| Holocaust Education |
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Never Again
The Atlantic Jewish Council is committed to maintaining and broadening Holocaust Education throughout the Atlantic Provinces. It is both our responsibility and our duty to preserve the memories of those who perished and to continue to teach future generations the lessons that can be learned from this horrific event. The Holocaust has relevance not just for Jews, but for all people everywhere. In this vein, the AJC organizes and coordinates a series of educational and commemorative events throughout the year for all of Atlantic Canada.
Asper Foundation Holocaust and Human Rights Studies Program
For Grade 9 Students
The program's mission is to promote the education of Canada's youth in the history of the Holocaust and human rights in order to disseminate knowledge, raise the moral and spiritual questions of these events in human history, and generate change for the benefit of society.
The Asper Foundation is working towards educating the youth of Canada to preserve the memory of those who suffered under the Nazi regime. The six million Jews, three million Polish Christians and two million others (physically and mentally disabled individuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), Soviet POWs and dissidents) who were murdered must never be forgotten, lest history repeat itself.
The Holocaust and Human Rights Studies Program was developed for grade 8 and 9 Jewish students and has been expanded to include non-Jewish students who wish to participate. Almost 3,000 Canadian students, from over 30 communities spanning Vancouver to Halifax, have participated since the program's inception in 1997. The intensive 16 hours of training sessions cover a variety of topics, from the history of the Holocaust to an examination of current human rights issues in the world.
The program culminates in a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. As students tour America's national institution for the documentation, study and interpretation of Holocaust history, the issues they have studied come to life and are indelibly imprinted in their minds. In addition, they hear from survivors and from individuals such as Congressman Tom Lantos, himself a Holocaust survivor.
Graduates of the program were presented with a Memorandum for Personal Responsibility which was then signed by each student and Israel Asper. The memorandum certificate is, in essence, an oath to share the lessons of the Holocaust with others and take personal responsibility for the world community. The Asper Foundation was presented with the Human Rights Award by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. The award was presented "in recognition of their (The Asper Foundation) creative means of advancing and protecting human rights and working to address racism in our communities."
For more information about the Asper Program in Atlantic Canada, contact: Edna LeVine (send an e-mail), program coordinator for Atlantic Canada at (902) 422-7491 ext. 226.
Click here to visit the Asper Foundation website.
Yom Hashoah
Each year on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), communities throughout Atlantic Canada commemorate this day. For more information about the ceremony in your area, please contact either one of the Committee Heads listed below or Edna LeVine (send an e-mail), program coordinator for Atlantic Canada at (902) 422-7491 ext. 226.- Halifax, NS: Edna LeVine (send an e-mail)
- Sydney, NS: Evy Druker (send an e-mail)
- Fredericton, NB: Izzy and Marlene Unger (send an e-mail)
- Moncton, NB: Joan Sichel (send an e-mail)
- Saint John, NB: Katherine Biggs-Kraft (send an e-mail)
- Charlottetown, PEI: Rosalie Simeone (send an e-mail)
- St. John's, NL: Barbara Grandy (send an e-mail)
Holocaust Education Week
Holocaust Education Week has existed in Halifax since November 2004. It consists of a week-long series of educational events relating to the Holocaust, coinciding with Dignity Day, the community-wide Kristallnacht Memorial (Nov.9). The events of the week are geared towards university students, school-aged children, and members of the community at large. Events in the past have included films, survivor testimony, and talks from authors, photographers, and theologians. To find out more about the week's events, to volunteer, or to contribute financially, please contact Edna LeVine (send an e-mail).Schedule of events for Holocaust Education Week 2009
Schedule of events for Holocaust Education Week 2010:
Holocaust Education Week October 26th to November 7th, 2010
For more information please contact: Edna LeVine, Director of Community Engagement, Atlantic Jewish Council: elevine@theajc.ns.ca or 422-7491x221
Free admission to all events.
Please help spread the word about these programs.
Tuesday, October 26th
10-11:30am and 7-9pm: Holocaust survivor Philip Riteman, (talk morning only in Dr. Yuri Leving's class, open to the public) and biography book launch, books will be available for purchase and Philip Riteman will be signing in both sessions. Location: Dalhousie University, McInnis Room, 6136 University Avenue.
Thursday, October 28th
7-9pm: Film: Po-Lin, Dr. Dorota Glowacka. This prize winning film from director Jolanta Dylewska, offers a rare look at Jewish societies in Poland before the outbreak of the Second World War, prior to the war there were 3.5 million Jews in Poland after the war ended only 350,000 were saved. Reception following film. Location: New Academic Building, 2nd floor, 6350 Coburg Road, University of King's College.
Monday, November 1st
7-9pm, Azrieli Foundation Educators Workshop: Presenter, Anne McLeod. Gerard Cormier, Nova Scotia Teachers Union. Registration required: elevine@theajc.ns.ca or 422-7491x226
Tuesday, November 2nd
7-9pm, Art exhibit:Polish Jews, Marita Benke Gajda, a ceramic artist and professor in Studio of Sculpture in Ceramics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, Poland. Marita has been involved with the art of ceramics for the last 30 years. The art in this exhibit reflects well-known Jewish scenes and situations from the period before WWII. The Holocaust in Contemporary Polish Art by Dr. Dorota Glowacka & music by Linda Jonas Schroeder. Location: Heritage Hall, Pier 21,1055 Marginal Road, Halifax.
Wednesday, November 3rd
Art exhibit:Polish Jews, program same as above. Lobby of Marine Drive Pentecostal Church, Head of Jeddore, Eastern Shore . Preview: 2-4pm and Program: 6-10 pm.
Wednesday, November 3rd
7-9pm, Film: Killing Kasztner, directed by Gaylen Ross. Won best documentary at the Boston Jewish Film Festival & the Minneapolis Jewish Film. The film tells the story of the Hungarian Jew who negotiated with Eichmann to secure the release of 1,700 European Jews, but following the war was branded a traitor and assassinated in Israel. Mark David, AJC Community Relations will facilitate the discussion following the film. www.killingkasztner.com. Location: Diversity Spotlight, Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax.
Sunday, November 7th
7:00pm, Dignity Day Ceremony. Kristallnacht, The Night of the Broken Glass Closing of the St. Louis exhibit: Ship of Fate. Location: Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax.
Co-sponsors: Azrieli Foundation, University of King's College, International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, Nova Scotia Teachers Union, Pier 21, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Azrieli Foundation
The Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program was established by the Azrieli Foundation in 2005 to collect, preserve and share the memoirs and diaries written by survivors of the twentieth-century Nazi genocide of the Jews of Europe who later made their way to Canada. The program is guided by the conviction that each survivor of the Holocaust has a remarkable story to tell, and that such stories play an important role in education about tolerance and diversity.Download books from the Azrieli Foundation here.
Classroom Resources
School Visits: Throughout the Atlantic Provinces there are many gifted speakers who are able to speak on matters related to the Holocaust. These include Holocaust survivors, teachers, professors, and young students who have been to Poland on March of the Living. To book a speaker in your area, please contact Edna LeVine (send an e-mail).
Films: The Atlantic Jewish Council owns many films that relate to the Holocaust. To borrow any of these films for a screening in your area, please contact Edna Levine (send an e-mail). We also have a list of recommended films.
Poster Exhibit: The Atlantic Jewish Council owns a poster collection entitled "The Courage to Remember." This exhibit depicts in detail the history of the Holocaust. It has been featured in various places, including most recently, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. It is available for display upon request.
Library: The Atlantic Jewish Council owns many books about the Holocaust, suitable for all ages and levels of education. To see a list of these books, please contact the Atlantic Jewish Council.
Resource Kit: The Atlantic Jewish Council has put together a resource kit for educators to teach their students about the Holocaust. The kit includes many different resources and will be shipped to any teacher in the Atlantic region who wishes to make use of it. For more information, contact Edna LeVine (send an e-mail).
