By Kim Quinn, FSWC Educator‍

Strand A. Heritage and Identity: Communities in Canada, Past and Present

A3.7 describe significant events or developments in the history of Jewish communities in Canada, including some of the ways they have contributed to Canada.

At approximately 3:00pm on January 27, 1945, the Soviet Red Army arrived at the gates of Auschwitz. The weather was reportedly bitterly cold and snow covered the muddy ground. Unlike the scenes at other Nazi death camps like Dachau in Germany, there was no definitive entry, no triumphant siege; fighting had broken out in smaller locales around Auschwitz.  The Soviet’s 322^nd Rifle Division had more or less stumbled upon the camp by accident. Soldiers were puzzled by a lack of guards or retaliatory fire, unaware that most of the camp personnel had left with the vast majority of prisoners on a death march just a few days prior.

The battle-hardened soldiers who had fought in some of the most brutal campaigns of World War II, were overcome with horror when confronted with the realities of the Nazi depravity. Approximately 600 corpses were scattered throughout the camp, and the remaining 7,500 prisoners were severely starved, many too weak to move. Several prisoners died shortly after liberation, overcome with exhaustion, malnutrition, and illness; tens of thousands of men’s suits and women’s dresses were found stuffed into storage, indicating just how many people had been victims of Auschwitz. The Soviets began setting up a triage and medical system, eventually treating about 4,500 people – the liberation of the most notorious Nazi death camp came not with a powerful roar, but as a quiet, muted whimper on cold snow.

January 27 would go on to become a day of remembrance and somber reflection. In September 2017, Canada inaugurated the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. The monument serves as a place of remembrance, built in the hope that we, as Canadians, will not forget the lessons of the Holocaust.

If you wish further information on the Holocaust and Jewish history in Canada, the education team at FSWC is compiling an online database for educators, which will provide source materials and information to support the new Ontario Social Studies curriculum. Please keep an eye on FSWC updates for more.

Resources

Official website of National Holocaust Monument. Link.

UN Declaration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Link.