Canada to replace plaque at Holocaust memorial that ignored its Jewish victims

Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly told the House of Commons on Thursday that the plaque will be replaced and reiterated that the monument commemorates the 6 million Jewish people and 5 million other people killed by the Nazis and their supporters during the Holocaust.

“On the day the monument was unveiled, we noticed that the panel at the entrance conspicuously and curiously did not mention Jews,” Martin Sampson, director of communications for the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in a statement, according to the Toronto Star.

“We raised our concerns with the government. They were very responsive, acknowledged the error and agreed to correct it immediately.”

The monument, which was unveiled at the end of last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, states that the monument commemorates the “millions of men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust and honors the survivors who persevered and were able to make their way to Canada after one of the darkest chapters in history.”

Trudeau said at the opening of the monument: “Today, we reaffirm our unshakable commitment to fight antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination in all its forms, and we pay tribute to those who experienced the worst of humanity. We can honor them by fighting hatred with love, and seeking always to see ourselves in each other.”

Canada had been the only Allied power that fought in World War II not to have a national Holocaust memorial.

The more than $7 million cost of the memorial, which took a decade to build, is being split between the government and private donors. (JTA)