten people, Roman was the only one who survived. Roman immigrated to Canada in 1948.

Faye Schulman was born in Lenin, Poland, in 1919. In 1942, the Nazis murdered her family. She had two sisters and four brothers. She escaped and joined the Soviet partisans in the forest to fight for freedom. She survived as a partisan, and was able to save many lives. Faye was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1944. She has been decorated by several governments for bravery. She immigrated to Canada in 1948. Helen Schwartz was born in Bialystok, Poland, in 1925. From the Bialystok Ghetto, she was deported to Majdanek, then to the Blishjen slave labour camp and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In January 1945, Helen was transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, from where she was liberated in April 1945 by the British Army. She immigrated to Canada with her husband, Eric, in 1948. George Scott was born, in Budapest, Hungary, in 1930. After the death of his mother, he was sent to Budapest Children’s Orphanage, then deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, and ended up in the Gypsy camp. He was later sent to slave labour camps before being deported to Dachau. Liberated by the US Army in 1945, George immigrated to Canada in 1948. Peter Silverman was born in Jody, Poland, in 1924. He was sent to the Jody Ghetto, and then, along with his cousin, he escaped the massacre of the town’s Jews. First hidden by a Catholic family, he then escaped to the forest, where he helped found Spartak, a Jewish-Russian Partisan brigade. He was liberated in 1944. Yael Spier Cohen was born in Hesse, Germany, in 1929. In 1942, she was deported with her parents and brother to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. In 1944, the Nazis sent her to AuschwitzBirkenau, along with her parents, who were murdered in the gas chambers. Yael was transferred to slave labour at an ammunition factory. She was liberated on May 5, 1945, from Mauthausen, and was the only survivor in her family. She moved to Israel in 1945, and then later moved to Canada.

Mladin Vranic was born in Zagreb, now Croatia, in 1930. He was able to escape with his parents and grandmother to an Italian-controlled zone. They were sent to concentration camps under Fascist Italy’s jurisdiction. Mladin immigrated to Canada in 1963, is a recipient of the Order of Canada, and will be presenting during HEW as a special guest. Lenka Weksberg was born in Tacovo, Czechoslovakia, in 1926. In 1944, the entire family was deported to the Mathesalka Ghetto in Hungary and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where her mother and brother were murdered. Lenka survived a slave labour camp in Geislingen, and Alach, as well as a death march. Lenka was liberated by the US Army in April 1945. After the war, Lenka returned to Czechoslovakia, then moved to Israel and finally immigrated to Canada in 1953. Gershon Willinger was born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1942 to German-Jewish parents who were later murdered in Sobibor in July 1943. He was placed in hiding as a very young orphan. In 1944, as a two-year-old child, he was deported on a children’s transport to Bergen-Belsen and later to Theresienstadt where he was liberated in 1945. He became a social worker and immigrated to Canada in 1977. Ada Wynston was born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1936. She and 231 others were rescued from a Jewish daycare centre by the Dutch underground. From 1942 to 1945, Ada was hidden with DutchReform Christian families. 73 members of her family were murdered in death camps. Ada immigrated to Canada in 1957. She received a Knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands in 1993 for her volunteer work.

IN MEMORIAM Henry Melnick was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1922. He was deported for slave labour shortly after the Nazi occupation of Poland in 1939. He was transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. When his parents were murdered in the Belzec death camp, he became the sole survivor of his family. After liberation, he fought in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and immigrated to Canada in 1965. Henry authored his memoirs, By My Mother’s Hand. He passed away on June 25, 2013. Judith Rubinstein was born in Mezőcsát, Hungary, in 1920 to a family of four siblings. Her father was a schoolteacher and her mother was a homemaker. In May 1944, following the Nazi occupation of Hungary, her family was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Judith and her mother were the sole survivors of her entire family. Judith came to Canada with her husband and son. She passed away January 20, 2013. The Neuberger Holocaust Survivor Speakers’ Bureau presents testimony “In Conversation,” an interactive speaking format developed with support from the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany, Inc.


HEW 2013 Partners

A.Y. Jackson Secondary School

Branksome Hall

Forest Hill Place Retirement Residence

Adas Israel Synagogue, Hamilton

Catch The Fire Ministries

Forest Hill United Church

Adath Israel Synagogue

Centre for German and European Studies, York University

Friends of Jesus Christ Canada

Adrienne Clarkson Public School Aird & Berlis LLP Alliance Française de Toronto Am Shalom Synagogue, Barrie Anshei Stashow Slipi Congregation Ansley Grove Public Library Apple Creek Adventist Church School Ashkenaz Foundation Aurora United Church Austrian Service Abroad

Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto Chenstochover Aid Society Christian Centre LINC Cineplex Entertainment LP Citizenship and Immigration Canada/ Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada City of Toronto’s Parks Department Collège Glendon de Toronto College/Shaw Library

The Azrieli Foundation

Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany

Bakersfield Public School

Congregation B’nai Torah

Barbara Frum Library

Congregation Darchei Noam

Barrday, Inc., Cambridge

Congregation Habonim

Bathurst Clark Resource Library

Consulate General of Austria

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care & Baycrest Health Sciences

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Toronto

Beit Rayim Synagogue and Hebrew School

Consulate General of the Netherlands

Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland

Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation

Crescent School

Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am

Crestwood Preparatory College

Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue

Crosby Heights Public School

Beth Lida Forest Hill Congregation

Danforth/Coxwell Library

Beth Radom Congregation

Deer Park Library

Beth Sholom Synagogue

Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Beth Tikvah Synagogue Beth Torah Congregation

Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Toronto

Beth Tzedec Congregation

Dixie International Baptist Church

Beth Tzedec Reuben and Helene Dennis Museum

Don Heights Unitarian Congregation

Beverly Acres School

Downsview Library

Bialik Day School

Dufferin Clark Library

Bibliothèque de référence de Toronto

Embassy of Hungary

Bishop Strachan School

The Equity Program, New College, University of Toronto

Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic High School

Facing History and Ourselves First Narayever Congregation Forest Hill Library


Friends of Yiddish Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography Garrison Road Public School Glenforest Secondary School Goethe-Institut Toronto Goodwin Learning Centre, Trenton Grace Church on-the-Hill Greenwood College School Guelph Hillel Hallelujah Fellowship Baptist Church Hamifgash Program, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Hamilton Jewish Federation Holocaust Education Committee Hamilton Public Library Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company Havergal College Heise Hill Church Hillel of Greater Toronto Holy Blossom Temple Holy Trinity Armenian Church Immanuel Adventist Church Innis College, University of Toronto Institute for Global Citizenship and Equity and The School of Advancement at Centennial College International Christian Embassy Jerusalem–Canada International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Canadian Chair The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (a division of the Zoryan Institute) International Tracing Service Research Branch, Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center Itanu Toronto Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto Jewish Storytelling Arts

HEW 2013 Partners

Kehillat Shaarei Torah

Reena Foundation

Toronto Jewish Folk Choir

Kensington Place Retirement Residence

Regis College, University of Toronto

Toronto Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring

Kenton Learning Centre (Toronto District School Board LINC)

Richmond Hill Public Library

Town of Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts

UJA Federation’s Committee for Yiddish

Richmond Hill United Church

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Richview Library

University of Guelph

Roma Community Centre

University of Toronto

Royal St. George’s College

The Upper Canada Choristers

Runnymede Library

Upper Canada College

Kiever Congregation Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, York University Kulanu Toronto L’Arche Daybreak–Dayspring Chapel le Consulat général de France/ Consulate General of France

Ryerson University

Villa Charities, Columbus Centre

League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada

Sacred Heart Catholic High School

Welland Centennial Secondary School

Leo Baeck Day School

Sanderson Public Library

Westmount Collegiate Institute

Locke Public Library

Scarboro Missions

Weston Library

Lodzer Centre Congregation

Schwartz-Reisman Centre

Wierzbniker Society

Louis-Honoré Fréchette School

Second Story Press

William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute

Maple High School

Shaar Shalom Synagogue

Maple Library

Shaarei Beth El, Oakville

Women and Gender Studies Program, University of Toronto Mississauga

March of the Living Canada

Shaarei Shomayim Congregation

Melrose Community Church

Shaarei Tefillah Congregation

Miles Nadal JCC

Shalom Village, Hamilton

Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre

Signet Christian School

Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex

Sir John A. MacDonald SS

Na’amat Canada

Spadina Road Library

National Council of Jewish Women

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School

Netivot HaTorah Day School

St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish (R.C.)

North American Council for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw

St. Matthew Catholic School

North York Central Library Northern Secondary School Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism Palmerston Library Parkminster United Church, Waterloo Peel District School Board People’s Christian Academy Petah Tikva Anshei Castilla Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada Pomegranate Guild PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Pride of Israel Synagogue

Woodbridge Library Wychwood Library York District Catholic School Board The York School

Solel Congregation

St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic School St. Timothy’s Anglican Church StandWithUs Canada Stephen Lewis Secondary School Stikeman Elliott LLP Summit Community Church Temple Emanu-El Temple Har Zion Temple Kol Ami Temple Sinai Congregation Temple Sinai Ensemble Choir Thornhill Woods Public School Toronto Jewish Film Festival Toronto Jewish Film Society


Upcoming Programming in 2014

Each year the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre engages more than 70,000 students, educators and community members through a vast array of programs and events. Visit our museum, use our library, participate in our programs throughout the year. Please visit us at holocaustcentre.com for a complete list of annual programs, resources and museum information. Save The Date Raoul Wallenberg Day: The Rescuers Commemoration & Film Screening 15 JANUARY 2014 Cineplex Entertainment lp

International Holocaust Remembrance Day Lecture

Co-presented with the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto. Generously supported by the Esther Bem Memorial Fund. 27 JANUARY 2014

Studio Workshop Artist-in-Residence Rochelle Rubinstein

The Artist-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Collins Barrow LLP and by Julia & Henry Koschitzky in memory of Judith Rubinstein. SPRING 2014

Yom Hashoah Community Commemoration Co-presented with the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem. 27 APRIL 2014 The JOSEPH AND WOLF Lebovic Jewish Community Campus

Student Symposia on the Holocaust Generously supported by Fred and May Karp and Family. MAY 2014 OISE–The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto

Ontario Jewish Heritage Month Program MAY 2014 LIPA GREEN CENTRE

For details, please visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: holocaustcentre.com.

All programs are free of charge unless otherwise noted. We regret any errors or omissions due to printing deadlines. The views expressed by any presenter during Holocaust Education Week are their own and do not represent the views of the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre or UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Please visit our website for a complete list of school programs, many of which feature our Holocaust survivor speakers, and the most up-to-date program information: www.holocausteducationweek.com. DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that UJA Federation hosted events may be documented through photographs and video. These images may be used by UJA Federation for promotional, advertising, and educational purposes. By participating in our events, both on our premises and off-site, you consent to allow UJA Federation to document and use your image and likeness. However, if you do not want us to use a photo or video of you or your child, please do not hesitate to let us know when you arrive at the event. You are also welcome to contact UJA Federation’s Privacy Officer at [email protected].

Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre Survivor Speakers’ Bureau Amek A. Adler Claire Baum George Berman Hedy Bohm Felicia Carmelly Howard Chandler Judy Cohen Anne Eidlitz Alexander Eisen Max Eisen

Anita Ekstein Esther Fairbloom Shary Fine Marmor Edward Fisch George Fox Miriam Frankel Gerda Frieberg Arnold Friedman Rosalind Goldenberg Edith Gelbard

Bill Glied Mel Goldberg Mendel Good Elly Gotz Pinchas Gutter Denise Hans Magda Hilf Lou (Leizer) Hoffer Jerry Kapelus Howard & Nancy Kleinberg

Mark Lane Manny Langer Joe Leinburd Nathan Leipciger Alex Levin Faigie Libman Rose Lipszyc Judy Lysy George Lysy Martin Maxwell

Eva Meisels Leslie Meisels Andy Réti Sally Rosen Simon Saks Vera Schiff Faye Schulman Helen Schwartz George Scott Samuel Shene

Peter Silverman Yael Spier Cohen Inge Spitz Leonard Vis Lenka Weksberg Gershon Willinger Ada Wynston Helen Yermus Roman Ziegler

Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre

Pinchas Gutter Ellen Karp Joyce Rifkind Shael Rosenbaum Joan Shapero Leonard Vis Myra York

Barbara Boraks Claire Braseliten Felicia Carmelly Honey Carr Marlene Charney Sharon Chodirker Sally Dale Sheryl Danilowitz Howard Driman Dori Ekstein Sandra Gitlin Marilyn Goldberg Norine Goodman Nicole Greenwood Linoy Hazan Hartley Hershenhorn Lily Kim Shawna King Stephanie Kirsh Kendra Knoll David Kohn John Komlos Eliane Labendz Karen Lasky Roz Lofsky Elise Loterman Martin Maxwell Annette Metz-Pivnick Cheryl Needleman Einhorn Naomi Parness Jodi Porepa Hilary Rabie Andy Reti Lisa Richman Doris Rochman

Rammy Rochman Barbara Rusch Joan Shapero Wei Sheng Julie Silver Yael Spier-Cohen Celine Szoges Jessica Tobianah Charlotte Tessis Ken Tessis Bluma Wagner Alan Wainer Rely Walsh Rhonda Wolf Ada Wynston

Special Thanks Stephen Adler Charlene Arje Naomi Azrieli Elizabeth Banks Barbara Barak Elin Beaumont Thomas Beck Stella Beili Doris Bergen Severine Biderman Ricki Birnbaum Aurélien Bonin Colin Boyd Bianca Canave Elizabeth & Tony Comper Melissa Daiter Elliott Fienberg Catherine Gitzel Gary Gladstone Paul Godfrey Robin Gofine Joseph Gottdenker Stefan Hammerl Stuart Hands Ronit Holtzman Dan Horowitz Peter Jassem Jeffrey Kopstein Taali Lester Tollman Dorion Liebgott Robert Luck Michael R. Marrus Elizabeth McCann Adam Minsky

Lisa Morrison Jeremy Otto Steve Palmer Carol Seidman Sabine Sparwasser Jody Spiegel Klara Steele Eric Stein Lauren Wainer Harriet Wichin Shirley Worth Helen Zukerman

Chair Honey Sherman Vice-Chair Marilyn Sinclair Executive Director Mira Goldfarb

Honorary Members Gerda Frieberg Elly Gotz Nate Leipciger

Assistant Director Carson Phillips

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

Manager of Operations Mary Siklos

Chair of the Board Richard Venn

Head of Programs Rachel Libman

Vice Chair of the Board Morris Perlis

Librarian Anna Skorupsky Administrative Assistant Carol Fox Advisory Committee Marlene Brickman Eric Cohen Howard Driman Max Eisen Anita Ekstein Bill Glied Joseph Gottdenker Irv Gottesman

President & CEO Ted Sokolsky 2013 Holocaust Education Week Committee Co-Chairs Eric Cohen Joyce Rifkind Committee Members Steven Albin Raquel Binder

Legacy SubCommittee Young Professionals Chair Raquel Binder Committee Elizabeth Banks Stephanie Corazza Brandon Lablong Jon Livergant Marla Pilpel Brad Rabins Niky Rausch Lauren Rausch Jillian Rodak Shael Rosenbaum Dayna Simon Michelle Stern Jessica Taylor

Brochure Design Lauren Wickware laurenwickware.com Cover Artwork Rochelle Rubinstein rochellerubinstein.com Brochure Printing Raw Brokers Proofreading WordCheck/iContent

Holocaust Education Week 3–9 November 2013 www.holocausteducationweek.com Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Sherman Campus 4600 Bathurst Street Toronto, ON M2R 3V2 www.holocaustcentre.com

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