We have been involved with FSWC for many years. We are committed to its mandate of educating youth and adults about genocide, the Holocaust and all forms of hatred. We are alarmed and deeply concerned about the rise in antisemitism throughout the world and about the future of our children and grandchildren living freely as Jews.

Eddie's parents were born in Poland and lived in Czestochowa prior to the war. They survived labour camps and concentration camps and were lucky enough to move to Canada with their two surviving siblings. Tragically, all four of Eddie's grandparents were murdered in Treblinka along with many aunts, uncles and cousins. After arriving in Canada, they focused on rebuilding their lives with their three children, building a successful business and being fervent supporters of Israel. Eddie had his bar mitzvah in Israel and visited many times with his parents.

Susan's paternal family was also from Poland. Her father survived pogroms as a child and he came to Canada at eight years old with most of his family. Susan's great grandmother and aunt also perished in concentration camps. Susan's brother made aliyah to Israel at the age of 25 and her family also developed strong connections with Israel where her nephews served as officers in the Israeli army.

As children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, we both have a deep respect for FSWC and their efforts to monitor and identify acts of hatred and to confront politicians, school boards and other officials about antisemitic activities that are occurring under their jurisdiction.

We both work in health care professions, Eddie as a periodontist and Susan as a family doctor. Susan co-chaired the doctor's division of FSWC for two years and both of us have been supporters and workers in many charitable organizations. Providing care to our patients over the last 40 years has helped us to understand the needs of a variety of populations and be sensitive to the daily struggles that many of our patients endure. We have been humbled by the trust our patients place in us and use every opportunity to provide empathetic care. We have also learned so much from our diverse patient populations, some who have experienced genocide in their homelands.

We are honoured that FSWC has asked us to chair the State of the Union and are thrilled to be a part of this incredible evening. With Natan Sharansky as our keynote speaker, we look forward to learning from his abundant experiences and hearing his viewpoints.

We hope everyone in the organization will support this worthy cause by attending the evening.

Save the Date for State of the Union: November 17, 2019

To register, contact Ariel at awaks@fswc.ca or 416-864-9735 ext. 24