The Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre

Our 5th Annual Holocaust Symposium
May 11, 2006 at the University of Winnipeg

As in previous years this year’s Symposium took place at the University of Winnipeg. High school students from all over the province not only attended but also participated in the Symposium.

Students from the Asper Foundation Holocaust Human Rights Study Program participated in the candle lighting ceremony.

The keynote speaker in the morning was Ms. Diet Eman, who was awarded the title of “ Righteous Among The Nations” by the State of Israel for her work as a resistance worker in the Netherlands. She saved many by Jews giving them false identities and finding hiding places for them.

Five survivors in our community, who were helped and hidden during the Holocaust, told their stories.

In the afternoon we had 11 breakout rooms with survivors who told their individual stories in smaller groups.

A total of 700 students participated.

Symposium Participant’s Comments:

• The stories were amazing
• Not all people were cold hearted, I will not stand by, I will stand up
• The pain and hurt that was experienced was very profound and I think I realized how much this actually affected them. I will be able to understand the victims of bullying, teasing, stereo typing etc. and I know I have the courage to stand-up for them
• Survivors need to keep spreading their story.
• I know the history but I received hope and strength
• Presentations gave a name and face to the individual victims and their stories

Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program

106 Grade 9 students attended the 7th Annual Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program 2006 from various schools in Winnipeg. The Jewish Heritage Centre (JHC) accepted 64 students. This program, which is sponsored by the Asper Foundation, began in February with education sessions held weekly at the HEC, and culminated in May with a trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  A Graduation Ceremony was held in June for all students, their parents, families, friends, and chaperones.  Highlights of this evening included keynote speakers: Gail Asper, managing director of the Asper Foundation, Rona Davies, president of the Jewish Heritage Centre and the students’ personal reflections on their trip. 

Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program
Photos from our Trip to Washington - May 21 - May 24, 2006
  Click to see photos

Outreach

The Outreach Program of the Holocaust Education Centre continues with the commitment and energy of our presenters and survivors.  From September 2005 to June 2006, 27 presentations were presented to approximately 900 students from rural Manitoba schools and Winnipeg.  We are very appreciative to the following presenters for their dedication to our Program:  Gina Chodirker, Amalia Cristante, Shelley Faintuch, Allan Finkel, and Evita Smordin.   We also thank the following survivors for continuing to tell their stories to hundreds of students who are anxious to meet witnesses of the Holocaust: John Berkowitz, Rochelle Fink, Carmela Finkel, Regine Frankel, Susan Garfield, Albert and Marjory Gazan, Barbara Goszer, Isaac Gotfried, Henny Paritsky, Walter Saltzberg and Philip Weiss.                     

On April 30^th the students of the Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program were invited to a lecture entitled “Holocaust Memoir Digest, Studying the Holocaust Through the Words of Survivors” by Esther Goldberg, the author of several books including testimonies by Holocaust survivors, and the wife of Sir Martin Gilbert.  Esther’s presentation was very well received by the students and adults in the audience.  

Mina Rosner Human Rights Essay Contest

The Freeman Family Holocaust Education Centre of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada is proud to announce the winner of the Mina Rosner Human Rights Essay Contest. The award is given to those students in Manitoba schools who produce the best essays on the Holocaust and the importance of championing human rights.

This year’s winner is Lauren Tennenhouse, grade 12 Gray Academy with her essay “Hope for Humanity”. View Lauren's essay here (doc file 24 KB)

Mina Rosner was a Winnipeg mother, grandmother, businesswoman, author, educator and Holocaust survivor. She grew up in the Ukraine and saw her friends, family and community exterminated by the Nazis.  She would later write a book about these experiences entitled “I am a Witness”. The sole survivor in her family, she moved to Winnipeg in 1948.

Mina Rosner devoted many hours to educating people about the horrors of the Holocaust. In addition to her book, she spoke to hundreds of students on the importance of combating racism and discrimination and defending human rights.

When she died in 1997 at the age of 84, her family and friends decided to keep her memory and life work alive by creating a fund in the form of this essay contest.

The students were encouraged to participate in this worthy endeavour. Essays were judged for proficiency in conducting research, presentation of issues, sincerity, coherence, and writing skill. Students were required to visit the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre (Asper Jewish Community Campus, 123 Doncaster Street) and include what they had learned from this experience in their essays. They also had to make reference to how the events and lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to present – day life.

Previous winners were: Emma Fineblit in 2005 - View Emma's essay here (pdf file 481 KB), Alana M. Morrissette of Brandon in 2004: View Alana's essay here (pdf file 442 KB); Alexandra Goldfeld in 2003; Brianne Murphy in 2002; Jonathan Duboff and Tami Lezack in 2001.

Summer 2005

News from the Holocaust Education Centre, by Lillian Zentner, Chair, Holocaust Education Committee, and Carla Divinsky, Holocaust Education Coordinator.

Outreach

The primary focus of the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Centre (HEC) is to teach about the causes and implications of racism and prejudice, using the Holocaust as a reference and to stress human rights.  Our outreach program had a very successful year; we gave presentations to 2225 students from 43 Manitoba schools.  The reception of the program was very positive; one student from Selkirk High School wrote “The story of your past made me realize how real racism is and that genocide is frightfully possible”. This program would not exist without the commitment and energy of our presenters and survivors.  We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the following volunteer presenters: Gina Chodirker, Carla Divinsky, Barbara Goszer, Evita Smordin, Lionel Steiman, and Cara Zurzola, and to the following survivors: Carla Divinsky, Morris Faintuch, Rochelle Fink, Carmela Finkel, Barbara Goszer, Isaac Gotfried and Philip Weiss for telling their stories.  If you are interested in becoming a presenter, please contact Carla Divinsky at 477-7458.

Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program

The 6^th Annual Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program was attended by 114 Grade 9 students from various schools in Winnipeg (including one student from Thompson, Manitoba).  66 of these students were accepted by the Jewish Heritage Centre (JHC) and 48 by Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties (MARL). This program, which was sponsored by the Asper Foundation and the Winnipeg Foundation, began in January with education sessions held weekly at the HEC, and culminated in April with a trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  A follow-up “Graduation Ceremony” was held in May for all students who had participated, their parents, families, friends, and chaperones.  Highlights of this evening included keynote speakers, Gail Asper, managing director of the Asper Foundation, Rick Frost, CEO of the Winnipeg Foundation, and the students’ personal reflections on their trip. 

Holocaust Symposium: Horror of the Camps

Our 4^th Annual Holocaust Symposium entitled “Horrors of the Camps”, held on May 12^th at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre included opening remarks by Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President of the University of Winnipeg, and Rona Davies, President of the Jewish Heritage Centre.  The keynote speaker, Dr. Leon Bass, a retired principal, spoke to 900 students and their teachers about discrimination that he experienced as a black individual living in southern United States, and as a black American soldier in World War II.  He impressed upon his audience what he witnessed as his American unit liberated Buchenwald Concentration Camp.  The afternoon program involved 13 breakout sessions with local survivors speaking about their experiences during the Holocaust to groups of students in classrooms at the U. of W.  Evaluations from students and teachers about this day were very positive.  We wish to thank Morris Henoch, chairman of the Symposium and his Committee for this excellent program.  As an extension of the Symposium, the next morning, Dr. Bass spoke to 200 students of the Gray Academy of Jewish Education, as these students were unable to be present on May 12^th.  Plans are being formed for next year’s Symposium which will focus on “Righteous Among the Nations”. 

Mina Rosner Human Rights Awards Essay Contest

In commemoration of Holocaust survivor and human rights activist, Mina Rosner, the JHC sponsors the annual “Mina Rosner Human Rights Awards Essay Contest” open to all Manitoba students. The 2005 winner of a money prize was Emma Fineblit, a grade 12 student at the Gray Academy of Jewish Education.  Her essay was entitled “Goodbye, Rights”. View Emma's essay here (pdf file 481 KB)

Kavod Evening Honorees

Eighteen of our survivor-educators, who have been speaking to students (from 1994 to the present) as volunteers for our outreach program, were honoured at the Jewish Federation’s Kavod evening on June 1^st.  David Kroft introduced this award, these remarkable people were asked to stand as their names were read, and Lillian Zentner accepted the honour on their behalf.  The group received a standing ovation from the audience!  A beautiful glass sculpture engraved with their names was presented to them by Rona Davies, president of the JHC, and this sculpture is now on display at our Holocaust Education Centre.

The following were honorees, Mazel Tov to: Susan Garfield Allen, Stefan Carter, Carla Divinsky, Morris Faintuch, Rochelle Fink, Carmela Finkel, Albert Gazan, Barbara Goszer, Isaac Gotfried, Michael Kaufman, Betty Kirshner, Edith Kimelman, Bernice Meller, Henny Paritsky, Joe Riesen, Walter Saltzberg, Fella Shwemer, Siggie Wasserman.

Holocaust Artifacts and Photos

The HEC has formed a committee to begin collecting artifacts and photos from survivors and/or their families in order to add these to our displays in our Centre.  This committee will begin a phoning campaign in September.  Meanwhile, if anyone is willing to donate or loan items to our Centre, please contact Carla Divinsky at 477-7458.

For information on any of the above programs please contact Carla Divinsky, Holocaust Education Coordinator JHCWC @ 477-7458 or by email: