The overwhelming success of yesterday's virtual Freedom Day marked an incredible start to the new year. Despite gathering restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the team here at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center was determined to continue our tradition of celebrating Freedom Day in honour of Simon Wiesenthal. While we would typically host some 3,000 students at Yonge-Dundas Square, this year we instead reached more than 10,000 schools across Canada with our free virtual Freedom Day program.

Featuring an array of inspirational figures - including Holocaust survivor Max Eisen, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) the Hon. Roméo Dallaire and several youth activists - this year's Freedom Day brought with it messages aimed at empowering youth to be the changemakers our communities need and inspiring them to always stand up for the Canadian values we hold dear. During these unprecedented times, it is more important now than ever for young people to learn how they can make a positive difference, no matter how big or small.

In case you missed it, check out our Freedom Day video below. Along with the video, we released an accompanying Teacher's Guide to help educators present the program to their students in a meaningful way. Freedom Day is just the start of the many incredible virtual programs our education team has lined up for the school year ahead. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on new programs that will allow us to reach even more students from coast to coast to coast.

Shabbat Shalom,

Michael

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