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THE SARAH AND CHAIM NEUBERGER HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTRE,
UJA FEDERATION OF GREATER TORONTO PRESENTS
2–9 November | Liberation: Aftermath & Rebirth
We Gratefully Acknowledge Our Donors and Sponsors
PRESENTING SPONSORS
LEGACY LEAD BENEFACTORS
The Elizabeth & Tony
Comper Foundation
honey & barry sherman
media sponsors
PUBLICATION SPONSOR
OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT PATRONS
Judy & Larry Tanenbaum
and Family
The Grad Family Foundation
Myra & Joel York
TRANSPORTATION SPONSOR
HOSPITALITY SPONSORs
PRODUCTION SPONSORs
Marilyn & Stephen Sinclair
CONSULAR BENEFACTORS & SPONSORS
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
of Hungary
Consulate General
of the united states
Toronto, Canada
highlight event sponsors
Eleanor & Martin Maxwell
with Scotiabank Bathurst/
Sheppard Branch
in residence sponsors
Cohen Family Charitable Trust
Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and
Naomi Rifkind Mansell
& David Mansell
keynote sponsors
The Sam & Gitta Ganz
Family Foundation
The Glick & Glicksman Families
Lori & Joseph Gottdenker
Dorothy & Pinchas Gutter
film sponsors
Gail & Stanley Debow
Ruth Ekstein & Alan Lechem, Stella &
Peter Ekstein, Lillian & Rick Ekstein
Marika & William Glied
Shirley & Louis Greenbaum,
Shirley & Garry Greenbaum,
Helen & Morris Greenbaum
Debbie & Warren Kimel
Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and Naomi
Rifkind Mansell & David Mansell
Cyndy & Ron Rosenthal, Rhonda
Silverstone & Nathan Rapoport,
Debbie & Morris Rapoport
Rochelle Rubinstein
Frieda & Larry Torkin
Carole & Howard Tanenbaum
Rochelle Reichert & Henry Wolfond
Sally & Mark Zigler
survivor testimony sponsors
Helena & Jeffrey Axler, Feiga Glazer,
Lilliane Perez-Glazer & Gerry Glazer
Tammy & Jerry Balitsky
Barrday Inc.
BMO Bank of Montreal
Marlene Brickman
Circle of Care’s Holocaust Survivor
Fund Advisory Committee
The DH Gales Family Charitable
Foundation of Toronto
Dori & Ari Ekstein & Family
Sylvia & Edward Fisch
The Gottesman Family
Roslyn & Ralph Halbert
Robin & Eran Hayeems
Mary Ellen Herman
Iroquois Ridge High School
The Isakow, Robbins, Szpindel
and Vogel Families
Lianne & Bruce Leboff
Edna & David Magder
Bonnie & Larry Moncik, Eleanor
& George Getzler
Danny Pivnick
Lisa Richman & Steven Kelman
Vivienne Saltzman
Mary Seldon & Family
Spin Master Corp.
Nancy & Phillip Turk
Annalee & Jeffrey Wagman
The Ernie Weiss Memorial Fund
The Weisz Family Foundation
Wendy & Richard Wengle
Beatrice & Max Wolfe Foundation
“in the schools” sponsors
Erika Biro
The Brettler/Mintz Foundation
Trudy & Lorne Cappell
Crowe Soberman LLP
Wendy & Elliott Eisen
Anita Ekstein
Faye Firestone
The Frankel Family Foundation
Gerda Frieberg
Annice & Harvey Frisch
Lily Kim
Leila, Gary, Ryan, Ilyse and Isaac Lax
Frances Mandell-Arad
Ellen & Shawn Marr
Annette Metz-Pivnick &
Richard Pivnick
Faye Minuk
Florence Minz
Dr. Carson Phillips
The Rash Family
Yigal Rifkind
Doris & Rammy Rochman
Karen & Mel Rom
Aida & Avron Seetner
Eileen & Shoel Silver
Guido Smit
Bryna & Fred Steiner
Carole & Jay Sterling
Helen Stollar
Dorothy Tessis and Family
Rosie Uster, Phyllis Gould
and Sandra Srebrolow
Glenda & Alan Wainer
Elaine & Irvine Weitzman
Nita Wexler & Hartley Hershenhorn
Holocaust Education Week 2015
On May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe was declared. Through the theme of Liberation:
Aftermath & Rebirth, the 35th annual Neuberger Holocaust Education Week marks
the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
As survivors were liberated from ghettoes, camps and death marches, and emerged
from hiding, forests and exile, complex emotions and circumstances arose that
characterized the immediate postwar period: coming to terms with loss, rebuilding
life, creating new families, seeking justice, and in some cases, encountering continued persecution. The initial jubilation of liberation was, in many cases, followed
by fear and even violence as Jews who survived discovered it was not safe for them
to return to their homes, or had no homes to return to. In the aftermath of liberation,
the world was seared with the realization that two thirds of European Jewry was
murdered in the Holocaust.
The end of the Second World War challenged societal values and institutions as the
world grappled with the humanitarian crisis of Jewish refugees living in DP camps,
the last of which closed in 1957. Survivors faced physical and psychological ramifications of trauma, but many managed to create vibrant Jewish lives in countries
around the world, drawing upon their rich educational, religious and cultural heritage, honouring what had been destroyed.
Cover illustration by Oscar Cahén (via The Cahén Archives)
Oscar Cahén (1916–1956) narrowly escaped from Prague in 1939 and arrived
in Canada as a Jewish refugee in 1940 where he was interned as an “enemy
alien.” He became a nationally celebrated illustrator and abstract painter.
In 1953, he co-founded the artists’ group Painters Eleven. Oscar Cahén’s works
can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the
Art Gallery of Ontario, among others. Online archives on Cahén’s life and
work can be found at www.oscarcahen.com.
The illustration shown here was created for a story about emigration from
post-war Europe by Richard D. McMillan (Maclean’s Magazine, August 15,
1947). Reproduced with permission.
This publication is co-sponsored by Judy and Larry Tanenbaum and family
in loving memory of Sam and Alice Lieberman, z”l, whose respect for human
dignity and dedication to lifelong learning will be remembered always.
Letters
On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am deeply honoured
to extend warm greetings to everyone attending the 35th Annual
Holocaust Education Week, an event organized by the Sarah and
Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre of UJA Federation
of Greater Toronto.
This event allows us to remember and mourn the loss of those
who perished during an extremely dark chapter in human history—the Holocaust. Through the exploration of the theme of
Liberation: Aftermath and Rebirth, this event provides a medium
for new generations to be inspired by firsthand accounts of courageous Holocaust survivors. The Holocaust remains a solemn
reminder of our duty to fiercely oppose every form of hatred
and prejudice—and to uphold the diversity and inclusiveness
that lies at the very core of Ontario.
I commend those attending this event. It is important that we
continue our commitment to building an Ontario imbued with
the values of tolerance, respect and understanding—your support here demonstrates your dedication to this laudable goal.
On this poignant occasion, please accept my best wishes.
Kathleen Wynne
Premier
2 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week I would like to welcome everyone attending Holocaust
Education Week hosted by the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger
Holocaust Education Centre of UJA Federation of Greater
Toronto.
The 2015 theme of Holocaust Education Week is Liberation:
Aftermath & Rebirth. During Holocaust Education Week, people
will gain a broader understanding of the Holocaust by engaging
in cultural and literary analysis and through inquiry-based
learning where a new generation will be able to hear firsthand
accounts from Holocaust survivors.
The anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, will
also be commemorated during the Holocaust Education Week.
On behalf of Toronto City Council, I thank all those involved
in organizing this event. Please accept my best wishes for continued success.
Yours truly,
Mayor John Tory
City of Toronto
Letters
As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
(IHRA), I extend my warmest regards to the participants of the
35th annual Holocaust Education Week.
Shortly after liberation, Norbert Wollheim who wrote, “we are
saved but we are not liberated”. With these words Wollheim
touched on the complex nature of the liberation and made it clear
that the consequences of the Holocaust would continue to be
felt by survivors long after 1945.
On behalf of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, we are honoured
to welcome you to the 35th Annual Holocaust Education Week,
the signature annual program of UJA’s Neuberger Holocaust
Education Centre. Attracting more than 35,000 diverse individuals from across the GTA, Holocaust Education Week is a multifaceted event recognized worldwide for excellence. It builds
upon the mission of its founders in teaching the history and legacy of the Shoah to new generations, in new and engaging ways.
The Holocaust was such a dark chapter in world history that it
not only continues to have repercussions for survivors and their
families, but it has consequences for the whole of humanity.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson initiated the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust in the year 2000
which was attended by the representatives of 46 states at the
highest political level. The outcome of the Forum’s deliberations
was the Stockholm Declaration, which committed governments
to encouraging international cooperation on Holocaust education,
remembrance and research and to fight against Holocaust denial
and denigration.
This year’s program, on the theme of Liberation: Aftermath
and Rebirth, contributes to our collective understanding of the
Holocaust by exploring the theme via new scholarship, engaging
in cultural and literary analysis, and providing an inquiry-based
learning medium for new generations to hear firsthand accounts
from those who survived the Shoah. In fact, this year’s event,
which features more than 150 programs, includes an unprecedented 65 programs featuring survivor speakers.
There will come a time when the survivors and other witnesses
will no longer be among us to share their memories. It is because
this day is approaching that every one of us has such an important
role to play; we are the keepers of their truth and it is the duty
of us all to defend this truth in face of those who would refute
and diminish it.
Morris Perlis, Board Chair
Morris Zbar, President & CEO
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
UJA Federation is proud to support Holocaust Education Week
and participate in it. We invite you and your families to join us.
Sincerely,
I thank the Holocaust Education Week organizers for their efforts
to ensure that the stories and the records never fade away, but
remain forever seared in our collective memory. We remember
not only to honour the victims and the survivors. We remember
for all those who were not there at all; that they may know of
what happened in order to stop it from ever happening again; that
they might deepen their memories, further their understanding
and strengthen their humanity.
This is our obligation to the victims, to the survivors and to future
generations.
Yours faithfully,
Szabolcs Takács, 2015 Chair, Hungary
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 3 Photo: Yuri Dojc
HEW Greetings
On behalf of our dedicated volunteer committee, loyal partners
and sponsors, we are very proud to welcome you to the 35th
Holocaust Education Week, presented by the Neuberger Holocaust
Education Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. HEW
2015 marks a bittersweet time of remembrance and renewal.
During the 70th anniversary year of the liberation of Europe
from Nazism, HEW 2015 explores the theme of Liberation:
Aftermath and Rebirth in honour of the survivors and liberators
and in memory of the victims. More than 150 programs that
feature Holocaust survivor testimonies, films, lectures, scholars,
artists and panel discussions will engage diverse audiences in
the history and the legacy of the Holocaust.
Founded by Holocaust survivors, Holocaust Education Week
has grown due to the dedication of its volunteer and professional
leadership. HEW would not be possible without the partnership
of community members, generous sponsors, and audiences
committed to fighting intolerance and discrimination through
Holocaust education. We gratefully acknowledge the generosity
and leadership of Great Gulf, The Elizabeth and Tony Comper
Foundation, Apotex–Honey and Barry Sherman, and the Azrieli
Foundation, as well as media sponsors CTV and the National Post.
Please join us for this very important and meaningful week.
Dori Ekstein
Lily Kim
2015 HEW Co-Chairs
Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre
Holocaust Education Week 2015 marks the seventieth anniversary of liberation and explores the humanitarian, political and
social realities left in its wake.
We thank our presenters, volunteers, colleagues, partners, generous donors and ambassadors, and most especially Holocaust
survivor speakers, who founded this event in 1980—we owe a
debt of gratitude to them for 35 years of excellence in Holocaust
education, another poignant anniversary. Special recognition goes
to HEW co-chairs, Dori Ekstein and Lily Kim, our dedicated presenting sponsors Great Gulf and The Elizabeth and Tony Comper
Foundation, and legacy lead sponsors, The Azrieli Foundation
and Apotex–Honey and Barry Sherman. The generosity of our
media sponsors, CTV and National Post, extends HEW’s reach
throughout the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. We are honoured that the Tanenbaum family is our inaugural program guide
sponsor, in loving memory of Sam and Alice Lieberman.
We are privileged to benefit from the visionary and dedicated
leadership of our professional and advisory colleagues, especially
Honey Sherman, Immediate Past Chair; Shael Rosenbaum,
Incoming Chair; Carson Phillips, Managing Director; Rachel
Libman, Head of Programs & Outreach; Mary Siklos, Operations
Manager; and Michelle Fishman, Education Associate. Our
team’s work is enhanced by the support of Iris Glesinger, Anna
Skorupsky, and Gedenkdiener Mathias Vogt.
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto is our sustaining supporter,
enabling us to bring programming throughout the year to the
community and beyond.
Neuberger HEW 2015 offers you an outstanding selection of
compelling programs at the finest venues in our city and region.
We invite you to join us and we thank you for your continued
support.
Marilyn Sinclair, Chair
Mira Goldfarb, Executive Director
Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre
4 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Holocaust Education Week 2015
HEW at a Glance 6
Experts-In-Residence 14
Dr. Hilary Earl
Scholar-in-Residence
Dr. Lauren Granite
Educator-in-Residence
Elliot Sylman
Featured Photographer
Opening & Closing
Night Programs 8
Music, Performance
& Visual Arts 35
Symposia & Workshops 38
Victory in Europe:
Commemorating
70 Years of Liberation
Creating A Digital Culture
of Remembrance:
Reconstructing Synagogues
Destroyed during
Kristallnacht
Films 15
Survivor Testimony 18
Youth & Family 39
Ontario-Region Programs 40
Closed Programs 41
Holocaust Survivor
Speakers 42
Essays 10
The Aftermath of Nazism
Dr. Hilary Earl
Curating Holocaust
Education Week 2015
Dr. Carson Phillips
Lectures & Panels 22
Literary Programs 32
Ensuring the Future of
Holocaust Education and
Commemoration 46
Spotlight on the
Neuberger 48
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 5 HEW at a Glance
7:00 PM
Birth, Liberation and Aftermath
7:30 PM
(Re)Birth: Mothering after
the Holocaust
7:30 PM
Restoring Family Trees
Severed by the Holocaust
7:30 PM
The Future of Holocaust
Remembrance
8:00 PM
Justice and Forgiveness
Wednesday
4 November
OPENING NIGHT Page 8
Monday
2 November
12:00 PM
Too Little, Too Late
1:00 PM
Ida
4:30 PM
“Never Again”?
6:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Edward Fisch
7:00 PM
The Veiled Sun
Holocaust, Survival, and Escape
10:30 AM
Indigenous and Jewish Experiences
1:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Pinchas Gutter
7:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Edith Gelbard
10:30 AM
Taking Sides
War in My Town
Children of the Holocaust
Born in Bergen-Belsen
2:00 PM
12:00 PM
Sephardic Jews in the Balkans
Medical Ethics and the Holocaust
Liberation:
The Persisting Holocaust
3:00 PM
1:00 PM
8:00 PM
Child Survivors—Then & Now
In Conversation . . . Denise Hans
Remembering Yiddish
Culture Through Song
Antisemitism in the
Era of Je Suis Charlie
1:30 PM
4:00 PM
6:00 PM
In Conversation . . . Alexander Eisen
The Red Army and the
End of the Holocaust
Distance from the Belsen Heap
2:00 PM
6:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Eva Meisels
7:30 PM
OPENING NIGHT
Prisoners of War in Japan
2:30 PM
2:00 PM
film P15
In Conversation . . . Manny Langer
Witness to History: Henry Wellisch
Victory in Europe:
Commemorating 70
Years of Liberation
I Kiss Your Hands Many Times
Thursday
5 November
9:00 AM
Witness to History:
Judy Weissenberg Cohen
10:00 AM
In Conversation . . . Edith Gelbard
10:30 AM
In Conversation . . . Rose Lipszyc
Tuesday
3 November
12:00 PM
10:00 AM
1:00 PM
Witness to History:
Bill Glied
In Conversation . . . Edward Fisch
In Conversation . . . Denise Hans
1:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Esther Fairbloom
10:30 AM
Surviving Survival
In Conversation . . . Rose Lipszyc
Les rafles de l’été 1942
In Conversation . . . Andy Réti
12:10 PM
A View from the Roof
Lunch & Learn
2:00 PM
1:00 PM
A Musical Tribute in Song
In Conversation . . . Leonard Vis
Survivors and Post-war Recovery
film P17
6 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week HEW at a Glance
LECTURE P27
4:30 PM
Discover Centropa
7:00 PM
Prisoner of Her Past
7:30 PM
Post-Holocaust Pogroms
Holocaust Survivors in Canada
Saturday
7 November
100th Anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide
4:00 PM & 7:30 PM
7:30 PM
5:00 PM
Wunderkinder
Remembering for the Future
Family Heritage and History
Close Encounters in
Occupied Germany
7:00 PM
From Budapest to Toronto
After Liberation
8:00 PM
Living in the Shadow
The Lost Rhapsody of Leo Spellman
7:30 PM
Robert Clary:
A Memoir of Liberation
The Tailors of Tomaszow
Passing the Torch of
Holocaust Memory
Monday
9 November
Sunday
8 November
1:00 PM
10:00 AM
1:30 PM
Jewish DPs in Post-War Italy
German Concentration
Camps Factual Survey
Remembering for the Future
Return of the Violin
In Conversation . . . Nate Leipciger
8:00 PM
CLOSING NIGHT
8:45 AM/11:45 AM
11:00 AM
Witness to History:
Eva and Leslie Meisels
Witness to History:
Henry Wellisch
1:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Lenka Weksberg
Life After Hiding
Distance from the Belsen Heap
7:00 PM
From Perpetrators of Genocide
to Ordinary German Citizens
Witness to History:
Felicia Carmelly
8:00 PM
2:00 PM
Liberating Memory
In Conversation . . . Leslie Meisels
Saving North American Jewry
Creating A Digital Culture of
Remembrance: Reconstructing
Synagogues Destroyed during
Kristallnacht
HEW programs with dates prior to
November 2 and after November 9
are listed in the subsequent pages,
in their respective categories.
The Lost Jewish Music
of Transylvania
Friday
6 November
10:00 AM
In Conversation . . . Alexander Eisen
12:00 PM
Atrocity, Law, and History
1:30 PM & 3:00 PM
Hidden Sorrows
1:30 PM
In Conversation . . . Joe Leinburd
2:00 PM
70th Anniversary of Liberation
Closing Night Page 9
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 7 Opening Night
General Dwight D. Eisenhower in Toronto, 1946. Image courtesy City of Toronto Archives, Series 1057, Item 2911.
Victory in Europe:
Commemorating 70 Years of Liberation
The liberation of Europe and the end of Nazi tyranny brought
about tremendous changes. Allied liberators encountered thousands of survivors in concentration camps, on death marches,
and emerging from forests and hiding. Although Soviet forces
liberated parts of Europe as early as March 1944, it was on June 6,
1944 (D-Day) that Allied liberation of Western Europe commenced under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Between January 1945 and early April 1945, Allied Forces in
the east and west continued the liberation. On May 8, 1945,
Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender became official, and
the remaining concentration camps were liberated.
In the aftermath of liberation, from 1945 to 1952, more than
250,000 Jewish displaced persons (DPs) lived in camps and
urban centres in Germany, Austria, and Italy, administered by
Allied authorities. Jewish refugees immigrated to countries
around the world including approximately 40,000 to Canada.
Join historian David Eisenhower, grandson of General and
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, for a personal analysis of
the pivotal role his grandfather and the Allied Forces played
in achieving victory in Europe.
David Eisenhower is the Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg Public Policy
Center. He serves as a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School
of Communication and is a fellow in the International Relations Department at the University. After
serving three years in the United States Navy, he earned his Juris Doctor from George Washington
University. Eisenhower is the author of Eisenhower: At War, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
in history in 1986, numerous magazine articles and book reviews. His most recent book, co-authored
with wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower, is Going Home to Glory, which chronicles the post-presidency years
of his grandfather. Eisenhower is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates.
Admission free; no registration required.
Monday, 2 November | 7:30 pm (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM)
Adath Israel Congregation
37 Southbourne Avenue | Toronto | 416–635–5340
Opening night of Holocaust Education
Week is generously co-sponsored by
Marya and Herman Grad in memory of
his parents, Moses and Pepi Grad, both
Holocaust survivors.
8 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Closing Night
Creating A Digital Culture of Remembrance:
Reconstructing Synagogues Destroyed during Kristallnacht
Closing Night of HEW 2015 explores how synagogues destroyed
during Kristallnacht are brought to life in contemporary Germany
through digital media. The Synagogues in Germany—A Virtual
Reconstruction project began in 1994, after students at the Technical University of Darmstadt learned of an arson attack on the
synagogue in Lübeck. More than 70 Darmstadt students have
completed 25 synagogue reconstructions using their university’s
design and architecture technology. Through this ongoing project,
synagogues in Berlin, Darmstadt, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hanover,
Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, and Nuremberg (among others) have
been reconstructed virtually, recording the loss of communities
and culture, and testifying to the historical and architectural
importance of the buildings, once part of German cityscapes and
culture. The project was expanded to include an interactive online
archive of more than 2,200 synagogues that were closed, desecrated or destroyed during the Nazi regime. An exhibition of the
reconstructions has travelled to cities in Germany, the US and
Israel. Involved initially as a student and now as a professor of
architecture, Dr. Marc Grellert explores how this remarkable
project offers new generations opportunities to understand, interpret, and make history relevant through new forms of technology,
defining the culture of memory for the 21st century.
Dr. Marc Grellert teaches in the Department of Information and Communication Technology in Architecture
at the Technical University of Darmstadt and is co-founder of the company Architectura Virtualis. His work
focuses on virtual reconstructions, remembrance and conveying of knowledge through digital media, as
well as the development of installations and exhibits for museums.
In 1994, Dr. Grellert initiated the Synagogues in Germany—A Virtual Reconstruction project, and developed
the Synagogue Internet Archive in 2002. He has led numerous national and international research projects, the
results of which were featured in large exhibitions.
Closing Night of HEW will also include a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating the 77th anniversary
of Kristallnacht.
We gratefully acknowledge generous HEW hospitality sponsorship from the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto;
from Marilyn and Stephen Sinclair and family in loving memory of their father, Ernie Weiss, a survivor
speaker committed to teaching students about the Holocaust. His love, kindness and wisdom are forever
missed. Additional sponsorship provided by Eleanor and Martin Maxwell, in memory of his sisters,
Josephine and Erna Meisels who died in the Holocaust; and by Scotiabank, Bathurst and Sheppard Branch.
Production is generously sponsored by Magen Boys Entertainment.
Monday, 9 November | 8:00 pm
Shaarei Shomayim Congregation
470 Glencairn Avenue | Toronto | 416–789–3213
Closing Night is generously co-sponsored
by Myra and Joel York and family in loving
memory of Sarah and Chaim Neuberger. Their
passionate dedication to family, community
and Holocaust education inspired us to
continue their legacy.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 9 The Aftermath of Nazism
On May 8, 1945, the day that Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, Europe lay in ruins. The Second World War
(1939–1945) was one of the most destructive conflicts of the
modern era in which 2.5 percent of the world’s population (5560 million people) died, some of who were deliberately targeted
for extermination by the Nazis.
As the eminent historian Tony Judt has argued, it was during
the Second World War that the full force of the modern European state was mobilized for the first time, for the primary purpose of conquering and exploiting other Europeans. No other
conflict in recorded history killed so many people and so quickly.
What is striking though is the number of non-combatant civilians killed—at least 45 million. Many died of starvation and
disease, in partisan wars, and bombing raids, and of course, 6
million European Jews were deliberately murdered in open-air
shootings and in death and slave labour camps. Unlike the First
World War, the Second World War was primarily “a civilian experience”; military conflict was confined to the beginning and the
end—“in between was the war of occupation, repression, exploitation,” mass murder, and genocide.
In the wake of such unprecedented violence what would the
post-war world look like? Would Germany remain an independent nation-state? What role would the United States and the
Soviet Union play in the post-war world? How would Europe
be rebuilt? Where would millions of displaced persons live?
Would the Allies seek retribution, and if so, in what manner?
These were the question the Allies tackled in the aftermath of
the unprecedented violence of war.
As early as November 1, 1943, in what became known as
“The Moscow Declaration on German Atrocities,” the Allied
leaders Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin
explicitly warned the German government that at war’s end, “all
those who have taken a consenting part in atrocities, massacres
and executions” of innocent people will be pursed “to the uttermost ends of the earth and will [be] delivered to [their] accusers in order that justice may be done.” Despite such strongly
stated intentions, the Allies did very little during the remainder
of the war to prepare for such an eventuality, planning for the
10 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week punishment of war criminals was thus deferred until war’s end.
Traditionally to the victors go the spoils and the leaders of
the losing countries are summarily executed by firing squad,
banished to remote locales, or otherwise rendered powerless.
The British and Soviets wanted to immediately execute Germany’s wartime leaders, whereas the Americans were divided.
Some in the State Department believed Germany should be rendered helpless, de-industrialized, de-militarized, and de-Nazified
as a way to prevent Germany from ever starting a war again. Others feared the destruction of Germany, seeing it of central
importance to a functioning and healthy Europe. It was Secretary of War Henry Stimson who put forward the idea of a war
crimes trial to punish Nazis. These were not to be show trials;
rather he firmly believed they must operate with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, a fundamental tenet of
liberal democratic justice. Germans should be held accountable
for the unprecedented crimes they had unleashed on Europeans,
but as important was that they be taught a lesson: the authoritarian Nazi government they supported was evil and the best way
for them become good democrats was by showing them that liberal democratic justice could be fair. What better place to do that
than a courtroom—Nuremberg, it was hoped, would be both
redemptive and retributive.
Using the law to change society is referred to as transitional
justice. Many countries that have experienced traumatic events
have used it, but in the aftermath of 1945 it was a novel idea.
War crimes trials are almost commonplace today, the normal
course of events that follow modern-day wars and atrocities, but
the truth is they are a recent invention. The Nuremberg Trial of
twenty-two of the highest-ranking political and military leaders
of the Nazi regime, held between October 1, 1945 and November
1, 1946, and the twelve subsequent Nuremberg Trials that followed prosecuting 185 more, were the first time leaders of a
modern and legitimate nation-state were held accountable for
crimes they committed during wartime.
Nazi officials were tried by an international tribunal consisting of representatives from the United States, Great Britain,
France, and the Soviet Union. There were no German represen-
tatives on the tribunal. On the surface, this trial appears to be
one of the winners over the losers or what Herman Göring called
“victor’s justice.” It wasn’t. Rather ironically, Nuremberg represents a renewed hope in humanity, illustrating a uniquely American optimism and faith in liberal democratic justice. Nuremberg
was intended to give meaning to the deaths of millions of innocent people – not just Jews – and it was hoped in the process it
would also prevent such atrocities from happening again. As
Lawrence Douglas has so powerfully argued, Nuremberg and all
subsequent war crimes trials have both legal and didactic ends.
At war’s end, scholars estimate that 5.8 million Germans
were members of the Nazi party. The American planners of the
Nuremberg proceedings hoped to educate Germans about democratic justice and, in so doing, provide an historical record of the
criminal policies enacted by Hitler’s Third Reich. Today, Germany stands as a centrepiece of democracy in Europe. Whether
or not war crimes trials had anything to do with that success is
difficult to determine. What is certain, however, is that they
exposed the insidiousness of National Socialism to the entire
world. In fact, most of what we know about the Holocaust and
the Third Reich is based on captured German documents that
were seized and catalogued for the trials. The Allies captured and
preserved tens of thousands of documents and as a result the
Holocaust is now one of the best-documented genocides in modern history. The inner workings of the twentieth century’s
worst genocide were laid bare for all to see at the trials, and this
result alone gives the trials at Nuremberg immense historical
significance.
More than seventy years after the conclusion of the Second
World War and the birth of international justice, genocides continue unabated and so do war crimes trials. Nuremberg established a precedent. From the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Israel to
the special ad hoc tribunals set up to try war criminals from the
former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, for better or worse, Nuremberg
was the legal template for everything that followed. Since
Nuremberg itself, historians have debated the nature and limits
of the way in which punishment for wartime atrocities was
meted out after 1945. The decade between 1945 and 1956 might
usefully be understood now as “post-war” in the sense that the
unresolved business of the war itself, including questions of justice, were the dominant feature. In the end, Herman Göring
might have been correct, Nuremberg may have been victor’s justice, but for the most part it was justice. For all of its flaws, it
established through its documentary record that Nazi Germany
was one of the most criminal regimes in history. The trials
showed the horrors of slave labour, occupation, and genocide
and in doing so it made Nazism a dirty word. As one Nuremberg
judge aptly concluded, Nuremberg may have been the home of
the Nazi party, but it was also “its grave.” Discrediting Nazism
forever, Nuremberg provided an important and fitting closure to
the criminal Nazi regime.
Dr. Hilary Earl, Associate Professor of European
History at Nipissing University in North Bay, is
HEW 2015 Scholar-in-Residence.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 11 Curating Holocaust Education Week 2015
“I visited every nook and cranny of the camp because I felt it my duty to be in a position from
then on to testify at first hand about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief or
assumption that ‘the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda’ . . . I sent communications to
both Washington and London, urging the two governments to send instantly to Germany a random
group of newspaper editors and representative groups from the national legislatures. I felt that
the evidence should be immediately placed before the American and British publics in a fashion
that would leave no room for cynical doubt.”
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, Ohrdruf Concentration Camp, 15 April 1945
The theme of HEW 2015 presented our programming team
with a paradox. Although many greeted the liberation of Europe
with joy, for those who survived the Nazi concentration camp
network, in hiding, and in forests, liberation was coupled with
the realisation that family members and communities were
annihilated. Jewish life was irrevocably altered, and liberation
presented a new set of challenges.
From a curatorial perspective, it was critical that this year’s
programming illustrate the complexity of the theme while
highlighting important leitmotifs. In doing so, we reveal the
theme’s intricate and multiple layers, while providing new interpretations to historical events and narratives. It seemed fitting
therefore that Opening Night feature David Eisenhower. He provides the overarching introduction to liberation. An historian and
grandson of Dwight D. Eisenhower, he is uniquely positioned to
provide historical, familial and personal reflections with Victory in
Europe: Commemorating 70 Years of Liberation (p.8).
This contextualization segues to several thematic interpretations explored during this remarkable week of learning with
more than 100 programs across the GTHA. Military aspects of
liberation are expanded upon in The Red Army and the End of the
Holocaust (p.23) and Distance from the Belsen Heap: Allied Forces
and the Liberation of a Nazi Concentration Camp (p.33), which
provide significant opportunities to learn about the multiple
factors that ended the horrors of the Holocaust.
12 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week HEW 2015 offers an important opportunity to engage
directly with the power of personal testimony as delivered by
Holocaust survivors (pp.18–21). Elliot Sylman’s evocative photographs of the Neuberger’s Holocaust Survivor Speakers’ Bureau,
Portraits of Resilience (p.35), offer another opportunity to learn
about the human dimension of the Holocaust and the rebuilding
of lives. Viewing the British film German Concentration Camps
Factual Survey (p.17), recently restored by the Imperial War
Museum, provides the opportunity to engage with the visual evidence General Eisenhower so passionately described. Based on
footage shot by the Allied Forces in 1945, this important historical documentary will be introduced and contextualised by Prof.
Robert Jan van Pelt.
The complex role that the DP camps played emerges as an
ancillary theme. Prof. Michael Marrus discusses the reality that
many Holocaust survivors encountered in Liberation: the Persisting Holocaust (p.26) and Prof. Atina Grossmann, whose research
the DP camps makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the era, presents Jews, Germans, and Allies: Close
Encounters in Occupied Europe (p.34). The integration of Jewish
refugees in Canada is explored by Dr. Adara Goldberg in Holocaust
Survivors in Canada: Exclusion, Inclusion, and Transformation
(p.33), and Dr. Paula Draper’s lecture Surviving Survival: Holocaust
Survivors and their Integration into Canadian Communities (p.27).
How material traces of the past inform and shape the present
and future is an important auxiliary theme. Dr. Diane Afoumado
demonstrates the significance of the International Tracing
Service in Restoring Family Trees Severed by the Holocaust (p.24).
A screen highlight is the multi-award winning film Ida (p.15)
revealing issues of memory, identity and self-discovery. The
Muzsikás ensemble (p.37) testifies to the rich, Hungarian-Jewish
musical culture, and Educator-in-Residence Lauren Granite
depicts the diversity of European Jewish life in 1492, The Other
Path: Sephardic Jews in the Balkans (p.39). Alongside several
workshops and symposia, Dr. Granite also offers teachers new
pedagogical methods and resources in Border Jumping: Discover
Centropa for your Classroom (p.38).
This year, specific programming for youth and families (p.39)
is offered through the mediums of literature and film. Of particular interest to young audiences is the peer-education program led
by Mathias Vogt, the Neuberger’s Holocaust Memorial Service
Intern. Mathias will discuss the themes and historical context
behind the animated BBC film, Children of the Holocaust (p.39).
The enduring quest for post-war justice is highlighted in
outstanding new research by scholars like Prof. Rebecca Wittmann in Too Little, Too Late (p.22), and Scholar-in-Residence Prof.
Hilary Earl in Atrocity, Law and History: The Nuremberg SS-Einsatzgruppen Trial (p.27). Demonstrating the continued relevance of this theme, Holocaust survivors Hedy Bohm, Max Eisen
and Bill Glied share personal reflections as witnesses at the Groening trial in Justice and Forgiveness (p.25).
HEW 2015 closes with the annual Kristallnacht commemoration. Dr. Marc Grellert delivers the keynote address on the poignant topic of Creating A Digital Culture of Remembrance:
Reconstructing Synagogues Destroyed during Kristallnacht (p.9).
Since 1994, Dr. Grellert has worked to digitally recreate some
of the most significant losses endured by the German Jewish
community–synagogues destroyed during the National Socialist
regime. By painstakingly building detailed virtual reconstructions,
Dr. Grellert reveals not only the architectural and historical significance of these buildings, but also the people who established them and gathered to worship in them. Synagogues
representing Jewish life, culture and presence in cities such as Bad
Kissingen, Berlin, Darmstadt, Dortmund, Dresden, Frankfurt,
Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Cologne, Langen, Leipzig, Mannheim,
Munich, Nuremberg and Plauen formed the nexus of inquiry for
this project. This presentation is a fitting topic for Kristallnacht as
Dr. Grellert addresses the question of how new generations and
new technologies can contribute to and shape cultural memory
and remembrance.
Honouring those who defeated Nazism, remembering the
victims, and valuing the many Holocaust survivors who give of
their time and energy to educate, is core to HEW 2015. Utilizing
an interdisciplinary focus, Holocaust Education Week offers
audiences numerous and diverse points to engage with the study
of the Holocaust. Through literary, cultural, historical, artistic
and cinematic mediums, HEW demonstrates the commitment,
as expounded upon in the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, “to remember the victims who
perished, respect the survivors still with us, and reaffirm humanity’s common aspiration for mutual understanding and justice.”
I encourage you to take part in as many programs as possible and
contribute to the legacy of remembrance and education.
Dr. Carson Phillips is Managing Director
of the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 13 Experts-in-Residence
Educator-in-Residence
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER
Dr. Hilary Earl
Dr. Lauren Granite
Elliot Sylman
2015 Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Hilary Earl is an
historian of the Holocaust whose research focuses
on perpetrator testimony and war crimes trials
in the aftermath of the Holocaust. She is currently
Associate Professor of European History at Nipissing
University, North Bay. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Chancellor’s Award for
Teaching Excellence. She has published extensively
in the field of Holocaust studies; her book, The
Nuremberg SS-Einsatzgruppen Trial, 1945–1958:
Atrocity, Law, and History, won the 2010 Hans
Rosenberg Prize for best book in German History
at the American Historical Association. She is the
co-editor of Lessons and Legacies XI: Expanding
Perspectives of the Holocaust in a Changing World
(2014), a collection of essays on the most recent
scholarship in the field. She is currently working
on a number of projects including a study of the
integration of Nazi war criminals back into German
society, the cultural impact of the Holocaust on
pedagogy, and a film on Nazi perpetrators.
The Educator-in-Residence for Holocaust Education
Week 2015 is Dr. Lauren Granite, North American
Education Director for Centropa, a Jewish historical
institute based in Vienna, Austria, dedicated to
preserving 20th century Jewish family stories from
Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Before
joining the Centropa staff, she spent many years
teaching Jewish history in colleges, a Jewish day
school and congregational schools. As a teacher,
Lauren created Centropa’s first cross-cultural projects with schools in Berlin and Budapest. Since
2010, she has been building Centropa’s network of
Jewish, public, parochial and charter schools in
North America; running workshops and seminars;
mentoring teachers; writing curriculum; and establishing teacher advisory teams to advise Centropa
about curricula. Today, educators in 500 schools
in 18 countries use Centropa’s resources to teach
history, social studies, literature, foreign language,
and more. Each summer, Centropa brings 90 educators from North America, Europe and Israel to
the great cities of Central Europe to study together,
create professional partnerships, and design crosscultural projects for their students.
Elliot Sylman has been a professional photographer
since 1986. Throughout his career, he has focused
on capturing poignant images of individuals. Elliot
began photographing Holocaust survivors in 1992,
starting with a dramatic portrait of his father, who
was born in a small town in Poland. His passion has
led him across the country photographing hundreds
of survivors who immigrated to Canada. He has
collaborated with diverse organizations in pursuit
of this goal, donating his time to document the lives
of Holocaust survivors through contemporary portrait photography. A book featuring this powerful
collection of photographs is planned.
See pages 27 and 41 for programs featuring Hilary
Earl during HEW 2015.
The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored
by the Cohen Family Charitable Trust.
See pages 38–40 for programs featuring Lauren
Granite during HEW 2015.
The Educator-in-Residence is generously
sponsored by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and Naomi
Rifkind Mansell & David Mansell.
14 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week In honour of the 70th anniversary of liberation,
Elliot graciously photographed members of the
Neuberger’s Survivor Speakers’ Bureau for Holocaust
Education Week 2015, displayed in this publication on pages 42–45, and in an exhibition at the
Miles Nadal JCC (p.35).
Film
Ida image courtesy of Portobello Film Sales.
Kisses to the Children
Greek with English subtitles, 115 minutes
Five Greek-Jewish children who were saved by
Christian families during the German occupation
of Greece finally tell their stories. Using rare archival
material, amateur films by German soldiers and
once-illegal footage shot by Greek patriots, Kisses
to the Children (2012) tells stories of anguish and
confusion alongside tales of salvation and safety in
the homes and arms of strangers. Featuring discussion with award-winning director Vassilis Loules.
Vassilis Loules is the director of several documentary films: The Noose (2014); Lela Karayannis, The
Fragrance of a Heroine (2005); A Bright Shining
Sun (2000). Kisses to the Children won the Audience
Award at the Greek Film Festival Chicago 2012 and
the Best Direction Award “Agon” at the International
Meeting of Archaeological Film in 2012 (Athens,
Greece).
Co-sponsored by Department of History, Hellenic
Heritage Foundation Chair of Modern Greek History.
Thursday, 29 October | 5:30 pm
York University—Israel and Golda
Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies
120 Accolade East Building
Price Family Cinema | 4700 Keele Street
Toronto | 416–736–5823
Blind Love: A Holocaust
Journey Through Poland
with Man’s Best Friend
English, 28 minutes
This CBC documentary film recounts a 2013 trip to
Poland of six blind Israelis and their guide dogs
to take part in the annual March of the Living. The
film poignantly captures the special bond between
individuals and their guide dog companions. Decorated Israeli tank commander Eli Yablonek who
was blinded during the Yom Kippur War and his
guide dog Glen will participate in this program,
along with Israeli Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Yariv Melamed. World Premiere.
This program features three additional short films
from the March of the Living Digital Archives: Twice
Liberated (2012, 6:13), Reunions (2014, 8:00), and
Cszeslawa & Olga (2014, 7:17).
Co-sponsored by Canadian Friends of the Israel
Guide Dog Centre for the Blind, Toronto Jewish Film
Festival, and March of the Living Digital Archives
Project.
Sunday, 1 November | 8:00 pm
Congregation Habonim
5 Glen Park Avenue | Toronto | 416–782–7125
Ida
Ida
Polish with English subtitles, 82 minutes
Set in Poland in 1962, Ida (2013) is about a young woman on the verge of taking vows as a Catholic
nun. Orphaned as an infant during the Nazi occupation, she must now meet her aunt, a former
Communist state prosecutor and only surviving relative. After her aunt reveals that her parents were
Jewish, the two women embark on a journey into the Polish countryside to learn the fate of their
family. Winner of the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Pre-registration required.
Call 416–631–5689 or online at holocausteducationweek.com. Limit 4 tickets per family.
Generously co-sponsored by Cineplex Entertainment LP and by Carole and Howard Tanenbaum
in memory of their sister and sister-in-law Peggy Birnberg.
Monday, 2 November | 1:00 pm | Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk
5095 Yonge Street, 3RD floor | Toronto | 416–847–0218
Les rafles de l’été 1942 en zone libre. Un crime de l’État français
Les rafles de l’été 1942 en zone libre : Un crime de l’État français (Documentaire, France, 52 minutes) suivi
d’une période de questions avec Paul Schaffer. En août 1942, 10 000 juifs étrangers et leurs enfants sont
arrêtés par la police française en zone libre avant d’être déportés vers les camps de la mort. 270 seulement
reviendront après la guerre, parmi eux Paul Schaffer. Il reprend ses études. Il suit une formation d’ingénieur,
devient professeur, avant de créer sa propre entreprise. En 2001 il a pris sur lui d’écrire le récit de son
histoire, Le Soleil Voilé.
Vivian Felsen est une traductrice du français et du yiddish vers l’anglais qui habite Toronto. Ses traductions
du yiddish ont remporté le Canadian Jewish Book Award et le prestigieux prix J.I. Segal. Parmi les ouvrages
qu’elle a traduits figurent les mémoires de survivants de la Shoah, dont Memoirs of the Lodz Ghetto de
Yankl Nirenberg, If By Miracle de Michael Kutz, et The Veiled Sun de Paul Schaffer. Les transmissions passeront par le système « Skype ».
En partenariat avec la Fondation Azrieli.
Tuesday, 3 November | 10:30 am
Toronto Reference Library | 789 Yonge Street | Toronto | 416–393–7175
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 15 Film
(Re)Birth: Mothering
after the Holocaust
English, 37 minutes
Part literary detective story and part personal
journey, MUM (2008) is a documentary drawn from
Magda Creet’s memoirs, letter and poems, an
archive of a Holocaust survivor who left a paper
trail to her hidden past. The trail leads to Hungary, where local memory reveals the story one
mother tried to forget. Followed by a discussion
with Julia Creet.
Dr. Julia Creet is an Associate Professor of English
at York University. She is the co-editor of Memory
and Migration—Multidisciplinary Approaches to
Memory Studies (2011); H.G Adler: Life, Literature,
Legacy (2015); and the producer and director of
a documentary, MUM, about the memoirs of a
Holocaust survivor who tried to forget. A book of
documentary fiction based on the same material,
tentatively titled “The Unread Novel,” is in progress.
Tuesday, 3 November | 7:30 pm
Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic
Judaism at Don Heights Unitarian
Congregation | 18 Wynford Drive #102
Toronto | 416–385–3910
Hidden Sorrows: Meeting
Gypsy (Roma) Survivors of
the Holocaust in Romania
English, 60 minutes
This 2005 film explores the deportation of Romanian Gypsies (Roma) to camps in Transnistria during the Second World War. Survivor accounts of
terrible wartime experiences form the basis of this
film, telling their stories through words, gestures
and facial expressions to convey the tragedy of the
Roma during the Holocaust.
Recommended for mature audiences. Q&A moderated by Felicia Carmelly, Romanian Holocaust
survivor. Space is limited; pre-registration is
required at 416–395–5441 to reserve your space.
Friday, 6 November | 1:30 & 3:00 pm
Barbara Frum Library
3rd Floor, Room B | 20 Covington Road
Toronto | 416–395–5441
Robert Clary:
A Memoir of Liberation
English, 57 minutes
Prisoner of Her Past
English, 57 minutes
How do Holocaust survivors and their children cope
with traumatic memories? This 2010 documentary
film explores this question through the dramatic
case of Sonia Reich, who at age 69 fled her house,
believing Nazis were pursuing her once again. Her
son, journalist Howard Reich, works to uncover
Sonia’s tragic childhood in order to understand why
she is reliving it, so many years later. Q&A with
Howard Reich following the screening.
Howard Reich is the Chicago Tribune’s arts critic
and producer-writer-narrator of the PBS documentary film Prisoner of Her Past. The film is based on
Reich’s book of the same name, which illuminates a
little-known condition: late-onset Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder.
Known for portraying Louis Lebeau in the longrunning American television series Hogan’s Heroes,
Holocaust survivor Robert Clary is the subject of
this 1984 documentary. Born Robert Max Widerman
in 1926 in France, Clary returns to Europe in search
of his story. He relives his happy childhood in the
streets of Paris, his incarceration at Drancy, and the
horror of Buchenwald. Included in the film is rare
colour footage of the liberation of Buchenwald.
After the screening, Chaim Klein, Jewish History
teacher at Anne & Max Tanenbaum Community
Hebrew Academy of Toronto, will lead a Q&A session.
Generously co-sponsored by Sally and Mark Zigler
in honour of their parents, Fanny and Bernard Dov
Laufer and Etty and Salo Zigler.
Wunderkinder
German with English subtitles, 96 minutes
The moving story of three musical prodigies—two
Jewish and one German—set in 1941 during the Nazi
invasion of Ukraine. In a war-torn, adult world gone
mad, the three children provide the light of music
and, ultimately, salvation. This 2010 film interweaves
the historical background with the relationship
between the children who occupy its foreground.
Screening followed by a conversation with
Toronto artist and author Bernice Eisenstein.
Her critically-acclaimed graphic novel, I Was a
Child of Holocaust Survivors, received the Jewish
Book Award for Memoir (2007) and was adapted
into a National Film Board animated short film.
Her latest work, Correspondences (2013), was
created with renowned novelist and poet Anne
Michaels. She was the Neuberger Holocaust
Education Centre’s 2014 Holocaust Education
Week Artist-in-Residence and recently exhibited
her work at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Individual tickets: $15 General Admission (including seniors), $10 Young Adults (age 18–35). Box
office opens one hour before the screening start
time. All single tickets are cash sale only and
subject to availability. No advance tickets. Info:
esthera@mnjcc.org or 416–924–6211 × 606.
Co-presented by The Royal Conservatory and
Goethe-Institut Toronto.
Generously co-sponsored by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind
and Naomi Rifkind Mansell & David Mansell; by
Gail and Stanley Debow in memory of Maria &
Max Reisberg and Heneck Reisberg; and by the
Rapoport and Rosenthal families in honour of
Mania Rapoport and in memory of Jack Rapoport,
both Holocaust survivors.
Sunday, 8 November | 4:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Toronto Jewish Film Society
Al Green Theatre | Miles Nadal JCC
750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto
416–924–6211 × 606
Saturday, 7 November | 8:00 pm
Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto
Congregation | 613 Clark Avenue W
Thornhill | 905–886–3810
Co-sponsored by Chenstochover Aid Society.
Generously co-sponsored in memory of Max &
Guta Glicksman, Rose & Morris Glick, and in
honour of Morris Glick, by their loving families.
Thursday, 5 November | 7:00 pm
Beth Torah Congregation
47 Glenbrook Avenue | Toronto
416–782–4495 × 21
16 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week For program changes visit:
holocausteducationweek.com
or call 416–631–5689.
Film
Recording Atrocity image courtesy of the British Film Institute/Imperial War Museum.
Return of the Violin
English, Polish and Hebrew with subtitles,
65 minutes
The remarkable story of the survival of a 1731
Stradivarius violin once owned by Israeli Philharmonic founder Bronislaw Huberman is the subject
of this fascinating 2012 documentary. A young
Jewish prodigy from Częstochowa, Poland, Huberman’s story and that of his violin are intertwined
with the story of Sigmund Rolat, also a native of
Częstochowa, and his survival during the Holocaust. Anne Balaban will introduce the film and
conclude the program.
Anne Balaban, daughter of Holocaust survivors,
is an adult educator, speaker and trainer. Her
background includes experience as a psychology
instructor, career exploration specialist, and
motivational speaker. She is the author of book
and movie reviews.
Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living
1003 Steeles Avenue W | Toronto
416–225–2112
Recording Atrocity
Recording Atrocity:
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
Sham Vekan (There and Here)
English and German with English subtitles, 88 minutes including epilogue for reflection;
restricted to persons over the age of 18
The compelling story of pilot Harry Klaussner and
navigator Shaia Harsit who meet in Israeli flight
academy. Many years later, they discover a shared
history. Out of the 330 Israeli pilots in 1956, over
130 were Holocaust survivors who hid their true
identities. This 2014 documentary describes the
journey of those who came from there and lived
the Israeli dream.
When British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, army and newsreel cameramen recorded
their horrific discoveries. The footage was used to create German Concentration Camps Factual
Survey, a documentary intended for the German public that would condemn the Nazi regime and
document the magnitude of its crimes. Sidney Bernstein, producer of the film for Britain’s Ministry of
Information, initiated and fought for the production of this project. Alfred Hitchcock spent a month
advising on the film. Left unfinished for nearly seventy years, this historically significant film was
recently completed for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by film scholars at the
Imperial War Museum. The story behind the original 1945 film was explored in 2014’s Night Will Fall.
Featuring a discussion with Professor Robert Jan van Pelt.
Robert Jan van Pelt is a Holocaust scholar, author, architectural historian, and professor at the
University of Waterloo and University of Toronto. He has written several highly acclaimed books and
is world renowned for his extensive research into issues surrounding the architecture of the Holocaust.
Hebrew, 56 minutes
Mifgash Program (The Israeli Canadian
Project) | Schwartz-Reisman Centre
9600 Bathurst Street | Vaughan
905–303–1821
Pre-registration required. Call 416–631–5689 or online at holocausteducationweek.com.
Limit of 4 tickets per family.
Generously co-sponsored by Cineplex Entertainment LP.
SilverCity Yonge Eglinton
2300 Yonge Street | Toronto | 416–544–1236
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 17 SURVIVOR TESTIMONY
In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor
The following programs feature a Holocaust survivor speaker presenting his or her testimony
in the “In Conversation” format, an interactive dialogue for speakers developed with support from
the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany, Inc.
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Edward Fisch will
speak about his personal experiences during the
Holocaust. 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.
Beaches Public Library
2161 Queen Street E | Toronto
416–393–7703
Polish Holocaust survivor Esther Fairbloom will
speak about her personal experiences during the
Holocaust. Esther Fairbloom was born in the ghetto
in Tarnopol, Poland, likely in 1941. When the Nazis
began deporting Jews from the ghetto, her sister
was hidden 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.
Generously co-sponsored by Tammy and Jerry
Balitsky in memory of their parents, Holocaust
survivors Philip & Esther Balitsky and Icek & Luba
Muskat.
Sanderson Public Library
327 Bathurst Street | Toronto
416–393–7653
Polish Holocaust survivor Rose Lipszyc will speak
about her personal experiences during the Holocaust. 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 came to Canada in 1952.
Thornhill Community Centre Public Library
7755 Bayview Avenue | Markham
905–513–7977 × 7177
Dutch Holocaust survivor Leonard Vis will speak
about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. 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.
Generously co-sponsored by Mary Seldon and
family in memory of the Sicherman and Schafer
families.
Richview Library
1806 Islington Avenue | Toronto
416–394–5120
French Holocaust survivor Edith Gelbard will
Holocaust. 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.
Generously co-sponsored by Vivienne Saltzman
in memory of Danny Saltzman.
Deer Park Library
40 St. Clair Avenue E | Toronto
416–393–7657
18 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Polish Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter will
Holocaust. 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.
Wednesday, 4 November | 10:30 am
Brentwood Library
36 Brentwood Road N | Toronto
416–394–5240
French Holocaust survivor Denise Hans will
Holocaust. 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.
Wednesday, 4 November | 1:00 pm
Downsview Library
2793 Keele Street | Toronto
416–395–5720
Polish Holocaust survivor Manny Langer will speak
about his personal experiences during the Holocaust. 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 Bergen-Belsen 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.
Ansley Grove Public Library
350 Ansley Grove Road | Woodbridge
905–653–7323 × 4404
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY
Austrian Holocaust survivor Alexander Eisen will
Holocaust. 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.
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
Weston Library
2 King Street (Weston & Lawrence)
Toronto | 416–394–1016
Friday, 6 November | 10:00 am
Maple Library
10190 Keele Street | Maple
905–653–7323
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Eva Meisels will
Holocaust. 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.
Christie Gardens
600 Melita Crescent | Toronto
416–530–1330
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Edward Fisch will
Holocaust. For his bio, see page 18.
Co-sponsored by the Schwartz-Reisman Centre.
Generously co-sponsored by the Frankel Family
Foundation in loving memory of Miriam Frankel’s
parents, sisters and brother.
BBYO at Leo & Sala Goldhar
Conference & Celebration Centre
9600 Bathurst Street | Vaughan
416–398–2004 × 1
French Holocaust survivor Edith Gelbard will
Holocaust. For her bio, see page 18.
Generously co-sponsored by Mary Ellen Herman.
Thursday, 5 November | 10:00 am
Parliament Street Library
269 Gerrard Street E | Toronto
416–313–7664
Polish Holocaust survivor Rose Lipszyc will
Generously co-sponsored by Sylvia and Edward
Fisch in memory of their parents, Ignac & Sarah
Fisch and Max & Yetta Starkman; and by Edna and
David Magder in memory of her grandmother, Reisl
Chana Brodi, and grandfather, Marc Weissman,
who were murdered in the Holocaust.
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Andy Réti will
Holocaust. 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.
Wychwood Library
416–393–7683
Romanian Holocaust survivor Joe Leinburd will
Holocaust. 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.
Friday, 6 November | 1:30 pm
Davenport Library
1246 Shaw Street | Toronto
416–393–7732
Danforth/Coxwell Library
1675 Danforth Avenue | Toronto
416–393–7783
French Holocaust survivor Denise Hans will
Dufferin Clark Library
1441 Clark Avenue W | Vaughan
905–653–7323
For program changes visit:
or call 416–631–5689.
In honour of this year’s HEW theme, speciallycreated short films about Holocaust survivor speakers’ liberation experiences will be
screened at select venues. Produced by Shoy
Pictures for the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 19 SURVIVOR TESTIMONY
Witness to History
The following programs feature a Holocaust survivor speaker presenting his or her testimony
as part of a worship service or multidisciplinary program.
Programs featuring authors published
by the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust
Survivor Memoirs Program will include
complimentary copies of the memoirs
where possible, generously provided by
the Azrieli Foundation. The 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.
This special FLOW lecture will feature the eyewitness testimony of Polish Holocaust survivor Anita
Ekstein. She will share her experiences as a hidden
child during the Holocaust and will recount how
she survived as a young girl thanks to the courageous actions of a few Christians. Moderated discussion to follow.
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.
Generously co-sponsored in honour of Anita Ekstein
by her children.
Saturday, 17 October | 7:00 pm
Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church
3223 Kennedy Road | Toronto
416–297–8011
Henry Wellisch will describe his experiences as
a Holocaust refugee. Henry Wellisch was born in
Vienna in 1922 and managed to escape from Austria
in 1939. He spent the war years in a British internment camp on the island of Mauritius and joined
the Jewish Brigade in 1944. He fought with the
Israeli army in the War of Independence In 1948.
Mr. Wellish was was president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto from 1993 to 1998.
Presented in partnership with the Jewish
Genealogical Society of Toronto.
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
Forest Hill Place Retirement Residence
645 Castlefield Avenue | Toronto
416–785–1511
Sunday, 8 November | 11:00 am
Bathurst Clark Resource Library
900 Clark Avenue W | Vaughan
905–653–7323
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Judy Weissenberg
Cohen will speak about her experiences during
the Holocaust and the fate of women. Judy Weissenberg Cohen was born in Debrecen, Hungary, in
1928. She was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau 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.
Co-sponsored by University of Toronto Mississauga
Women and Gender Studies Program and by the
Circle of Care’s Holocaust Survivor Fund Advisory
Committee.
University of Toronto Mississauga
KANEFF #137 | 3359 Mississauga Road N
Mississauga | 905–569–4914
20 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Set in Remies, France in 1941 and based on a true
story, Pigeon recounts a rare and startling act of
resistance. (2004, English, 11 minutes) Following
the screening, Yugoslavian Holocaust survivor
speaker Bill Glied will reflect on his experiences
during the Holocaust and moderate a Q & A. 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.
Generously co-sponsored in honour of Bill Glied by
his children and grandchildren.
Thursday, 5 November | 12:00 noon
Centre for Social Innovation
CSI Annex Room 4
416–979–3939 × 2
The “Shabbat of Remembrance and Rebirth” program begins with morning services at 8:45 am in
the sanctuary, and features memorial aliyot honouring survivors, their children and grandchildren.
Services will conclude with a musical tribute followed by guest speakers Eva and Leslie Meisels
and kiddush reception. Pre-registration is required
at 416–226–0111 × 10. For their bios, see pages 19
and 21.
Complimentary copies of the Meisels’ memoir,
Suddenly the Shadow Fell, are generously provided
by and published through the Azrieli Foundation’s
Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program.
Saturday, 7 November
Shabbat service BEGINS 8:45 AM
SPEAKERS 11:45 AM–12:30 PM (APPROX)
Pride of Israel Synagogue
59 Lissom Crescent | Toronto
416–226–0111 × 10
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY
Image © centropa.org.
Romanian Holocaust survivor Felicia Carmelly will
tell her story of survival and liberation. The FJCC
singers and dancers will perform. 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 postwar 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.
Complimentary copies of Felicia Carmelly’s memoir, Across the Rivers of Memory, are generously
provided by and published through the Azrieli
Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program.
Co-sponsored by ICEJ Canada. Generously
co-sponsored by the Ernie Weiss Memorial Fund
in loving memory of Ernie Weiss, who survived
the Holocaust, and the entire family from Mád,
Hungary, who did not.
Friends of Jesus Christ Canada
181 Nugget Avenue | Toronto
416–335–8829
Polish Holocaust survivor Nate Leipciger will
Holocaust. Nathan Leipciger was born in 1928,
in Chorzow, Poland. He survived the Sosnowiec
Ghetto and the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau,
Funfteichen, Gross Rosen, Flossenberg, Leonberg,
Muhldorf am Inn and Waldlager (two sub-camps
of Dachau). Nathan and his father were liberated
in May 1945, and immigrated to Canada in 1948.
Complimentary copies of Nate Leipciger’s memoir,
The Weight of Freedom, are generously provided
Ferndale Baptist Church
614 Brimley Road | Toronto
416–267–0805
Czech Holocaust survivor Lenka Weksberg will
Holocaust. 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 slave
labour camps and a death march. Lenka was liberated by the US Army in April 1945. Lenka immigrated to Canada in 1953.
Generously co-sponsored by the Axler, Glazer and
Lang families in honour of Feiga Glazer and in
memory of the late Mozes Glazer, both Holocaust
survivors.
Hallelujah Fellowship Baptist Church
425 Pacific Avenue | Toronto
416–745–1226
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Leslie Meisels will
Holocaust. Leslie Meisels was born in Nadudvar,
Hungary, in 1927. He lived with his parents, two
brothers and both sets of grandparents. He survived the ghettos in Nadudvar 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.
Golda Sorkina with great-grandson Alexander,
Leningrad, 1963
Complimentary copies of Leslie Meisels’ memoir,
Suddenly the Shadow Fell, are generously provided
International Christian Embassy
Jerusalem CANADA INTERCESSION
FOR ISRAEL at Catch The Fire Ministries—
Airport Fellowship Campus, SECOND FLOOR
272 Attwell Drive | Toronto | 416-324-9133
Following the screening of excerpts from a new
documentary about his life, Political, Polish Jew:
The Story of Pinchas Gutter (producer/director:
Gal Yaniv), Pinchas Gutter will participate in a
Q&A session to discuss the preservation of the
memory of the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 18.
Generously co-sponsored by Dori and Ari Ekstein
and family in honour of Holocaust survivors Mina
and David Rawa (Rosenbaum) and in memory of the
Rosenbaum family who perished in the Holocaust.
Scarboro Missions Interfaith Department
2685 Kingston Road | 416–261–7135 × 266
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 21 Lectures & Panels
The Goldene Adele: The Story
of a Fabulous Portrait
Drawing upon his book, Some Measure of Justice,
Michael Marrus will speak about the odyssey of a
stunning portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer: its place in
the opulent life style of the Austrian Jewish aristocracy before Hitler; its significance in the mannered life of a Jewish family; its fate after Austria
was annexed to the Reich; its targeting by numerous profiteers during and after the Second World
War; and its eventual restitution through the persistent efforts of a family member and a determined, talented attorney. The lecture will conclude
with some general observations on justice after the
Holocaust, law and history.
Michael R. Marrus is the Chancellor Rose and Ray
Wolfe Professor Emeritus of Holocaust Studies at
the University of Toronto. He is a historian of the
Holocaust and currently teaches the history of
International Humanitarian Law. His latest book is
entitled Lessons of the Holocaust.
The program is free but due to limited capacity,
RSVP is required in order to attend. Registration
by e-mail only: HEWEvent@kpmg.ca.
Wednesday, 28 October | 5:30 pm
KPMG | Bay Adelaide Centre
333 Bay Street #4600 | Toronto
The Dark Side of Liberation
For a program description and Steven Leonard
Jacobs’ bio, see page 23.
This lecture is part of Friday night services.
Dessert reception to follow.
Friday, 30 October | 7:30 pm
Temple Kol Ami | 36 Atkinson Avenue
Thornhill | 905–709–2620
Out of the Holy Fire—The
Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto
and the Post-War Rebirth
of His Work
One of the most remarkable figures of the pre-war
and Holocaust years was the Piaseczner Rebbe,
Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, a spiritual
leader in the Warsaw Ghetto. Deported to the
Trawniki labour camp, he was shot to death in 1943
during Operation Harvest Festival. Rabbi Shapira’s
sermons in the ghetto are known through the work
Aish Kodesh (The Holy Fire). Rabbi Shapira’s writings illuminate the issues of faith and doubt during
the Holocaust. The program will also focus on one
of the central instances of post-Shoah revival: the
global interest in Rabbi Shapira’s ideas and religious influence.
Torah in Motion founder Dr. Elliott Malamet will
interview one of the leading experts on the Aish
Kodesh, Rabbi Nehemia Polen. The dialogue will
explore Rabbi Shapira’s writings about the anguish
of the ghetto, theological implications, and how
his attitude towards God evolved.
Rabbi Nehemia Polen is Professor of Jewish
Thought at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass. He
has Rabbinic Ordination from Ner Israel Rabbinical
College and his PhD from Boston University where
he studied with Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. Rabbi
Polen is a leading expert in Hasidism and Jewish
thought and author of The Holy Fire: The Teachings
of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of
the Warsaw Ghetto.
For additional information and registration details,
visit www.torahinmotion.org.
Torah in Motion at Shaarei Shomayim
Congregation | 470 Glencairn Avenue
Toronto | 416–633–5770
Antisemitism in the Muslim
World—The Jewish Experience
What was the Jewish experience in the Muslim
world before the Second World War, during the war,
and in the post-war era? As antisemitism is resurgent in many Western countries, how is it evolving
in the Muslim world? Following his presentation,
Dr. Mansur will lead an engaging discussion.
Salim Mansur was born in Calcutta, India and
moved to Toronto, Canada where he completed his
PhD. He is a professor of Political Science at the
University of Western Ontario (London) and author
and nationally syndicated columnist for QMI. He is
a former columnist for the London Free Press and
the Toronto Sun and has contributed to various
publications including National Review, the Middle
East Forum, and Frontpagemag.
Generously co-sponsored by Guido Smit in tribute
to Jan Smit, Righteous Among the Nations.
Muslims Facing Tomorrow and Muslim
Committee against Anti-Semitism
at TAG TV Studio | 2244 Drew Road
Mississauga | 416–505–1613
Too Little, Too Late: The Lost
Lessons of Fritz Bauer in
Post-War German Nazi Trials
Fritz Bauer, Attorney General of the State of Hesse
and instigator of the Auschwitz Trial, argued that
to participate in the Holocaust in any form was to
perpetrate murder, and it was his goal to see every
last Nazi who was involved in the machinery of mass
murder convicted as such. The Auschwitz Trial sadly
did not produce such results; but what were the
lessons learned from this trial in the legal realm?
How have Nazi trials changed and evolved since
then? This lecture argues that sadly, they have not.
By looking at trials in the 1970s and 2000s it is obvious that the law was not the place where Germany’s real confrontation with the past would occur.
Rebecca Wittmann is Associate Professor of History
at the University of Toronto and Chair of the Department of Historical Studies at University of Toronto
Mississauga. She is a historian of post-war Germany
and is working on a book entitled Guilt and Shame
through the Generations: How Germans Deal with
the Nazi Past.
Limited capacity, RSVP required to Bryan Jones at
rsvp@airdberlis.com or 416–865–4745.
Co-sponsored by Aird & Berlis and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Monday, 2 November | 12:00 PM
Aird & Berlis LLP
Please RSVP for Location | 416–865–4745
22 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Lectures & Panels
Justice or Revenge:
Rethinking the Dark Side
of Liberation
For many Jews, the liberation of Europe meant
freedom, but a small group felt a need to seek vengeance against Nazis. For a period, the Nokmim
(Hebrew, lit. avengers) decided to take justice into
their own hands. Similarly, after the First World
War, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
approved a covert operation to assassinate the
masterminds of the Armenian Genocide who had
evaded justice. This talk will discuss the complicated concepts of revenge and justice while highlighting what we can learn from these two
dramatic cases today.
Steven Leonard Jacobs is Associate Professor and
Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies at
the University of Alabama. He received his BA from
Penn State University; and his BHL, MAHL, DHL,
DD, and Rabbinic Ordination from the Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. His primary research foci are in Biblical Studies, JewishChristian Relations, and Holocaust and Genocide
Studies. The co-author of Fifty Key Thinkers on
Holocaust and Genocide (2012), he is the editor of
several publications.
This program is presented as part of the annual
memorial program of the Wierzbniker Society
which memorializes those who were murdered by
Nazis in the Polish shtetl of Wierzbnik during the
Second World War. Survivors and their descendants will be in attendance to participate in a
meaningful candle-lighting ceremony.
Wierzbniker Society at Bialik
Hebrew Day School
416–485–3390
The Red Army and the
End of the Holocaust
Lunch & Learn—Liberation:
Aftermath and Rebirth
The first liberators of European Jews were soldiers
and officers of the Red Army. They encountered
Kerch, Babi Yar, Majdanek, Treblinka, Auschwitz
and many other sites of mass murder. How did
members of the Soviet military—many of whom
were Jews themselves—make sense of what they
saw? Based on documents of the Soviet Extraordinary Commissions and personal accounts of Red
Army Jewish and non-Jewish soldiers, Zvi Gitelman
and Anna Shternshis explore the range of responses,
from rage and revenge to indifference, and discuss
the immediate and long-term implications. Panel
discussion moderated by Doris Bergen.
Following lunch, Doris L. Bergen, Chancellor Rose
and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at
the University of Toronto, will address this year’s
HEW theme.
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. She is the author or editor
of five books. Her current projects include a book
on German military chaplains in the Nazi era. Professor Bergen is a member of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Center for Advanced
Holocaust Studies at USHMM.
Zvi Gitelman is Preston R. Tisch Professor of
Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan. His
most recent book is Jewish Identities in Postcommunist Russia and Ukraine: An Uncertain Ethnicity
(2012). Gitelman’s current projects are two edited
volumes, on the Russian-speaking Jewish diaspora
(2016) and on Jewish literature in the interwar
(1918–1939) period (2016). He is writing a book on
ethnic relations in the Soviet armed forces and the
partisans during the war.
Anna Shternshis is the Acting Director of the Anne
Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and Al and
Malka Green Associate Professor of Yiddish, University of Toronto. She is cross-appointed between
the German Department and the Center for Diaspora and Transnational Studies. The author of
books and articles on Soviet Jewish history and
culture, Yiddish popular culture, and post-Soviet
Jewish Diaspora, her newest book, When Sonia
Met Boris: Jewish Daily Life in Soviet Russia, is
forthcoming.
The Annual Wolfe Lecture on the Holocaust is
presented by the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe
Chair in Holocaust Studies and the Faculty of Arts
and Science at the University of Toronto.
Admission by advance reservation only ($20).
Lunch starts 12:10 pm; lecture starts 12:40 pm.
Please call 416–221–3433 × 316 by October 30, 2015.
Beth Tikvah Synagogue
3080 Bayview Avenue | Toronto
416–221–3433
Antisemitism and Defining
Community Safety
in the Era of Je Suis Charlie
This session focuses on how community safety can
be defined and promoted in the context of antisemitism in Europe. Concern over Jewish community safety is freshly prominent, with high-profile
attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Copenhagen, apprehension over Holocaust denial and trivialization,
and reports of European Jewish emigration. In the
wake of this insecurity, we see attempts to increase
community trust and security across domains: in
France, a prefect was appointed to protect religious
and cultural sites; the Director of the Mémorial
de la Shoah has identified Holocaust and genocide
education as a means to combat antisemitism; and
a European Commission Colloquium was formed to
address hate crime and promote inclusivity. Building on these responses, panelists will discuss the
meaning of community safety in the current context,
the role of cities in promoting respectful coexistence, and how the European Jewish experience
opens thinking into political, pedagogical, and legal
approaches to define, measure, and promote community safety.
Registration required at
munkschool.utoronto.ca/events
Munk School for Global Affairs
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place | Toronto | 416–946–8900
Anne Tanenbaum Centre
for Jewish Studies, University
of Toronto, Jackman Hall
170 St. George Street, Room 100
Toronto | 416–978–1624
Why is it important to understand diverse Second
World War experiences in Asia and in Canada?
Giving voice to the marginalized stories of former
POWs captured by the Japanese Imperial Army,
this program explores the impact of wartime experiences on next generations. Through personal
stories, theatre, and academic research, we gain
a deeper understanding of how individuals can
move forward in peace and reconciliation.
Program includes a play reading from Three Years,
Eight Months written by Donald Woo, research presentation from Elizabeth Oliver (University of Leeds)
and an interview with author Mark Sakamoto.
Card registry of the Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland
Restoring Family Trees Severed by the Holocaust
As a result of the Second World War, the fate of millions of people still remains unknown. During
this program, Diane Afoumado will introduce the ITS, its collection and history, as well as what it is
able to accomplish. Using a database of several million digitized images of documentation, the
International Tracing Service helps people locate a single name to discover their fate.
Dr. Diane Afoumado is Chief of the Research and Reference Branch at the Holocaust Survivors and
Victims Resource Center at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. She specializes
in Holocaust survivors’ and victims’ resources. A Holocaust historian, Afoumado has taught at the
University of Paris.
On November 3 & 4, Dr. Afoumado will offer individual consultations for people interested in accessing
the ITS database. See page 38 for details.
Kehillat Shaarei Torah
2640 Bayview Avenue | Toronto | 416–229–2600
Dr. Elizabeth Oliver is an LHRI/Wellcome Trust
postdoctoral research fellow at the University of
Leeds, England. Her thesis focused on the life writing of former prisoners of war who laboured on
the Sumatra railway during the Second World War.
Her research interests include captivity narratives,
embodied memory, and the responses of second
and third generation writers and artists to traumatic or ‘forgotten’ histories.
Mark Sakamoto is the author of Forgiveness: A
Gift from my Grandparents, a memoir that weaves
together the history of two sides of his family
during the Second World War in Canada. He is an
entrepreneur and investor in digital health, digital
media, and real estate.
Donald Woo is a Chinese French-Canadian playwright. With fu-GEN, Donald is developing a trilogy
of plays concerning the Canadian experience in
Japan-occupied Hong Kong during the Second
World War.
Co-sponsored by the Equity Studies Program at
New College and David Chu Program in the Asia
Pacific Studies, University of Toronto.
Alpha Education at William Doo Auditorium
New College, University of Toronto
45 Willcocks Street | Toronto | 416–299–0111
or call 416–631–5689.
24 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Image © International Tracing Service (ITS)/Andreas Greiner-Napp.
Bearing Trauma, Sharing
Forgiveness: Prisoners of
War in Japan
Lectures & Panels
Birth, Liberation
and Aftermath
Raul Artal was born in 1943 in Bersad, a concentration camp in Transnistria, under difficult circumstances that ultimately inspired him to become
an obstetrician who specialized in high risk pregnancy. Currently, he works with the Houston-based
Center of Medicine after the Holocaust, teaching
young physicians and medical students about
medical ethics derived from lessons from the Holocaust. This talk will discuss the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime, the notion of medical
ethics, and his own life experiences.
Reena | 49 Lebovic Campus Drive
Vaughan | 905–889–2690 × 2048
Transfer of Memory:
The Future of Holocaust
Remembrance
Seventy years after the end of the Holocaust and
the liberation of the Nazi death and concentration
camps, we are at a transitional moment when the
responsibility for remembrance is being adopted
in large part by the survivors’ children and grandchildren. How do they view their families’ histories
and how are they transmitting the legacy of memory they received from their parents and grandparents both to their contemporaries and into the
future?
Menachem Z. Rosensaft is General Counsel of the
World Jewish Congress. Born in the Bergen-Belsen
Displaced Persons camp, he is Founding Chairman
of the International Network of Children of Jewish
Holocaust Survivors, and Senior Vice President of the
American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors
and their Descendants. Currently a member of the
US Holocaust Memorial Council, he is the editor of
God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes, which will be
available for purchase and signing.
Shaar Shalom Synagogue
2 Simonston Blvd | Markham | 905–889–4975
Medical Ethics and the Holocaust: A Legacy for Today
What bioethical lessons can medical practitioners, patients and the general public derive from the practice
of medicine during the National Socialist regime in Germany? The medical profession’s complex role during
Nazism is well documented: the T4 program, mass euthanasia (known as racial cleansing in Nazi parlance),
sterilization, medical experiments, followed by the genocidal murder of millions of Jews and other “nonAryans.” This presentation will review the role that midwives played in adopting these unethical practices.
It will also explore North American moral, philanthropic and legal support of the Nazi medical practice
philosophy as well as the lessons derived and applied to contemporary medical practice and research.
Raul Artal, M.D., is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology
and Women’s Health at Saint Louis University. He is the author of over 200 publications, three books and
six educational videos and a champion of the Houston-based Center of Medicine after the Holocaust.
Co-sponsored by Mt. Sinai Hospital Department of Medicine. Recommended for health professionals;
open to the general public.
WEDNESDAY, 4 November | 12:00 noon
Mount Sinai Hospital—Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex
Ben Sadowski Auditorium (18 level) | 600 University Avenue
Toronto | 416–586–4200 × 8690
Justice and Forgiveness
In April 2015, former Auschwitz guard Oskar Groening was brought to trial in Germany facing over
300,000 counts of accessory to murder. Three
Holocaust survivors from Toronto travelled to testify
in that trial. During this program, they will share
their experiences at the trial as well as their ideas
and personal reflections on the notion of forgiveness. The panel of Holocaust survivors will be joined
by Jordana Lebowitz and moderated by Michael
Ettedgui.
Hedy Bohm, Max Eisen and Bill Glied are Holocaust
survivors who each went to Germany in April 2015 to
testify in the Oskar Groening trial. For their bios, see
pages 40, 30 and 20. March of the Living alumnus
Jordana Lebowitz attended the trial to observe this
crucial event in history and to witness the pursuit of
justice for Holocaust survivors globally.
Michael Ettedgui practices civil litigation at Linden
and Associates. He is a former consultant to the
Toronto office of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and
founding director of Yaldeinu, a charitable organization that provided scholarships and camperships
towards Jewish education in developing countries
and Israel.
Co-sponsored by March of the Living. Generously
co-sponsored by Lisa Richman & Steven Kelman in
loving memory of her father Joseph Richman, a
Hungarian Holocaust survivor; and by Bonnie and
Larry Moncik and Eleanor and George Getzler and
their families in loving memory of their parents,
Abraham and Ida Moncik.
What Do We Mean When
We Say “Never Again”?
In June 1974, a symposium on the Holocaust involving Jewish and Christian participants was held in
New York City. One of the questions discussed was
what we mean by “never again.” This lecture will
examine whether this question continues to be relevant and if developments since 1974 had led to
new reflections on the Holocaust and generated
new debates.
Gregory Baum was born in Germany in 1923. He is
Professor Emeritus at McGill University’s Faculty of
Religious Studies. He has published numerous articles about Christian-Jewish topics and an expert
advisor at Vatican II. He was professor of Theology
at St. Michael’s College in Toronto (1959–1986) and
of Religious Studies at McGill University (1986–1995).
He is the author of The Jews and the Gospel.
Generously co-sponsored by Leila, Gary, Ryan,
Ilyse and Isaac Lax, honoring the memory of
Bella and Irving Goldstein as a tribute to them
as survivors and the legacy they created.
University of Toronto, Regis College
100 Wellesley Street W | Toronto
416–922–5474
Petah Tikva Congregation
20 Danby Avenue | Toronto | 416–636–4719
A panel of individuals born post-Holocaust in the
Bergen-Belsen DP camp will address issues of intergenerational trauma; social, emotional and physical
implications of their shared circumstances of birth;
and how their parents’ Holocaust experiences
informed their lives. Focusing on the legacy of the
Holocaust, the program will include excerpts from
video testimonies of children of Holocaust survivors.
Karen Lasky launched a personal mission to discover the hidden pasts of her parents and understand their Holocaust experiences. An interior
design consultant, she actively volunteers with
several organizations.
Isaac Applebaum graduated in Photographic Arts
from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. His work on
the Holocaust & antisemitism was included in the
long-running installation The Space of Silence at
the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. His artwork is in collections at The Art Gallery
of Ontario, The National Gallery of Canada, The
Victoria and Albert Museum among others.
Circle game with children from liberated Bergen Belsen on a Sunday picnic, 1945.
Indigenous and Jewish
Experiences: Change
and Continuity
What are treaty rights? How have communities
adapted and rebuilt in the face of loss and persecution? What can we collectively do to move forward? This interactive lecture will explore shared
experiences that have shaped the individual and
collective identities of Indigenous and Jewish communities with the goal of finding ways to prevent
prejudice and overcome indifference. This program
will be accompanied by ASL interpreters.
Maurice Switzer is a citizen of the Mississaugas of
Alderville First Nation and a member of the Sons of
Jacob Synagogue, North Bay. Formerly director of
communications for the Assembly of First Nations
and Union of Ontario Indians, he currently writes and
delivers workshops about the Treaty Relationship.
Co-presented by Facing History and Ourselves and
the Equity Studies Program, New College, University
of Toronto. In partnership with Winchevsky Centre—
United Jewish People’s Order.
Ve’ahavta: the Canadian Jewish
Humanitarian & Relief Committee
at William Doo Auditorium | University
of Toronto | 45 Willcocks Street
Toronto | 416–964–7698
26 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Liberation: The
Persisting Holocaust
Even after the collapse of the Third Reich, some
of the most brutal elements of the Holocaust
persisted for a time. Although there were no
more mass killings, some Jews, notably in Eastern
Europe, were murdered in antisemitic attacks.
Across Europe, and even in North America, antiJewish sentiment and the marginalization of
Jews continued. People in the victorious countries
were far from coming to terms with the Holocaust,
from acknowledging what had happened to the
Jews, or even from recognizing what they had
endured. Although there were huge differences
between east and west, what is extraordinary is
that this failure was part of the reaction from
Poland to North America, across all walks of life.
This lecture will examine this problem, part of
the legacy of the Holocaust today. For Michael R. Marrus’ bio, see page 22.
Holy Blossom Temple
416–789–3291 × 239
Paulette Volgyesi travelled to Bergen-Belsen and
Poland to retrieve archival information about her
family. She has a BA and B.Ed from University of
Toronto and York University and has taught for the
Toronto District School Board.
Moderated by Kenneth Dancyger, Professor of
Film & Television Professor at New York University,
Tisch School of the Arts. Ken was born in the
Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camp on March
8, 1945 and immigrated to Canada with his family
in 1948. Wednesday, 4 November | 7:30 pm
Beth Tikvah Synagogue
3080 Bayview Avenue | Toronto
416–221–3433
Image courtesy of the Ontario Jewish Archives, accession 2010-5/15.
Holocaust Legacies:
Born in Bergen-Belsen
Lectures & Panels
From Perpetrators of Genocide to Ordinary German Citizens:
the Reintegration of Nazi War Criminals into German Society
On May 8, 1945, the day that Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces in Europe, ten
percent of the German population—approximately 5.8 million people—were members of the Nazi party.
Many party members had aided and abetted the German state in carrying out its genocidal policy against
Europe’s Jewish population. Very few of these people were ever prosecuted and even fewer were punished.
The fate of Herman Göring and Albert Speer are well known today, but what about the former Nazi perpetrators who escaped justice, what became of them? This talk from Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Hilary Earl
explores a less familiar story of genocide – its aftermath. In keeping with the theme of “aftermath” of
liberation, special attention will be paid to the way that former Nazi perpetrators integrated back into
German society. For Dr. Hilary Earl’s bio, see page 14.
The Dr. Emil & Bessie Glaser Memorial Lecture. The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored by
the Cohen Family Charitable Trust.
Beth Tzedec Congregation | 1700 Bathurst Street | Toronto | 416–781–3514 × 234
Surviving Survival: Holocaust
Survivors and their Integration
into Canadian Communities
It is difficult to imagine how survivors rebuilt their
lives after the Second World War. They faced an
uncertain future. What happened to these men,
women, and children in their first years after the
war? What was it like to be a survivor in Canada?
Paula Draper examines “the burden of survival”
and how it has informed the lives of Jewish survivors who came to live in Canada. She illustrates
that there is no one way to understand survivors
and that individuals found their own paths “by
choosing to survive their survival.”
Historian Paula Draper specializes in memory history. In 1986, she developed the Oral History Project of the then-Toronto Holocaust Education and
Memorial Centre (Neuberger Holocaust Education
Centre). Dr. Draper was involved in the Royal Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada, the
second trial of Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, and
was Lead International Trainer for Survivors of the
Shoah Visual History Foundation.
Selected materials from the Centennial Libraries’
special collections will be on display, including
items from the John and Molly Pollock Holocaust
Collection.
Generously co-sponsored by Spin Master Corp.
in honour of Hilary Rabie.
Centennial College of Applied Arts
and Technology/Centennial College
Libraries at Holy Trinity Armenian
Church, Magaros Artinian Hall
920 Progress Avenue | Toronto
416–289–5000 × 5418
Post-Holocaust
Pogroms in Poland
In the aftermath of the Second World War, outbreaks of anti-Jewish violence occurred in several
Central and Eastern European countries including
Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and the former
Soviet Union. These pogroms made life particularly
precarious for Jews who had endured the Holocaust. Utilizing specific examples of Polish antiJewish violence, this presentation examines
preconditions and contributing factors frequently
cited for these post-Holocaust pogroms. Discussion points include contemporary attempts to reconcile Polish history with Polish national mythology,
the influence of the Soviet occupying forces, and
historical antisemitism and anti-Judaism.
Alexandria Fanjoy Silver is an educator teaching
at TanenbaumCHAT. She is the recipient of several
awards and fellowships for her Holocaust research
and is currently completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. Ms. Silver holds two Masters
degrees from Brandeis University.
The Nuremberg SS
Einsatzgruppen Trial,
1945–1958: Atrocity,
Law, & History
The Second World War was one of the most violent
wars in human history. Fifty-five million people
died, half of them civilians. With such staggering
human loss, the Allies pledged to bring Germans
to justice for their crimes. Good to their word, the
Americans, British, Soviets, and French held thousands of former Nazis to account, changing forever
the role of international criminal and humanitarian
law. The 13 Nuremberg trials, held between 1945
and 1949, were the most influential of all the postwar trials, not only because they set a precedent
for the future treatment of war criminals, but also
because they prosecuted some of the most prominent surviving Nazis. With the exception of Rudolf
Hess who died an old man in Allied custody in
1987, all of those sentenced to prison terms in the
Nuremberg courtrooms were released well before
they were scheduled. Why had the Allies gone
back on their promise to hold Nazi war criminals
accountable? This talk provides some answers to
that question and examines the processes that
encouraged the early release and in some cases
amnesties for Nazi war criminals in the aftermath
of the war.
For 2015 Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Hilary Earl’s
bio, see page 14.
RSVP to Nicole Nassri at nnassri@stikeman.com
The Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored
by the Cohen Family Charitable Trust.
Friday, 6 November | 12:00 noon
Stikeman Elliott LLP
5300 Commerce Court W | 199 Bay Street
53rd Floor | Toronto | 416–869–5500
Please pre-register at tanenbaumchat.org/tcu
Generously co-sponsored by Doris and Rammy
Rochman in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
TanenbaumCHAT Kimel Family
Education Centre | 9600 Bathurst Street
(entrance from Marc Santi Blvd)
Vaughan | 905–787–8772 × 2201
From 1945 to 2015:
70th Anniversary of Liberation
and its Meaning
Following liberation in 1945, it could be argued
that the events of the Holocaust gave the world
such a stark warning that antisemitism was seen
for what it is: hatred that kills. Holocaust studies
and commemorations became a part of European
culture in the years following. This lecture will
focus on the seventy-year period from 1945 to 2015
and the sobering aspect of resurgent antisemitism
in an effort to understand how the lessons of 1945
are still relevant.
Dr. Susanna Kokkonen, originally from Finland, is
the Director of the Christian Friends of Yad Vashem
and the Country Director for Italy and Scandinavia
at the International Relations Division of Yad
Vashem. Dr. Kokkonen is responsible for many of
Yad Vashem’s activities, including enrolment of
new Friends and Partners for Yad Vashem’s many
projects as well as the annual International Christian Leadership Seminar.
Co-sponsored by International Christian Embassy
Jerusalem.
Forest Hill United Church
2 Wembley Road | Toronto | 416–783–0879
Life After Hiding
How do the specific experiences of living in hiding
and hiding a person affect the relationship for both
a rescuer and charge? What happens when liberation
again changes the nature of this relationship? This
lecture seeks to explore these questions by looking
at case studies of Polish Jewish children who were
protected by the Polish Catholic maids and nannies
working for their families prior to the outbreak of
the war and Holocaust. With the aid of memoirs,
testimonies, and archival documents, this lecture
will argue that the clandestine activity of hiding a
former Jewish charge, and the act of participating
in this conspiracy, often brought the child and prewar caregiver closer, while at the same time changing the nature of their relationship.
Dr. Jennifer Marlow is Assistant Professor of
European History at Bethel University. She holds
a PhD in East Central European History from
Michigan State University and held the Robert
Savitt Visiting Fellow Fund Fellowship at the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for
Advanced Holocaust Studies. She is the author
of an academic chapter included in an upcoming
Yad Vashem anthology.
First Narayever Congregation
187 Brunswick Avenue | Toronto
416–927–0546
100 Voices:
Commemorating the
100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the Sara Corning Centre for
Genocide Education has created the 100 Voices
Project. An ongoing project to document voices
of victims of the Armenian Genocide and their
descendants, it explores themes of survival, memory and justice.
Raffi Sarkissian, Chair of the Corning Centre,
will discuss the challenges and benefits of the
project and explore the question of remembering
in absence of survivors and in the face of statesponsored denial.
In partnership with the Sara Corning Centre for
Genocide Education.
Winchevsky Centre—United Jewish
People’s Order | 585 Cranbrooke Avenue
Toronto | 416–789–5502
28 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Remembering for the Future:
How to Live in a Post-Holocaust, Post-Totalitarian and
Post-Modern World
Through artistic projects, public debates, social
activities and publications, the Borderland Foundation actively promotes an understanding of
Jewish culture, heritage and memory. Headquartered in the town of Sejny’s renovated former
“white synagogue” and yeshiva, the Foundation
also runs a centre for international dialogue.
Krysztof Czyżewski will discuss the foundation’s
educational and preservation initiatives. He will
present the relevance of such activities in the
process of building a modern civil society based
on tolerance and mutual respect in post-war,
post-totalitarian Poland.
Krysztof Czyżewski is a Polish publisher, writer,
theatre director, and social activist. Together with
his wife, Małgorzata Czyżewska, he co-founded
the Borderland Foundation (Fundacja Pogranicze).
A member of the European Cultural Parliament,
he served as Polish Ambassador to the European
Commission’s European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and in 2012 was appointed Artistic Director
of Wrocław—European Capital of Culture 2016.
Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of the
Republic of Poland in Toronto and the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada. Generously
co-sponsored by Dorothy and Pinchas Gutter in
memory of his sister Sabina.
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation at
George Ignatieff Theatre, University of
Toronto, Trinity College | 6 Hoskin Avenue |
647–328–9727
Temple Emanu-El
120 Old Colony Road | Toronto
416–449–3880 × 14
Lectures & Panels
Image courtesy of Schwules Museum, Germany.
Saving North American
Jewry: Max Weinreich and
the Mission of YIVO in PostHolocaust America
‫ראטעווען‬
ַ ,‫ראטעווען ייִ דיש‬
ַ
‫מאקס ווייַ נרייַ ך און‬
ַ :‫מעריקאנער ייִ דן‬
ַ
‫ַא‬
‫ווא אין ַאמעריקע‬
ָ ִ‫דאס שליחות ֿפון יי‬
ָ
‫נאכן חורבן‬
ָ
In early 1940, Max Weinreich, co-founder of the
Vilna-based YIVO (Yidisher visnshaftlekher institut),
arrived as a refugee in the United States. Founded
in 1925, the YIVO’s mission was to document the
thousand-year history of Jewish life in Eastern
Europe. In this Yiddish-language lecture, Kalman
Weiser will explore how Max Weinreich set out to
build Yiddish scholarship in America and find new
relevance for Yiddish in the lives of American Jews.
Thanks to his vision and efforts, the vast archives,
publications and educational activities of the YIVO,
today headquartered in New York City, continue to
play an important role in the training and research
of specialists in the history, language and culture
of Eastern European Jewry, thus preserving Yiddish
culture for future generations.
Kalman Weiser is the Silber Family Professor of
Modern Jewish Studies at York University. He is
the author of several studies about Jewish nationalism, Yiddish linguistics and culture. His most
recent book, Jewish People, Yiddish Nation: Noah
Prylucki and the Folkists in Poland, won the 2012
Canadian Jewish Book Award for scholarship.
His current research examines the relationship
between ethnic German scholars of Yiddish who
served the Nazi regime and Max Weinreich, Solomon Birnbaum and other Jewish colleagues.
Co-sponsored by Toronto Workmen’s Circle and
Friends of Yiddish.
UJA Federation’s Committee for Yiddish
Lipa Green Centre, Tamari Hall
416–631–5843
Herbert Kirchhoff and Albrecht Becker, Alster River, Germany 1948.
Living in the Shadow of Germany’s Paragraph 175
& Austria’s Paragraph 129(b)
The end of the Nazi era did not signify an end to discrimination or even persecution of homosexuals
in Germany and Austria. Compensation, restitution and even the publishing of personal memoirs
by gay survivors of Nazi persecution were not particularly welcomed by post-war society. Using
excerpts of recorded and written testimonies, Carson Phillips will contextualize the history of this
era and the challenges gay survivors encountered.
Carson Phillips, PhD, is the Managing Director of the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre and
the recipient of several scholarly awards including the 2013 BMW Canada Award from the Canadian
Centre for German and European Studies, York University. An editorial board member of PRISM—
An Interdisciplinary Journal for Holocaust Educators, he is a sought-after speaker for formal and
non-formal educational settings on new developments and best practices in Holocaust education
and pedagogy.
Co-sponsored by Kulanu Toronto.
Congregation Darchei Noam
864 Sheppard Avenue W | Toronto | 416–638–4783
or call 416–631–5689.
Liberating Memory to Rebuild
Lost Connections
Family Heritage and History:
Re-approaching Poland
After Liberation:
Rebuilding Lives
After 1989, Polish schools fundamentally changed
how they teach about the Holocaust and Jewish
history. Yet much more needs to be done. From the
outset, the Forum for Dialogue has been involved
in education. The School of Dialogue is an adventure that allows students—with the help of Forum
for Dialogue Educators—to uncover the forgotten
history of their city, town, or village. Students
share this newly gained knowledge with other
inhabitants of their towns through public projects.
The presentation will consist of short videos combined with lecture/commentary and Q&A session.
Jews of Polish origin can reconnect with their past
and re-approach Poland in a positive way through
the Genealogy and Family Heritage Center in the
Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute of
Warsaw. While Poland and the Holocaust have
become synonymous, there are hundreds of years
of Jewish history, changes in contemporary Poland
and a great awakening in Jewish culture yet to be
explored. This program will present the Center’s
sources of information and documentation, unique
stories and methodologies, and will offer audience
members who have used services of the Jewish
Genealogy and Family Heritage Center in the Jewish Historical Institute (JGFHC) an opportunity to
share their experiences.
This program will provide an overview of general
conditions during the early years after liberation,
including the exposure to extreme dangers such as
overfeeding and antisemitism. In DP camps, survivors were sometimes neighbours of perpetrators.
In their hometowns, residents feared Jews returning to possibly claim their property. For those who
survived the Holocaust, liberation was the beginning of a journey to rebuild lives.
Zuzanna Radzik is Forum for Dialogue’s member of
the Executive Board. She is a theologian interested
in Christian-Jewish relations and a graduate of
Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Zuzanna participated in number of ethnographic field trips to
research the Holocaust in Polish countryside. Her
controversial article, Basements Continue to Rot,
led to the closing down of an antisemitic bookshop
in Warsaw.
Beth Radom Congregation
18 Reiner Road | Toronto | 416–636–3451
Anna Przybyszewska-Drozd is Head of the JGFHC
and has been working in the Center for over 15
years. She has developed and shared unique
expertise in Jewish Genealogy in Poland, archival
research and ways in which culture, history and
family interact.
Matan Shefi has been working in the JGFHC for
more than a year. He grew up in Israel and came to
Poland to connect himself and others to the place
of their heritage, unique history and culture.
Anna Przybyszewska-Drozd and Matan Shefi will
offer individual 60-minute genealogical and family
research consultations on Monday 9 November at
the Lipa Green Centre. For more information and
to register for an individual consultation, please
e-mail president@jgstoronto.ca.
Co-sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Society
of Toronto and the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada. Generously co-sponsored by Lori
& Joseph Gottdenker in memory of the Gottdenker
and Zuckerbrot families who perished in the
Holocaust.
Lodzer Synagogue
12 Heaton Street | Toronto | 416–636–6665
30 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Holocaust survivor Max Eisen will speak about his
personal liberation experience, his attempt to
return home, life in the DP camp, immigration to
Canada and renewal of life. Historian Dr. Paula
Draper will speak from a historical perspective of
liberation and the struggle to find a way into Canada during the immediate post-liberation period.
Bev Birkan will moderate the panel discussion.
Max Eisen was born in Moldava in the former
Czechoslovakia, in 1929. In 1944, his family was
deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. 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. Max immigrated to Canada in 1949.
Co-sponsored by Association of Jewish Libraries,
Ontario Chapter. Generously co-sponsored by the
Gottesman family in memory of Carol and Herman
Gottesman.
Terraces of Baycrest RETIREMENT RESIDENCE
55 Ameer Avenue | Toronto
416–785–2500 × 2270
Lectures & Panels
Image courtesy the City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 96241. Photographer: John H. Boyd.
V-E Day celebrations, Bay Street, May 7, 1945.
Between Darkness and Hope:
Jewish Displaced Persons in
Post-War Italy
Between 1945–1951, approximately 70,000 Jewish
refugees and displaced persons lived in 35 DP
camps in Italy. Some 50,000 of them went on to
immigrate to Eretz Israel. Because most Jewish
refugees remember Italy with fondness, yet did not
consider it home, it was a place between darkness
and hope. This presentation will illustrate the
complexity of being in such a place. Exploring such
questions as, why did the refugees come to Italy,
what were their hopes for the future, and how did
they live without despair until they could leave
Italy, provide insight into the complex manner with
which survivors of the Holocaust rebuilt their lives
in countries around the world.
For Dr. Susanna Kokkonen’s bio, see page 28.
Co-sponsored by International Christian Embassy
Jerusalem.
Melrose Community Church
375 Melrose Avenue (at Avenue Road)
Toronto | 416–785–1980
Uncertain Haven:
Canada and Jewish DPs
Canada dragged its heels for years while Holocaust
survivors languished in DP camps in Europe. This
multidisciplinary presentation explores the story
of why Canada was so slow to accept Jewish immigrants after the war and what economic and political conditions eventually impelled Canada out of
its shameful lethargy.
Anne Dublin is the award-winning author of biographies and historical novels for young people. She
is a retired teacher-librarian with a special interest
in the topic of Jewish displaced persons, for her
parents were Holocaust survivors who came to
Canada in 1948. Anne’s latest book is 44 Hours or
Strike!, a historical novel about the dressmakers’
strike in 1931 Toronto.
Association of Jewish Libraries
ONTARIO CHAPTER at Ekstein
Holocaust Resource Library
4600 Bathurst Street, 4th floor
Toronto | 416–635–2996
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 31 Literary Programs
Celebrating 10 Years of
Storytelling: The Holocaust
Survivor Memoirs Program
Please join the Azrieli Foundation in celebrating
their authors—past and present—with a special
presentation honouring the five most recently
published authors and a premiere screening of
three new films. There will be an opportunity to
meet the authors at the book signing and reception following the event. All those attending will
receive copies of the most recent publications.
Reservations required: 416–322–5928 or
memoirs@azrielifoundation.org
(Doors open at 7:00 pm)
THE CARLU | 444 Yonge Street
Toronto | 416–322–5928
Only by Blood
Renate Krakauer discusses Only By Blood, her new
novel about the search for roots, mother-daughter
love, and family reconciliation. Spanning over sixty
years, it describes the lengths to which mothers
will go in order to protect their children from pain.
Set in the broader context of the fraught relationship of Poles and Jews during and after the Second
World War, it examines the human condition from
the polarities of heroism and betrayal.
Book signing to follow the lecture. Complimentary
copies of Renate Krakauer’s memoir, But I Had A
Happy Childhood, are provided by and published
through the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program.
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
Miles Nadal JCC
Arts and Culture/Active 55+
416–924–6211 × 155
Solel Congregation
2399 Folkway Drive | Mississauga
905–820–5915
Beyond the Call
I Kiss Your Hands Many Times
Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War
II Pilot’s Covert Mission to Rescue POWs on the
Eastern Front tells the story of Captain Robert M.
Trimble, a US bomber pilot sent on a covert operation at the end of the war to rescue American
POWs from behind Soviet lines. During his secret
missions, he also saved many civilians, including
liberated Holocaust survivors. Captain Trimble
courageously flew 35 bombing missions over Germany and France in 1944 as an officer based in
England. Trimble never spoke about the rescue
aspect of his military service, but a few years
before his death at 90, he opened up to his son,
Lee, who created the book. Book signing to follow
the lecture.
Marianne Szegedy-Maszák’s book, I Kiss Your Hands
Many Times: Hearts, Souls, and Wars in Hungary,
examines Hungary’s pre- and post-Second World
War history as well as the country’s troubled relationship with its Jewish population as told through
the lives of her extraordinary family. This presentation reveals the paradoxes and tragedies of the
Holocaust in Hungary, the history of Hungarian
antisemitism that pre-dated the Second World War,
and the story of two families that embodied many
of the forces that created and destroyed the country.
Lee Trimble works in research and development
on lasers, electronics and semiconductors and has
been a scientific writer and reviewer for scholarly
and professional journals. Beyond the Call is his
first book.
Co-sponsored by Jewish War Veterans of Canada.
Congregation B’nai Torah
465 Patricia Avenue | Toronto
416–226–3700 × 23
The Veiled Sun: From
Auschwitz to New Beginnings
Written with young readers in mind, Paul Schaffer’s
autobiography tells the story of his middle-class
Jewish childhood in pre-war Vienna, arrest and
detention in France, survival in Auschwitz, and
return post-war to face the challenges of re-integration into French society. This program will
include a presentation by Vivian Felsen, translator
of The Veiled Sun, and readings by Northern Secondary School Students.
Vivian Felsen is a Toronto-based translator of
French and Yiddish works. Her translations from
Yiddish have won both the Canadian Jewish Book
Award and the J.I. Segal award. Among the books
she has translated are memoirs of Holocaust
survivors, including Memoirs of the Lodz Ghetto
by Yankl Nirenberg; If By Miracle by Michael Kutz;
and The Veiled Sun by Paul Schaffer.
Northern Secondary School
851 Mount Pleasant Road | Toronto
416–393–0284
32 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Marianne Szegedy-Maszák, Senior Editor at Mother
Jones Magazine, is a journalist whose work has
appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New
Republic, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and
Psychology Today, among others. She has worked
for the New York Post, Congressional Quarterly,
U.S. News & World Report, and taught journalism
at American University. The recipient of a several
fellowships and awards, Szegedy-Maszák has been
a board officer of the Center for Public Integrity and
the Fund for Independence in Journalism.
Book signing to follow the lecture.
Generously co-sponsored by the Embassy of
Hungary in Canada and the Consulate General
of Hungary, Toronto; and by Phyllis and Gary
Gould, Sandra and James Srebrolow, and Rosie
and John Uster and families in memory of their
beloved parents, Helen and Mayer Fogel.
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue
100 Elder Street | Toronto | 416–633–3838
Literary Programs
Image courtesy of the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, Canadian War Museum, CWM 19710261-2032.
Holocaust, Survival,
and Escape
Through written word and photography, Joseph
Kertes and Yuri Dojc address the complexity of
healing and rebirth after the Holocaust. Kertes
will discuss two of his novels, Gratitude (2008)
and The Afterlife of Stars (2014), which together
tell the story of a Hungarian Jewish family, poignantly illustrating how liberation did not always
bring the opportunity for rebirth. Yuri Dojc’s Last
Folio, an exhibition, documentary, and book of
iconic images and heartbreaking stories of courage
and survival, charts a personal journey in cultural
memory. Both artists will talk about some of the
stories that influenced their work.
Joseph Kertes is an award-winning author (Canadian National Jewish Book Award, 2009, and U.S.
National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, 2010, for
Gratitude; Stephen Leacock Award for Winter
Tulips, 1988). He is the Dean of Humber School of
Creative and Performing Arts and was one of its
founders.
Yuri Dojc is an internationally-acclaimed photographer whose work is included in the collections
of the National Gallery of Canada, the Library of
Congress, National Museum of Slovakia, Rothschild
Foundation Europe, and other museums. Last Folio
is a continuous project that documents abandoned
synagogues, Jewish schools, and other fragments
of the Jewish past in Slovakia and throughout
Europe.
Book signing to follow the lecture. Space is
limited, RSVP on the library website:
http://www.rhpl.richmondhill.on.ca/RHPL
Richmond Hill Public Library
1 Atkinson Street | Richmond Hill
905–884–9288
Alex Colville, Belsen Concentration Camp.
Distance from the Belsen
Heap: Allied Forces and
the Liberation of a Nazi
Concentration Camp
Witnessing the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust had a profound effect on the military forces
that liberated Nazi concentration camps. Mark
Celinscak will discuss his new book, which reexamines the surrender and relief of the BergenBelsen concentration camp in northwest Germany
at the end of the Second World War. The book surveys the personal narratives of both British and
Canadian military personnel as they responded to
the situation at the camp, drawing on diaries, letters, and personal interviews.
Dr. Mark Celinscak is Assistant Professor at Trent
University’s Department of History who has written
extensively on the Second World War and the
Holocaust. In 2012–2013, he was the Pearl Resnick
Postdoctoral Fellow at the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum in Washington, among other
fellowships. He has been featured on CHEX Television and CBC Radio.
or call 416–631–5689.
Book Launch: tuesday, 3 November | 6:00 pm
York University—Israel and Golda
Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies
Kaneff Tower, 7th Floor
4700 Keele Street | Toronto | 416–736–5823
Beth Lida Forest Hill Congregation
22 Gilgorm Road | Toronto | 416–489–2550
Holocaust Survivors in
Canada: Exclusion, Inclusion,
Transformation
At the Toronto launch of Holocaust Survivors in
Canada: Exclusion, Inclusion, Transformation,
1947–1955, the author will explore the relationships
between survivors, Jewish social service agencies,
and local Jewish communities that emerged during
the early years of post-war resettlement. The talk
will address local and national organizational
efforts to aid the new immigrants. Strained by
mammoth disconnects in experience, language,
and culture, these fragile connections greatly
affected the resettlement process and shaped
Canadian Jews’ understanding of the Holocaust
more than a decade before the term entered popular lexicon.
Adara Goldberg received her PhD from Clark University and is currently the Education Director of
the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. She is
the recipient of several international scholarships
and has published numerous articles on the topic
of Holocaust Survivors in Canada.
Co-sponsored by Na’amat Canada Toronto. Generously co-sponsored by the Ganz family in loving
memory of their husband, father and grandfather,
Sam Ganz, a Holocaust survivor.
Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am
55 Yeomans Road | Toronto | 416–633–5500
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 33 Literary Programs
In this multimedia presentation, Allan Chernoff
will discuss the lost society of Polish Jewry through
the experiences of survivors he interviewed from
Tomaszow-Mazowiecki, Poland. Nearly 14,000 Jews
lived there before the Second World War, many
making their living as tailors and seamstresses.
Only 250 survived the Holocaust, including Chernoff’s mother, in part because of their skill with a
needle and thread. Chernoff will also discuss details
of liberation day in Auschwitz-Birkenau and other
related aspects of life after liberation.
Double wedding of Eva & Jiri Meisl and Marta & Richard Meisl, Tabor, 1946
Jews, Germans, and
Allies: Close Encounters
in Occupied Germany
Witness: Passing the
Torch of Holocaust Memory
to New Generations
In the immediate aftermath of the Second World
War, more than a quarter million Jewish survivors
of the Holocaust lived among their defeated persecutors in the chaotic society of Allied-occupied
Germany. Jews, Germans, and Allies (2007) draws
upon the wealth of diary and memoir literature by
the people who lived through post-war reconstruction to trace the conflicting ways Jews and Germans
defined their own victimization and survival, comprehended the trauma of war and genocide, and
struggled to rebuild their lives.
How will personal narratives of the Holocaust
be transmitted once survivors are no longer able
to speak? Based on the acclaimed temporary
exhibition installed at the United Nations and the
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, this book uses
photography and firsthand accounts to illustrate
the passing of the torch to the young people who
become the new witnesses. In cooperation with
the USC Shoah Foundation, testimonies of survivors
who appear in the book may be accessible online
by scanning a survivor’s image with a smartphone.
Several survivors and students featured in the
book will be in attendance. Video clips from the
March of the Living Digital Archives Project will
also be screened. Many of the survivors in the
book are from Toronto, have participated in the
March of the Living, and are regular speakers for
the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
Atina Grossmann teaches Modern European and
German History, and Women’s and Gender Studies.
A graduate of the City College of New York (BA)
and Rutgers University (MA, Ph.D), she has held
fellowships from the National Endowment for the
Humanities, German Marshall Fund, American
Council of Learned Societies, Institute for Advanced
Study in Princeton, and the American Academy in
Berlin, as well as Guest Professorships at the Humboldt University Berlin and the Friedrich Schiller
University in Jena.
National Council of Jewish
Women—Toronto Section
416–633–5100
34 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Eli Rubenstein is National Director of the March
of the Living Canada and Director of Education,
March of the Living International.
The books will be available for purchase at the
program.
Co-sponsored by Second Story Press and
Congregation Habonim.
March of the Living
at Congregation Habonim
5 Glen Park Avenue | Toronto | 416–782–7125
Award-winning journalist Allan Chernoff is a former
Senior Correspondent for both CNN and CNBC.
His work has appeared in numerous publications,
including The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal and The Forward. Allan served as an interviewer for the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History
Project. The Tailors of Tomaszow, co-written with
his mother Rena Margulies Chernoff, is a communal
memoir and history of the survivors of Rena’s hometown, Tomaszow-Mazowiecki, Poland.
Free admission; pre-registration is required. Reserve
tickets by visiting www.tailors-of-tomaszow.eventbrite.ca or by calling 905-771-5526.
Co-sponsored by the Town of Richmond Hill.
Beit Rayim Synagogue and School
at The Richmond Hill Centre for
the Performing Arts
10268 Yonge Street | Richmond Hill
905–771–5526
Image © centropa.org.
The Tailors of Tomaszow
MUSIC, PERFORMANCE & VISUAL ARTS
Illuminations:
The Art of Samuel Bak
This exhibit of Samuel Bak’s paintings and drawings celebrates his art influenced by his experiences surviving the Holocaust as a child in Vilna,
Lithuania. Bookending the exhibit are two special
concerts featuring Atis Bankas and Constanze
Beckman performing new work. The evening will
include an introduction to the art of Samuel Bak
from Bernie Pucker.
Bernie Pucker is the Founder/Owner/Director of
the Pucker Gallery in Boston. He has been president or chair of several organizations, including
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the
Terezin Chamber Music Foundation.
Neuberger Survivor Speakers, 2015.
Portraits of Resilience
Photographer Elliot Sylman’s evocative portraits of Holocaust survivor speakers are powerful
testaments to the lasting impact of the Shoah on the individual. Each of the survivors pictured is
a member of the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre’s Speakers’ Bureau. With the inception
of the Neuberger as the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre in 1985, Holocaust survivor
speakers created a forum to share their testimony with tens of thousands of students and members
of the public over the decades to ensure that the horrors they survived are not repeated. Thirty
years later, and seventy years after liberation, their portraits, as diverse as their experiences
before, during and after the Holocaust, serve to remind us of what was lost and what they have
each contributed to ensure a better future for our society.
Elliot Sylman has been photographing people and their events since 1987. In 2013, he worked
with Baycrest to produce Precious Legacy, a photo exhibit that celebrates the lives of 180
Holocaust survivors. This summer, Elliot donated his time and skill to capturing the portraits
of the Neuberger’s Holocaust Survivor Speakers’ Bureau.
Generously co-sponsored by Rochelle Rubinstein.
November 1–26
Monday–Friday 9:00 am–9:00 pm; Saturday–Sunday 9:00 am–7:00 pm
Miles Nadal JCC—The Gallery at the J
750 Spadina Avenue | Toronto | 416–924–6211
Constanze Beckmann graduated from The Royal
Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of John
Perry in 2014. This season Constanze has given solo
and chamber recitals in Europe. She has given several recitals in Toronto.
Violinist Atis Bankas has performed as a soloist in
North America, Europe and Asia. Bankas leads the
Ensemble CamerAtis and is the first violinist of the
Gould String Quartet. He is the founder and artistic
director of Music Niagara.
Exhibit hours: Thursday 29 October, 1–4pm;
Sunday 1 November, 1–6pm; Tuesday 3 November,
11–3pm; Tuesday 10 November 11–3pm; Thursday 12
November, 1–4pm; Tuesday 17 November, 11–3pm.
Co-sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves.
Generously co-sponsored by Frieda and Larry Torkin
in memory of Frank and Jennie Krystal.
Tuesday, 27 October | 7:00 pm
(OPENING & CONCERT)
(CLOSING & CONCERT)
Exhibit on view 27 October—17 November
Beth Torah Congregation
47 Glenbrook Avenue | Toronto | 416–901–3831
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 35 MUSIC, PERFORMANCE & VISUAL ARTS
Sounds of Survival:
Music of the Women’s
Orchestra of Auschwitz
A 5-piece women’s orchestra will perform pieces
representative of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz to honour their legacy seventy years later.
This concert will be narrated, offering a lens to the
experience of the victims of the Shoah and the
impact of music. Cantor Jeri Robins will speak following the concert on the topic of remembering
the Holocaust through music and the arts. Themes
of endurance, hope and renewal will be explored
in the context of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz.
Jeri Robins is Cantor and Director of Education at
Temple Beth Shalom in Peabody, on Boston’s North
Shore. She received her cantorial ordination and
Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew
College in 2013. Cantor Robins is the 2009/10
recipient of the Gideon Klein Award from the Jewish Studies Department at Northeastern University
as she wrote, produced and performed a critically
acclaimed concert on the music of the Women’s
Orchestra of Auschwitz.
Cantor Severin Weingort Holocaust Education
Lecture.
Generously co-sponsored by Rochelle Reichert and
Henry Wolfond in honour of their father, Solomon
Reichert, who survived the Holocaust, and in memory of his mother, Udle, and sisters, Nechamah,
Machja, Devorah, Franya and Chanah, who did not.
Temple Sinai Congregation
210 Wilson Avenue | Toronto
416–487–4161
Máramaros
Remembering Yiddish
Culture Through Song
In honour of the theme of liberation and what was
lost in the Shoah, this program highlights Yiddish
music. Song lyrics will be available in both the
original Yiddish as well as transliterated. Engaging
with Yiddish culture and language through music
has the potential to create emotional connections
and to honour the culture that has all but vanished.
Etta Donnell was hidden for three years as a young
child in Poland. Her first language is Yiddish and she
enjoys sharing Yiddish language, music and humour.
She will lead a sing-a-long of pre-war Yiddish songs
as well as those popular with Diaspora Jews.
Kensington Place Retirement Residence
866 Sheppard Avenue W | Toronto
416–636–9555
or call 416–631–5689.
36 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Taking Sides
As part of the denazification process in Germany,
Major Steve Arnold is assigned to investigate Wilhelm Furtwängler, a leading German conductor,
who is suspected of serving the Nazi regime. Did
Furtwängler choose to remain in Germany during
the war to help or to hinder the Nazi regime in the
way he knew how—with the power of celebrity and
music? Following a staged reading of the Ronald
Harwood play based on this true story, a brief discussion follows about the real-life Wilhelm Furtwängler and the ultimate outcome of the
investigation.
WEDNESDAY, 4 November | 7:30 pm
Medina Theatre Ensemble at Temple Sinai
210 Wilson Avenue | Toronto
647–977–6015
MUSIC, PERFORMANCE & VISUAL ARTS
A View From the Roof
A powerful and haunting jigsaw history set during
the Holocaust, A View From the Roof is a play
based on short stories written by award-winning
Toronto author Helen Weinzweig. Narrated by survivors of war, the story begins with a young woman
who flees the Holocaust with her lover in 1938 Germany. Throughout the play, the characters look
back on their lives and the choices they made
along the way. Featuring a one-hour dramatic
reading of excerpts performed by four professional
actors with an introduction and post-presentation
discussion led by playwright Dave Carley.
Dave Carley is a Toronto-based playwright. His
plays have had over 450 productions across Canada and in many countries around the world, and
include: Writing with our Feet (nominated for the
Governor General’s Award); After You; and an
adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel The Edible
Woman. A View from the Roof has enjoyed numerous productions in Canada and the United States.
Between Stages 20th Anniversary play reading.
Miles Nadal JCC
Arts and Culture/Active 55+
416–924–6211 × 155
From Despair to Hope:
A Musical Tribute in Song
This concert will address universal themes of
responses to the Holocaust through Yiddish poetry
set to music. Through narration, the audience will
learn about the composers and poets. The music
addresses the responses of denial, mourning,
anger, and memorialization, among others. English
translation provided.
Originally an opera singer, Toronto-born Deborah
Staiman earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto and a Master of Sacred Music
and Ordination as a Cantor from Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.
She studied at the YIVO Institute for Jewish
Research and at Columbia University in the Uriel
Weinrich program. Deborah has sung in London,
Israel, Canada and throughout the United States.
She will be accompanied by pianist Asher Farber.
Hazelton Place Retirement Residence
111 Avenue Road | Toronto | 416–928–0111
From Budapest to Toronto:
A Personal Journey in Music
and Words
Moshe Hammer and several of his students in The
Hammer Band, a program that aims to prevent
violence and offer children music education, will
perform a concert that testifies to the power of
music education.
Born in Budapest after the Second World War,
Moshe Hammer and his family traveled to the
new country of Israel where a young Moshe established himself as an award-winning violinist. He
studied with Ilona Feher at the University of TelAviv’s Rubin Academy of Music, the Julliard School
in New York, Jascha Heifetz in Los Angeles and
Yehudi Menuhin in London. A soloist and chamber
musician, he is admired for his artistic style, unique
interpretations and vibrant tone.
Grace Church on-the-Hill
300 Lonsdale Road | Toronto | 416–488–7884
Máramaros: The Lost Jewish
Music of Transylvania
In the early 90s, Hungary’s leading folk music ensemble, Muzsikás, embarked on one of their most challenging and meaningful projects: to reconstruct
the musical traditions of Hungary’s pre-war Jewish
community. Focusing on the region of Máramaros
in Transylvania, once home to 5,000 Jewish families, the group conducted field research in the spirit
of Bartok and Kodaly, seeking out those who had
played with Jews before the Second World War or
could remember the community’s musical life.
Their work resulted in a widely-acclaimed CD that
remains the most authentic contemporary depiction of pre-war Hungarian-Jewish music.
The Lost Rhapsody
of Leo Spellman
Through a concert recording of Leo Spellman’s
Rhapsody 1939-1945, this program honours the
late Canadian composer and Holocaust survivor
from Ostrowiec, Poland. Spellman’s composition
premiered at the Fürstenfeldbruck DP camp in
1947 and was performed for the second time in
2000 at a survivors’ conference in Washington,
DC. The presenters will discuss Spellman’s life
story and ability to use music to capture his sense
of sorrow, loss and healing, also depicted in their
documentary, Rhapsody: the Liberation of Leo
Spellman. The EnWave concert performance of
Rhapsody 1939–1945 will also be screened.
Helene Shifman, Leo Spellman’s daughter, will
address her father’s life after the war, his connection to music and commitment to his family.
Dr. Paul Hoffert is a Professor of Music, Law, and
Information Science at the University of Toronto.
He founded the award-winning rock band Lighthouse and continues to perform with them. Hoffert
earned several awards for his work on composing
film and television music. In 2005, he received the
Order of Canada.
Brenda Hoffert has been a producer/writer of four
documentaries including the multi-award winning
film OCD: The War Inside. The manager of Lighthouse, she is a noted photographer and lyricist.
David Hoffert is the director and a producer of
Rhapsody: the Liberation of Leo Spellman. He has
been nominated for three Gemini Awards, including Best Director of a Reality Series.
Generously co-sponsored by Morris, Louis and
Garry Greenbaum and family.
Temple Har Zion | 7360 Bayview Avenue
Markham | 905–889–2252
Presented by the Ashkenaz Foundation, the master
musicians of Muzsikás bring forth a unique hybrid
repertoire, strongly influenced by the broader
musical vernacular of the region but inflected with
a distinct Jewish accent. Often described as “aural”
history, this moving program is a rare and poignant
expression of musical riches now lost from Hungary’s
cultural fabric as a result of the Holocaust.
Generously co-sponsored by the Embassy of
Hungary in Canada and the Consulate General of
Hungary in Toronto.
For tickets and more information, visit
www.ashkenaz.ca or call 416-979-9901.
Ashkenaz Foundation AT THE Toronto
Centre of the Arts | 5040 Yonge Street
Toronto | 416–979–9901
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 37 Symposia & Workshops
Personal Access
to the ITS Archive
The 6th annual symposium features engaging workshops that invite participants in their 20s and 30s
to consider different perspectives of liberation and
life in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Sessions will
address this theme through art making, survivor
testimony, and thought-provoking discussions. The
program concludes with a keynote presentation
from Dr. Tomaz Jardim on the trials of Ilse Koch,
often referred to as “The Bitch of Buchenwald.”
Until 2007, the International Tracing Service (ITS),
located in Bad Arolsen, Germany, was the largest
closed Holocaust archive in the world. Established
by the Allied powers after the war to help reunite
families and trace missing family members, it holds
millions of pages of documentation. The USHMM
in Washington led an effort to open the archive to
the public and remains the only North American
access point for the 185 million documents. In a
personal consultation with Diane Afoumado, you
can access the archive to search your family history.
Tomaz Jardim is a historian of modern Europe at
Ryerson University. His first book, The Mauthausen
Trial: American Military Justice in Germany (2011),
explores the role of U.S. military commission courts
in punishing concentration camp perpetrators.
Jardim is currently working on a book on the three
trials of Ilse Koch and is the recipient of the 2014
Faculty of Arts SRC Award for outstanding research
by pre-tenured faculty.
A symposium for people in their 20s and 30s.
The program is free of charge. Light lunch will be
served; Kashruth observed. Register online at
www.holocaustcentre.com/YPs.
Co-presented by the Anne Tanenbaum Centre
for Jewish Studies, University of Toronto.
Generously co-sponsored by Marlene Brickman,
in memory of her parents Regina and Berek Gertner,
Holocaust survivors; by Eleanor and Martin Maxwell in memory of his sisters, Josephine and Erna
Meisels, who died in the Holocaust; and by
Annalee and Jeffrey Wagman.
Ryerson University, Oakham House
55 Gould Street | Toronto | 416–631–5689
Images © centropa.org.
Legacy Symposium for
Young Professionals
For Dr. Diane Afoumado’s bio and a program
about the ITS at the USHMM, see page 24.
Tuesday, 3 November
& Wednesday, 4 November
9:00 am—5:00 pm
Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre,
Call for Appointment and Exact Location
416–635–2883 × 5153
Child Survivors—Then & Now:
Understanding our Childhood
and its Impact on our Lives
A diverse group of child Holocaust survivors who
have been meeting regularly at Baycrest will share
some of the themes discussed in their meetings:
trauma and its aftermath, loss, identity, immigration and integration into a new society, family life,
life achievements, resilience, vulnerability and
their own aging.
Baycrest Health Sciences | The Jacob
Family Theatre at the Posluns Auditorium
416–785–2500 × 5162
Abram Kopelovich in Vitebsk, 1949.
Border Jumping:
Discover Centropa for
your Classroom
Lauren Granite, Educator-in-Residence for
HEW 2015, will discuss what it means to teach
the Holocaust in the 21st century in this seminar for teachers. Discover how teachers in
the US, Europe, and Israel are implementing
a broader approach to Holocaust education
through the resources of Centropa (www.
centropa.org), a historical institute in Vienna,
Austria. This session will provide educators
with resources and pedagogical methods,
and will include strategies for cross-cultural
projects with students in countries where the
Holocaust took place. Participants will receive
a copy of the Neuberger’s newest scholarly
publication, Holocaust Education in Pedagogy,
History, and Practice (2015), introduced by
Carson Phillips. Applicable for interdisciplinary education settings.
For Lauren Granite’s bio, see page 14.
For Carson Phillips’ bio, see page 29.
Light refreshments served; kashruth observed.
Registration required: holocaustcentre.com/
HEW or mvogt@ujafed.org.
The Educator-in-Residence is generously
sponsored by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and
Naomi Rifkind Mansell & David Mansell.
Neuberger Holocaust Education
Centre | UJA Federation of Greater
Toronto | Lipa Green Centre |
Tamari Hall | 4600 Bathurst Street
Toronto | 416–631–5689
38 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Youth & Family
The Magician of Auschwitz
Award-winning author Kathy Kacer shares the true
story of Werner, a boy in the Auschwitz concentration camp befriended by a famous magician. A poignant Holocaust story for younger readers.
Kathy Kacer is the author of books for young readers, including The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, Clara’s
War, The Underground Reporters, Hiding Edith,
Shanghai Escape and most recently, The Magician
of Auschwitz. Recipients of many awards including
the Silver Birch and the Yad Vashem award for
Children’s Holocaust Literature, Kathy’s stories are
inspired by real events.
This program is suitable for adults and families
with children ages 9+. Book signing to follow the
lecture.
Co-sponsored by Second Story Press. Generously
co-sponsored by Glenda and Alan Wainer in
memory of Leisor and Ann Wainer and David and
Diane Tessler.
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
1492, The Other Path:
In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled
the Jews of Spain. The majority went east to the
Ottoman Empire, where they were welcomed.
After the arrival of the Nazis in 1941, most of these
Sephardic Jewish communities were wiped out.
The remaining Jews rebuilt their communities,
and, when war came again in the 1990s, the Jews
of Sarajevo reached out to their Muslim, Croat and
Serb neighbours to help each other survive the
siege of their city. This presentation will share the
history of Sephardic Jews in the Balkans, the fate
of their communities during the Holocaust, and
how a small group of Holocaust survivors and their
children looked back on their years of co-existence
with others to choose a path other than hate.
For 2015 HEW Educator-in-Residence Dr. Lauren
Granite’s bio, see page 14.
The Educator-in-Residence is generously sponsored
by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and Naomi Rifkind Mansell
& David Mansell.
Jewish Storytelling Arts
at Congregation Habonim
5 Glen Park Avenue | Toronto
416–782–7125
Bloor Gladstone Library
1101 Bloor Street W | Toronto | 416–393–7674
Louis-Honoré Fréchette School
40 New Westminster Drive | Thornhill
905–738–1724
Palmerston Library
560 Palmerston Avenue | Toronto
416–393–7680
War in My Town
Children of the Holocaust
In the teen narrative non-fiction book War in My
Town, E. Graziani captures her mother Bruna’s story
of growing up in a tiny Italian village that became
an unexpected battleground between the Allies
and the Germans. The book depicts the Nazi invasion of the town and its liberation and that of Italy.
Special screening of animated short documentary
films (each 7 minutes) from Children of the Holocaust, created by Fettle Animation and BBC Learning. Animating the stories of Holocaust survivors,
this new resource for teaching the Holocaust
addresses themes of hope, courage and the need
for humanity to learn from the mistakes of the
past. Facilitated by Mathias Vogt, Austrian Holocaust Memorial Intern (Gedenkdiener, Austrian
Service Abroad) at the Neuberger.
E. Graziani is a teacher and self-proclaimed lifelong learner who has worked with the Alzheimer
Society of Canada to raise awareness and promote
education about the disease. Her other books are
Alice of the Rocks and Jess Under Pressure. Ms.
Graziani often speaks to secondary school Writer’s
Craft and English classes about writing and the
publishing process.
A presentation for teens (ages 13–16) and adults.
Surviving the Holocaust:
Survivors and their Post-war
Recovery
Students from Crestwood Preparatory College
will highlight some of the uses of the school’s
Oral History Project. Over the last decade, it has
brought Holocaust survivors and students together
to record, document, and preserve personal
testimonies conducted by students. Presenters
will demonstrate themes such as recovery,
rebuilding life, and life in Canada using excerpts
from the collection that now has testimonies
from over 100 individuals.
Co-sponsored by Crestwood Preparatory College.
Generously co-sponsored by Faye Firestone in
loving memory of her mother, Bluma Rosenstock.
Baycrest Health Sciences
The Jacob Family Theatre
at the Posluns Auditorium
416–785–2500 × 5162
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
WEDNESDAY, 4 November | 10:30 am
Maryvale Library
85 Ellesmere Road | Scarborough
416–396–8931
Vera Erak and friends, liberation of Belgrade, 1945
Co-sponsored by Second Story Press.
TUESDAY, 3 November | 1:30 pm
North York Central Library
5120 Yonge Street | Toronto | 416–395–5535
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 39 Ontario-Region Programs
In Conversation with
a Holocaust Survivor
Polish Holocaust survivor Esther Fairbloom will
Romanian Holocaust survivor Hedy Bohm will
Holocaust. 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.
Co-sponsored by Trinity Anglican Church.
Aurora
Aurora United Church at Trinity
Anglican Church—Binions Hall
79 Victoria Street | 905–727–6639
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Andy Réti will
speak about his personal experiences during
the Holocaust. For his bio, see page 19.
Guelph
University of Guelph (Hillel)
Peter Clark Hall, University Centre
50 Stone Road E | 519–824–4120 × 56061
TWO PRESENTATIONS:
Moving On: Dor L’Dor
Barrie
Am Shalom Synagogue
767 Huronia Road | 705–792–3949
This moderated panel discussion explores Holocaust and human rights education and its relevance
70 years later. Panelists include Kathy Kacer
(children’s author), Jody Spiegel (Director, Azrieli
Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program) and local
award-winning secondary school teachers. Moderated by Steve Paikin of TVO’s The Agenda with
Steve Paikin.
Fort Erie
Old Fort Erie/The Niagara
Parks Commission
350 Lakeshore Road | 905–871–0540
The first 100 guests (one per household) will
receive a complimentary copy of Steve Paikin’s new
book, written with Mordechai Ronen, I Am a Victor: The Mordechai Ronen Story.
Community partners for Hamilton HEW programs:
The Hamilton Spectator, Paratus Investors Corporation and Erwin Jacobs Endowment.
Hamilton
SUNDAY, 1 NOVEMBER | 7:30 PM
Hamilton Jewish Federation
Temple Anshe Sholom
215 Cline Avenue North
Hamilton | 905–627–9922 × 24
Triumph over Tragedy:
Remembering Kristallnacht
and Celebrating Life
Please join the Hamilton Jewish Federation
for their annual Kristallnacht commemoration
program.
Generously co-sponsored by the Weisz Family
Foundation in memory of Margaret and Arthur
Weisz.
Hamilton
Adas Israel Synagogue
125 Cline Avenue South | 905-627-9922 × 24
Surviving the Holocaust:
20th Century Stories of
Survival and Rebirth from
Germany and Austria
This program draws from Centropa’s archive of
more than 1200 interviews with elderly Jews from
fifteen European countries to feature stories from
Germany and Austria that tell of people who survived Nazi persecution by fleeing. Through short
multimedia films, Kurt Brodmann from Vienna will
tell you how his family survived by sending him to
Palestine, his brother to England and his parents
to Shanghai; Rosa Rosenstein will tell you about
growing up in Weimar Berlin, and how she saved
her children by sending them to Palestine to live
with her parents, while she and her husband fled;
and Erna Goldmann will tell us about life in Frankfurt before the war, and what it meant to leave her
grandfather behind in Frankfurt as she fled for Palestine in 1937. All will tell you how they survived,
and how they rebuilt their lives to start anew.
For 2015 HEW Educator-in-Residence Dr. Lauren
Granite’s bio, see page 14.
Co-presented by Barrday, Inc.
The Educator-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Joyce & Aaron Rifkind and Naomi Rifkind
Mansell & David Mansell.
Kitchener-Waterloo
Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary School
650 Laurelwood Drive
jeff_chard@wrdsb.on.ca
40 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week Closed Programs
We gratefully acknowledge the
participation of the following speakers,
schools and organizations at closed
programs during HEW 2015:
Crescent School
In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor:
Pinchas Gutter
Sir Richard Scott Catholic Elementary School
Magda Hilf
A.Y. Jackson Secondary School
Amek Adler
Glenforest Secondary School
Max Eisen. Generously co-sponsored by Helen
Stollar in memory of her husband, Jack Stollar.
Stephen Lewis Secondary School
Leonard Vis. Generously co-sponsored by Roslyn
and Ralph Halbert.
Anne Frank Public School
Gershon Willinger. Generously co-sponsored by
Anita Ekstein in loving memory of Frank Ekstein.
Goodwin Learning Centre
Vera Schiff
Stouffville Christian School
Esther Fairbloom
Greenwood College School
In Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor: Bill Glied
Thornhill Woods Public School
Eva Meisels. Generously co-sponsored by Frances
Mandell-Arad in loving memory of Jack Arad.
Bakersfield Public School
Max Eisen
Bishop Strachan School
Gerda Frieberg. Generously co-sponsored by the
Brettler/Mintz Foundation.
Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic High School
Reuniting Holocaust Survivors with their Liberators
USHMM Teacher Fellow Matthew Rozell presents
on his work reuniting 275 Holocaust survivors with
the American soldiers who freed them.
Bnei Akiva Schools—Yeshivat Or Chaim
Eyewitnesses to Liberation: Dr. Mark Celinscak
and Martin Maxwell. Generously co-sponsored
by Nili and Paul Ekstein and Shelley and Steven
Ekstein in memory of Mordechai and Hilda Stern
and members of their family.
Bnei Akiva Schools—Ulpanat Orot
Scholar-in-Residence: Dr. Hilary Earl
Generously co-sponsored by the Cohen Family
Charitable Trust.
Branksome Hall
Hedy Bohm. Generously co-sponsored by Carole
and Jay Sterling in memory of Ralph Frank
Dankner.
Cedarvale Community School
Leslie Meisels. Generously co-sponsored by
Shawn, Ellen, Alexa and Jordan Marr in loving
memory of Gerard Marr, Ina & Bernard Gurofsky,
and Murray Albert - always in our thoughts and
hearts.
Centrepoint LINC
In Conversation with Holocaust Survivors:
Martin Maxwell and Amek Adler
Christian Centre LINC
Martin Maxwell and Faigie Libman
Kenton LINC
Martin Maxwell and Andy Réti. Generously cosponsored by Yigal Rifkind in honour of Joyce Rifkind.
The Leo Baeck Day School
& Netivot HaTorah Day School
Edith Gelbard. Generously co-sponsored in honour
of Anita Ekstein by her children.
Maple High School
Gershon Willinger
Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School
Howard Kleinberg
Northern Secondary School
Bill Glied and Judy Lysy. Generously co-sponsored
by Gerda Frieberg in honour of Marilyn Sinclair,
carrying the torch of remembrance; and in honour
of Bill Glied by his children and grandchildren.
Toronto French School
Elly Gotz. Generously co-sponsored by Erika Biro in
memory of George Biro.
Westmount Collegiate Institute
Leslie Meisels
William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute
Nate Leipciger. Generously co-sponsored by
Dorothy Tessis and family in memory of Yadzia
and Zenek Wajgensberg and their families who
perished in the Holocaust.
Upper Canada College
Accountability and Justice: Max Eisen and Bill
Glied. Generously co-sponsored by Annette
Metz-Pivnick and Richard Pivnick in honour of
George Metz who survived the Holocaust, and
in memory of his sister Cesia and all who perished
in the Holocaust.
People’s Christian Academy
Helen Yermus. Generously co-sponsored by the
Circle of Care’s Holocaust Survivor Fund Advisory
Committee.
The York School
Peer Education with the Neuberger’s Austrian
Memorial Intern (Gedenkdiener): Mathias Vogt.
Generously co-sponsored by Dr. Carson Phillips in
honour of Dr. Andreas Maislinger, who founded the
Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service program in
1998.
Royal St. George’s College
A Tale of Two Genocides: Col. Brent Beardsley
and Holocaust survivor Vera Schiff. Generously cosponsored by Rosie Uster, Phyllis Gould and Sandra Srebrolow in memory of our beloved parents,
Helen and Mayer Fogel.
Biographies of the Holocaust Survivor Speakers
featured at these closed programs and the entire
Neuberger Speakers’ Bureau are accessible at holocaustcentre.com/Holocaust-Survivor-Speakers.
Sacred Heart Catholic High School
Yael Spier Cohen
Programs featuring authors published by the
Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs
Program will include complimentary copies of the
memoirs where possible, generously provided by
the Azrieli Foundation.
Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute
Howard Chandler. Generously co-sponsored
by Roslyn and Ralph Halbert.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 41 Holocaust Survivor Speakers
The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre gratefully acknowledges members of the Survivor
Speakers’ Bureau for their dedication to Holocaust education. For a complete listing of programs
with Holocaust survivor testimony and biographies for members of the Neuberger Survivor
Speakers’ Bureau, visit holocausteducationweek.com. Survivor portraits by HEW Featured
Photographer Elliot Sylman, Sylman Photography, 2010 & 2015.
In honour of Holocaust Education Week and the 30th anniversary of the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, Elliot Sylman’s portraits of Holocaust
survivor speakers at the Neuberger are on view at the Gallery at the Miles Nadal JCC from November 1-26. The exhibit is generously co-sponsored by
Rochelle Rubinstein. See page 35 for more information.
AMEK ADLER
b. Poland 1928. Liberated April 28, 1945.
Immigrated to Canada 1954.
CLAIRE BAUM
b. Holland 1936. Liberated May 5, 1945.
HEDY BOHM
b. Romania 1928. Liberated April 1945.
FELICIA CARMELLY
b. Romania 1931. Liberated Spring 1944
HOWARD CHANDLER
b. Poland 1928. Liberated May 5, 1945.
JUDY WEISSENBERG COHEN
b. Hungary 1928. Liberated May 5, 1945.
ALEXANDER EISEN
b. Austria 1929. Liberated January 1945.
MAX EISEN
b. Czechoslovakia 1929. Liberated May 6, 1945.
SALLY EISNER
b. Poland 1922. Liberated March 1944.
ANITA EKSTEIN
ESTHER FAIRBLOOM
b. Poland, year unknown. Liberated 1945.
SHARY FINE MARMOR
b. Romania 1927. Liberated April 29, 1945.
EDWARD FISCH
b. Hungary 1933. Liberated January 1945.
GEORGE FOX
b. Ukraine 1917. Liberated May 3, 1945.
MIRIAM FRANKEL
b. Czechoslovakia 1927. Liberated April 14, 1945.
GERDA FRIEBERG
b. Poland 1925. Liberated May 9, 1945.
EDITH GELBARD
b. Austria 1932. Liberated 1945.
BILL GLIED
b. Serbia 1930. Liberated April 1945.
MEL GOLDBERG
ELLY GOTZ
b. Lithuania 1928. Liberated April 1945.
PINCHAS GUTTER
b. Poland 1932. Liberated May 1945.
DENISE HANS
b. France 1938. Returned home 1948.
MAGDA HILF
b. Czechoslovakia 1921. Liberated May 1945.
LOU HOFFER
b. Romania 1927. Liberated 1944.
NANCY & HOWARD KLEINBERG
b. Poland 1925. Liberated April 1945.
MARK LANE
MANNY LANGER
JOE (JOSEPH) LEINBURD
b. Romania 1922. Liberated May 1944.
NATE LEIPCIGER
Immigrated to Canada 1948
ALEX LEVIN
b. Poland 1932. Liberated 1944.
FAIGIE (SCHMIDT) LIBMAN
b. Lithuania 1934. Liberated January 1945.
ROSE LIPSZYC
JUDY LYSY
MARTIN MAXWELL
b. Austria 1924. Freed May 1945.
EVA MEISELS
LESLIE MEISELS
b. Hungary 1927. Liberated April 1945.
ANDY RÉTI
SALLY ROSEN
VERA SCHIFF
FAYE SCHULMAN
b. Poland 1919. Liberated 1944.
YAEL SPIER COHEN
b. Germany 1929. Liberated May 5, 1945.
LEONARD VIS
b. Holland 1930. Liberated May 1945.
LENKA WEKSBERG
b. Czechoslovakia 1926. Liberated April 1945.
GERSHON WILLINGER
b. Holland 1942. Liberated May 1945.
HELEN YERMUS
b. Lithuania 1932. Liberated January 1945.
ROMAN ZEIGLER
The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre was founded as the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre in 1985.
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the dedicated Holocaust survivor educators, not pictured, who established
this museum and worked to fulfill its mission throughout the past 30 years. We continue your work in your names.
Anne Eidlitz, Jerry Kapelus, George Scott, George Berman, Sally Wasserman, Felix Brand, Mendel Good, Inge Spitz,
Rosalind Goldenberg, Helen Schwartz, Samuel Shene, Chava Kwinta, John Freund, Irene Csillag.
z”l
Bronia Beker, Esther Bem, Marian Domanski, Robert Engel, Mike Englishman, Arnold Friedman, Herb Goldstein, Ibolya Grossman,
Elisabeth de Jong, Moishe Kantorowitz, Joseph Kichler, Max Kingston, Bronka Krygier, Wanda Lerek, George Lysy, Anita Mayer,
Henry Melnick, Fanny Pillersdorf, Robert Rosen, Freda Rosenblatt, Judith Rubinstein, George Salamon, Magda Schullerer,
Hanneliese Schusheim-Beigel, Peter Silverman, Ann Szedlecki, Dennis Urstein, Ernst Weiss, Robert Weiss, Nechemia Wurman,
Ada Wynston, Etty Zigler, David Zuckerbrot.
IN MEMORIAM 2014–2015
Bronia Beker was born in
Kozowa, Poland, in 1920.
Her family built a bunker in
the basement of their home
where ten of them hid until
the air vent was obstructed
by Nazi soldiers and everyone suffocated except for
Bronia. When the ghetto
was liquidated, together
with her boyfriend, Joslo
(Joseph) Beker, she hid in
several locations until they
were liberated in July 1944.
Bronia immigrated to Canada in October 1948. She
passed away on May 19,
2015.
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 Gross-Rosen
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. He passed away on
June 4, 2015.
George Lysy was born on a
farm near Nove Zamky 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. He
passed away on September
9, 2014.
Fanny Pillersdorf was born
in Benzin, Poland, in 1924.
She survived seven concentration and slave labour
camps. Fanny escaped a
death march and made her
way from Germany to
Czechoslovakia where she
was hidden by a farmer
until her liberation by the
Soviets. She married in 1946
and lived in several countries before immigrating to
Canada in 1962 with her
husband Leib and three
children. Fanny passed
away on January 13, 2015.
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
Dutch-Reform Christian
families. Her entire family,
consisting of 73 individuals,
was 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. She
passed away on November
28, 2014.
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 45 ENSURING THE FUTURE OF HOLOCAUST EDUCATION
Hall of Memories, Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
Holocaust Education Endowment Fund
The Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto and the Neuberger Holocaust Education
Centre are pleased to support the Holocaust Education Endowment Fund. The Fund
will ensure that programs like Holocaust Education Week will be sustained in
perpetuity. The Neuberger has also established the Yom HaShoah Commemoration
and Education Fund at the Jewish Foundation to help sustain our annual communitywide Holocaust commemoration.
To make a gift to either fund by way of a donation or as a planned gift in the
form of a bequest or life insurance policy, please contact the Jewish Foundation at
416–631–5703
46 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week ENSURING THE FUTURE OF HOLOCAUST EDUCATION
Images courtesy Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre; Michael Rajzman for the Neuberger; Karp Family.
Dedicated Leadership
Holocaust Education Week is made possible by the generous support of individuals, corporations
and foundations who donate time, resources and funds to ensure that Holocaust education remains
a vital part of civil society.
We are honoured that our long-time Lead Benefactor The Elizabeth & Tony Comper Foundation has
joined Great Gulf as a Presenting Sponsor this year. Commenting upon the significance of HEW, Tony
Comper says: “It’s a very worthy cause and the programme has evolved into a very sophisticated
treatment of the subject over the past few years.”
By their ongoing commitment to Holocaust Education Week, The Azrieli Foundation has become a
Legacy Lead Benefactor. CEO Naomi Azrieli notes: “Education is essential to keep the memory of the
Holocaust alive and to teach about citizenship, responsibility and acceptance of diversity.” They join
dedicated Legacy Lead Benefactor Apotex Foundation as sustaining sponsors of our program. The
Neuberger is grateful to all our supporters and donors who are vital to the success of Holocaust
Education Week.
To support Holocaust Education Week, please visit http://holocaustcentre.com/HEW
Holocaust Educators’ Study Tour, Majdanek, 2010.
Featured Events in 2016
The Karp Family: Committed to Educating Youth
In addition to Holocaust Education Week, the Neuberger presents an array of programming throughout
the year. The annual Student Symposia on the Holocaust offers middle and high school students the
opportunity to explore new developments in Holocaust studies while interacting with survivor testimony.
Fred and May Karp have been generous benefactors of this signature program for many years.
The Karp family’s commitment to Holocaust education is inspired in part by familial losses endured
in the Holocaust. As May explains: “We were so anxious to do something to commemorate them so
that their lives wouldn’t have been lost without value or memory. When we heard that the UJA Federation had a program to educate students about the Holocaust, we wanted to get involved to help
ensure that it became a part of the middle and high school curricula. Our children and grandson also
became involved.” Fred Karp agrees, “We wanted to help HEW’s efforts to bring the message to as
many young people as possible. Many young kids didn’t know what had happened and I really felt
that it was important for the future – and for their future – to become aware. Holocaust Education
Week is one of the most important weeks of the year for me.”
Now entering its thirty-sixth year, the annual Student Symposia on the Holocaust continues to educate and inspire thousands of school students thanks to the vision and commitment of May & Fred
Karp and their family. Students from across the Greater Toronto Area as well as Barrie, Belleville,
Kitchener and St. Catharines participate in the annual symposia. “Although it doesn’t change what
happened to our family, it is positive to hope that the students who come to this and other symposia
will be better people for it and understand what happened in those years,” says May.
The Neuberger presents
commemorative and
educational programming
throughout the calendar
year. We offer specialized
programming for students,
educators and young
professionals. Join us.
JANUARY
Raoul Wallenberg Day
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
FEBRUARY
Film Screening
MARCH
YP Event
MAY
Yom Hashoah V’Hagvurah
Ontario Jewish Heritage Month
Student Symposia on the Holocaust
Experience Jewish Life in Vienna Study Tour
JULY
Holocaust Educators’ Study Tour
Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 47 SPOTLIGHT ON NEUBERGER
Education, Remembrance, Engagement. For 30 years, Toronto’s
Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre has informed and inspired
hundreds of thousands across Ontario through its museum and a
vast array of resources and dynamic programs.
MUSEUM EDUCATION
Thousands of students experience our in-depth approach to Holocaust education
that encourages exploration of the complexity of historical events. Utilizing
historical thinking concepts, students are encouraged to find meaning on a personal
level. For advanced training, we offer seminars on teaching the Holocaust as
well as educator study tours.
PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
The Neuberger’s newly-expanded Legacy Committee provides important learning
and commemoration opportunities for young professionals. In addition to the
annual LEGACY HEW SYMPOSIUM, the group presents film screenings, a book
club, lectures and an annual study tour, EXPERIENCE JEWISH LIFE IN VIENNA.
HOLOCAUST EDUCATION FOR
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LEARNERS
An interactive seminar that utilizes recorded testimony of Holocaust survivors
to teach new vocabulary and concepts related to citizenship, immigration, diversity
and democratic values. Seminars are offered on site as well as at LINC (Language
Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) Schools across the GTA.
THE CANADIAN COLLECTION OF
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES
Approximately 1200 testimony recordings of Holocaust survivors who renewed
their lives in Canada will be preserved with the USC Shoah Foundation in
partnership with the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre and made accessible
to patrons of the Montreal and Toronto centres. Under the rubric of “The
Canadian Collection,” this archive will prove to be an invaluable resource for
future generations of learners.
For the most up-to-date information on current and upcoming programs,
visit us at holocaustcentre.com
48 Neuberger Holocaust Education Week 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.
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 privacy.officer@ujafed.org.
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
Irene Csillag
Anne Eidlitz
Alexander Eisen
Max Eisen
Sally Eisner
Anita Ekstein
Esther Fairbloom
Shary Fine Marmor
Edward Fisch
George Fox
Miriam Frankel
John Freund
Gerda Frieberg
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
Chava Kwinta
Mark Lane
Manny Langer
Joe Leinburd
Nathan Leipciger
Alex Levin
Faigie Libman
Rose Lipszyc
Judy Lysy
Martin Maxwell
Eva Meisels
Leslie Meisels
Andy Reti
Sally Rosen
Vera Schiff
Faye Schulman
Helen Schwartz
George Scott
Samuel Shene
Yael Spier Cohen
Inge Spitz
Leonard Vis
Lenka Weksberg
Gershon Willinger
Helen Yermus
Roman Ziegler
Sarah and Chaim
Neuberger
Holocaust
Education Centre
Dori Ekstein
Catherine Gitzel
Bill Glied
Joseph Gottdenker
Irv Gottesman
Pinchas Gutter
Joyce Rifkind
Doris Rochman
Rammy Rochman
Leonard Vis
Myra York
Eric Cohen
Sally Dale
Howard Driman
Ellen Gardner
Sandra Gitlin
Marilyn Goldberg
Nicole Greenwood
Ezra Grossman
Hartley Hershenhorn
Eileen Jadd
Sheri Kagan
Stephanie Kirsh
Kendra Knoll
Joy Kohn
Eliane Labendz
Karen Lasky
Susan Lehner
Arla Litwin
Roz Lofsky
Elise Loterman
Shelly Mann
Martin Maxwell
Annette Metz-Pivnick
Naomi Parness
Jodi Porepa
Hilary Rabie
Ricardo Rapaport
Andy Reti
Lisa Richman
Joyce Rifkind
Doris Rochman
Rammy Rochman
Jillian Rodak
Barbara Rusch
Annette Sacks
Joan Shapero
Julie Silver
Guido Smit
Yael Spier-Cohen
Celine Szoges
Daniel Tarek
Charlotte Tessis
Ken Tessis
Alan Wainer
Heather Waldman
Jennifer Walsh
Nita Wexler
Rhonda Wolf
Centropa
Lauren Granite
Ouriel Morgensztern
Ed Serotta
Ontario Jewish
Archives
Dara Solomon
Chair
Marilyn Sinclair
Incoming Chair
Shael Rosenbaum
Immediate Past Chair
Honey Sherman
Executive Director
Mira Goldfarb
Managing Director
Carson Phillips
Manager of Operations
Mary Siklos
Head of Programs
Rachel Libman
Education Associate
Michelle Fishman
Librarian
Anna Skorupsky
Gedenkdiener
Mathias Vogt
Administrative
Assistant
Iris Glesinger
Lichtinshtein
Advisory Committee
Jordana Bergman
Marlene Brickman
Howard Driman
Anita Ekstein
Honorary Members
Max Eisen
Gerda Frieberg
Elly Gotz
Nate Leipciger
UJA Federation
of Greater Toronto
Chair of the Board
Morris Perlis
Vice Chair
Bruce Leboff
President & CEO
Morris Zbar
2015 Holocaust
Education Week
Co-Chairs
Dori Ekstein
Lily Kim
Liaisons
Steven Albin
Elisabeth Goldie
Babarci
Ken Bernknopf
Robert Buckler
Felicia Carmelly
Sharon Chodirker
Legacy Symposium
Chair
Jillian Rodak
Vice Chair
Dayna Simon
CIJA
Stephen Adler
CTV
Mercedes Findlay
Naomi Parness
German Consulate
Walter Stechel
Aljona Schnitzer
Hungarian Consulate
Stefania Szabo
Committee
Elizabeth Banks
Stephanie Corazza
Brandon Lablong
Jon Livergant
Jessica Pollock
IHRA Berlin
Rosvita Krajinovic
Kathrin Meyer
Laura Robertson
Special Thanks
ITS—Bad Arolsen
Friederike Scharlau
Austrian Embassy
Bettina Miller
Azrieli Foundation
Naomi Azrieli
Elin Beaumont
Dena Libman
Jody Spiegel
Jewish Foundation
of Greater Toronto
Angela D’Aversa
Ronit Holtzman
Miles Nadal JCC
Harriet Wichin
Deanna DiLello
Canadian-German
Economic Chamber
Thomas Beck
Montreal Holocaust
Memorial Centre
Alice Herscovitch
The Cahén Archives
Maggie Cahén
Michael Cahén
Jaleen Grove
National Post
Paul Godfrey
Jackie Rose
Sandra Zingaro
Canadian War
Museum
Susan Ross
Shoy Pictures
Matthew Shoychet
TJFF
Helen Zukerman
UJA Federation
Stella Beili
Melissa Daiter
Elliott Fienberg
Dan Horowitz
Nurit Richulsky
Taali Lester Tollman
University of
Toronto Centre for
Jewish Studies
Anna Shternshis
Doris Bergen
Emily Springgay
Munk School of
Global Affairs
Ron Levi
U.S. Consulate
Claudia L. Valladolid
York University
Sara Horowitz
Brochure Design
Lauren Wickware
laurenwickware.com
Cover Artwork
Oscar Cahén, 1916–1956
The Cahén Archives/
Maclean’s Magazine
Brochure Printing
Raw Brokers
ISBN 978-0-9811031-3-66
Holocaust Education Week
2–9 November 2015
www.holocausteducationweek.com Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre
Sherman Campus
4600 Bathurst Street
Toronto, ON M2R 3V2
416–631–5689
www.holocaustcentre.com
presented by
Media Sponsors

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