Every November, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa marks Holocaust Education Month with meaningful opportunities to learn, remember and reflect on the lessons of the Holocaust. Through film screenings, personal testimonies and educational programs, Federation works to ensure that the stories of those who survived, and the millions who were murdered, are never forgotten.

Central to this work is Federation’s Shoah Committee, a dedicated group of volunteers committed to preserving Holocaust memory and ensuring its lessons remain relevant to our lives today. Through education, remembrance and community engagement, the committee works to honour survivors, share their stories and help future generations understand the consequences of antisemitism, hatred and indifference.

An important part of this mission is reaching beyond the Jewish community. By welcoming neighbours, educators, civic leaders and allies to participate in Holocaust education, Federation hopes to deepen understanding, encourage meaningful conversations and strengthen our collective commitment to confronting antisemitism in all its forms.

This year's Holocaust Education Month programming includes a particularly personal connection to Federation's own leadership, as well as the remarkable story of a local Holocaust survivor whose experiences continue to educate and inspire.

A Family's Story of Survival: Memories of a Room

On Thursday, November 5 at 7 pm, Federation will present a screening of Memories of a Room, a documentary by Annette Betsalel and Gilles Franken that tells the extraordinary story of a Jewish family of eight who survived the Holocaust together while hiding in the Netherlands.

Among those family members was Rachel Veffer, the mother of Federation's interim President and CEO, Dr. Hartley Stern.

For Dr. Stern, this is not simply a story from history. It is his family's story, one that offers a deeply personal perspective on survival, courage and the extraordinary choices made by ordinary people during the Holocaust.

Following the screening, Dr. Stern will join Alex Munter, Chair of Federation's Shoah Committee, for a conversation about his family's experiences, the people who helped them survive and why sharing these stories remains so important today.

For Dr. Stern, the film is also a tribute to the residents of Bussum, the Dutch town where his family lived, and the compassion that made their survival possible.

“The people of Bussum lived in very close quarters, so it was notable that eight members of a family were able to hide and survive,” he said. “The film is a testament to [the townspeople’s] collective kindness.”

At a time when antisemitism is once again a growing concern, hearing directly from the son of a Holocaust survivor offers an especially powerful opportunity to connect history with the present. His family's experience reminds us not only of the terrible consequences of hatred, but also of the profound difference individuals can make when they choose to help others.

Federation warmly encourages members of the Jewish community to invite friends, neighbours and colleagues of all backgrounds to attend. Sharing these stories beyond our own community is an essential part of ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are understood and carried forward.

Register for Memories of a Room

Remembering an Ottawa Survivor: Escape: The True Story of Morris Schnitzer

On Thursday, November 26 at 7 pm, Federation will present Escape: The True Story of Morris Schnitzer, an animated short film adapted from the memoir Escape from the Edge by Ottawa Holocaust survivor Morris Schnitzer z”l.

Combining animation with Schnitzer's own testimony, the film recounts his experiences as a Jewish youth struggling to survive Nazi occupation in Europe. His remarkable story is one of courage, ingenuity and determination, as well as the resilience required to rebuild a life after the war.

Born in Bochum, Germany, Schnitzer arrived in Montreal in 1947 and studied at McGill University. He later settled in Ottawa, where he worked as a research scientist with the federal Department of Agriculture. His distinguished scientific career earned him international recognition, including the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 1995.

The screening also presents an important educational opportunity. School teachers will be invited to attend, with the goal of introducing them to Schnitzer's story and encouraging them to bring this local history into their classrooms and lesson plans.

By connecting Holocaust education to the life of someone who became part of Ottawa's community, the film helps make history more immediate and accessible to students. It also reinforces the importance of preserving survivor testimony as the number of people able to share their experiences firsthand continues to diminish.

Register for Escape: The True Story of Morris Schnitzer

Bringing Holocaust Education into the Classroom

Holocaust remembrance will also be part of the learning experience for Grade 6 students at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS).

Students will read Looking at the Sky, a graphic novel by Amanda West Lewis about Janusz Korczak, the Polish-Jewish pediatrician, author and children's rights advocate who devoted his life to caring for vulnerable children.

Korczak, born Henryk Goldszmit, directed an orphanage in Warsaw and remained with the children in his care after they were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto. In 1942, he accompanied them to the Treblinka extermination camp, where he and the children were murdered.

Author Amanda West Lewis will visit OJCS to speak with students about Korczak's life, his extraordinary commitment to children and the enduring lessons of his story.

Other Ways to Remember

In addition to Federation's Shoah Committee programming, the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) will offer events throughout November.

These include a November 9 program examining the normalization of antisemitism in the name of justice, marking 80 years since the Nuremberg trials, as well as a conversation with Jewish genealogist Peter Jassem, whose decades of research into Holocaust-related records have helped him reconstruct his own family's history.

Together, these programs offer different ways to explore the Holocaust, from personal stories of survival and resistance to the historical, legal and moral questions that continue to resonate today. You can read more about their offerings here. 

Through the work of Federation's Shoah Committee and our community partners, we hope to reach people of all ages and backgrounds, creating opportunities for learning, reflection and dialogue.

We encourage everyone to participate, invite a friend or colleague, and help ensure that the stories and lessons of the Holocaust continue to be heard, understood and remembered. To get involved, visit our community calendar here.