On the edge of persecution: Survivors remember the Holocaust 70 years laterOn the edge of persecution: Survivors remember the Holocaust 70 years laterOn the edge of persecution: Survivors remember the Holocaust 70 years later
By Marie-Danielle Smith, Ottawa Citizen
Holocaust survivors gather to light a candle during National Holocaust
Remembrance Day ceremonies on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at the Canadian War
Museum.
Photograph by: Chris Mikula , Ottawa Citizen
Thomas Hecht knows about living on the edge.
The Holocaust survivor fled Czechoslovakia with his mother, father and
sister at the onset of Nazi occupation in the Second World War. They
narrowly escaped capture on a long journey through Europe to France,
Portugal and, eventually — in spite of Canada’s “none is too many”
policy — to Montreal.
Others were not so fortunate. Hecht lost 70 members of his extended
family among the millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust.
He and other survivors, along with politicians, community leaders,
students and members of the public, gathered at the Canadian War Museum
on Thursday to remember the Holocaust and commemorate its victims 70
years later.
The National Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony, with the theme “Jews
‘On the Edge’” was organized by the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem.
It had as a primary message ensuring that the youngest generation of
Canadians is educated about the horrors of the Holocaust.
“Our memories must continue to speak up for the well-being of future
generations,” said Hecht. “We must see to it that future generations are
educated about the events caused by discrimination of the Jews.”
A hundred students from Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa stood together and
presented a declaration. “We are the citizens of the future,” spoke out
one of the young presenters. “With the memories of those who were
murdered in the Holocaust in our hearts and minds, we say in a loud
clear and strong voice: never again.”
Rabbi Reuven Bulka, a former co-president of the Canadian Jewish
Congress, said that instead of becoming more distant as time goes on,
people are getting closer to the Holocaust.
“Those of us who care about what happened are now learning more and more
about the brutality and the ugliness of what occurred,” he said.
Major federal political parties were well represented, with Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and
Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau addressing the crowd.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May spoke, acknowledging that the issue is
one of the few things parties can agree on.
“We all, regardless of party affiliation, are more unified around this
than I can’t imagine any other issue,” she said.
The House of Commons adopted a motion earlier on Thursday to recognize
celebrated Polish resistance fighter Jan Karski as a hero of humanity.
“He symbolizes the thousands upon thousands who stood as signs of
contradiction against evil and whose courage we give thanks for today,”
said Kenney.
Earlier this week a final design was unveiled for a National Holocaust
Monument to be constructed by fall 2015 next to the Canadian War Museum.
Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Rafael Barak, said at the remembrance
ceremony that the project is “a powerful tool of education and a
monument of hope.”
Trudeau praised the monument, too.
“It will stand not only as a testament to memory and survival,” he said,
“but as a testament to the strength and vibrancy of the Jewish community
in Canada and around the world.”
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre It's time for everyone in Ottawa to not only remember the Holocaust but take Note of how the Ottawa Police and the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa have turned into Fascist Criminal Organizations that have Fascist ideas of "Gender Superiority" The Children's Aid Society "GOD-FATHER" is Robert Godman, a "supervisor" with unbelievable power and influence in Ottawa who gets to direct the Ottawa Police into laying charges against Male Victims of Domestic Violence and NOT laying charges against violent Mothers. This Criminal Organization habitually fabricates evidence to take children from full time fathers and to illegally place children, in their Corrupt Ideas, with the most violent of Mothers. If you are a psychopath with an ability for Absolute Cruelty, Torture, Child Abuse and Fabrication of Evidence, Send your resume to ROBERT GODMAN aka Rob Godman of the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa. www.OttawaMensCentre.com |