Holocaust education ‘critically important’

Re: Resister spread word of Nazi horrors, Nov. 15.

On behalf of the Shoah (Holocaust) Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, I would like to thank the Citizen for the story about the Jan Karski exhibit at the Canadian War Museum. Karski’s story of heroism is an important one and should be taught.

To put this story into a broader Ottawa context, I wish to share with readers that the exhibit is part of Holocaust Education Month.

In the words of Holocaust expert, Dr. David Engel: “the weaknesses of the international system today are the same as they were in the 1930s and 1940s.” Unfortunately, just like when Karski tried to warn the world about the Nazis, today’s world leaders are not always willing to intervene on behalf of others at risk of genocide. There is still much work to be done and one of the first steps is making sure our children and all future generations are well informed.

As such, the Shoah Committee’s mandate is to teach the lessons and legacy of the Holocaust. To meet this mandate, each year we organize Holocaust Education Month, which includes lectures, workshops, panel discussions, exhibits, and films. Over the years, we have collaborated with many embassies and organizations to create exceptional programs. In fact, this was our second year of collaborative work with the Canadian War Museum and our committee was a leading force behind the Karski exhibit.

In support of the exhibit, last month we offered a workshop for teachers on the topic of Karski’s courageous acts. Thanks to this, Karski’s story is now being taught in many of Ottawa schools. In addition, we have organized private educational tours of the exhibit so teachers can bring their classes to learn more about Karski.

For more information about the tours, the public can contact, Sarah Beutel at 613-798-4698 ext. 255 or sbeutel@jewishottawa.com

MINA COHN, Chair of the Shoah (Holocaust) Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa