The National Holocaust Monument’s official opening on Wednesday, September 27 is an important occasion for Canada, for Ottawa, and for all involved in making the monument a reality. In cooperation with the Monument Council, the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) will present a special program that evening to mark the monument’s inauguration.
The National Holocaust Monument stands to remind Canadians of the millions who perished and the few who survived the worst genocide in history.
The evening program will offer those unable to participate in the inauguration ceremony an opportunity to come together that evening to hear about the monument and its legacy from those involved in its creation. From vision to reality, the evening will combine an understanding of the story behind the monument with the screening of powerful testimonies of survivors, which are essential to understanding the Holocaust.
The program will feature a presentation by Rabbi Daniel Friedman, chair of the Monument Council and spiritual leader of Beth Israel Synagogue in Edmonton. Rabbi Friedman will highlight the history and importance of the monument.
Robert Krell, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, will shed light on the term ‘child survivor,’ which he coined. Krell was born in the Netherlands and survived the Holocaust in hiding. He was founding president and is a board member of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.
The premiere screening of two testimonies of the Ottawa Survivors Testimonial Project, which was produced by CHES in 2016, will be presented. The survivors who participated in the project were all children during the Holocaust.
The idea for the Holocaust Monument was conceived by Laura Grosman in 2007 while a student at the University of Ottawa. This largest, most complex new monument in Ottawa was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and his team. It was established through the National Holocaust Monument Act by the federal government, with funding from contributors from across Canada.
The special program will take place on Wednesday, September 27, 7 pm, at Library and Archives Canada. Admission is free of charge but RSVP is required as space is limited. To RSVP, contact CHES at chesatcarleton@gmail.com.
