TORONTO(April 20, 2017) – Yom HaShoah – which takesplace from Sunday, April 23 to Monday, April 24 – is a day of Holocaustremembrance, where people in Israel and abroad remember the six million Jewswho perished during the Holocaust. Jewish communities throughout Canada will observethis day by holding vigils, discussions, film screenings, and more.

On Monday,April 24, in recognition of the important day, Friends of Simon WiesenthalCenter (FSWC) will hold a candle-lighting ceremony followed by a screening ofthe film I Have Never Forgotten You. Mediais invited to the event.

Dateand Location:      5075Yonge St., Suite 902, Toronto, ON

                                       Monday,April 24, 7:00 p.m. – 9 p.m.

“Yom HaShoahis a day for honouring the lives of victims and recognizing the survivors ofthe Holocaust,” says Avi Benlolo, President and CEO of FSWC. “This is a daythat should be recognized by all Canadians, as it serves as a reminder of thetragedies that can occur when we turn a blind eye to racism in ourcommunities.”

FSWC is aleading non-profit organization that focuses on educating the public about theHolocaust and countering racism and antisemitism. We offer countless Holocaust educationalprograms, resources, events and more to students and professionals. We inviteyou to learn more about the 17 ways FSWC is changing the world below.

Benlolo isavailable to speak to media about Yom HaShoah and the significance of the dayfor Holocaust remembrance and education.

To arrange aninterview with Avi, please contact:

AvitalBorisovsky
CommunicationsAssociate  
416.864.9735x 29 
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

AtaraCadesky
CommunicationsAssociate
416.864.9735x 30 
acadesky@fswc.ca

Follow us onTwitter at @CanadianFSWC for latest news and organization updates.

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FSWC’s HolocaustEducation Work

1. We hold an annual event called Speakers Idol. It’s a speaking competition whereby students from across the country compete to give the best speech of their lives, with a focus on human rights. Over 200 applicants participated this year and had to lift off their speech from Simon Wiesenthal's famous quote - "For evil to flourish, it only requires good men/women to do nothing."
   
   
2. Additionally, we provide post-graduate Holocaust research scholarships. 
   
   
3. We also provide certification in Holocaust education through our teacher training program each summer.
   
   
4. FSWC holds symposiums and produces important documents concerning January 27th –International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year, we published a significant reflections booklet with statements by Justin Trudeau, Irwin Cotler, religious leaders, mayors and police officials.
   
   
5. Concerning memorializing January 27th – we also campaign continuously to have school boards from across the country include International Holocaust Remembrance Day in their calendars and promote programming. We provide them with resource materials to assist. We are pleased that there are over 25 school boards registered representing hundreds of thousands of students.  
   
   
6. Each year, From Compassion to Action takes educators, trustees and board of education officials on an educational journey to increase their understanding of the     Holocaust. We tour Auschwitz, Majdanek, visit Berlin, Munich, Nuremberg and other important sites to build awareness and understanding.  
   
   
7. While Tour for Humanity is noted, it is not given sufficient attention. Every single day, our mobile educational center educates nearly 200 students across Ontario about the Holocaust. Combined with our in-house workshops and the Tour, we educate between 1000 and 1,500 students per week. We have a developed and established curriculum that is continuously tested and advanced in the schools and communities we have a relationship with.
   
   
8. FSWC regularly participates in educational forums, professional development and equity conferences to educate professionals about the Holocaust, antisemitism and racism in general. We are proud to be called upon and recognized in this arena. We previously participated in a conference on racism held by the Ontario Lt. Gov. General and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Most recently, we participated in an equity conference in Guelph, Ontario.
   
   
9. Each year, FSWC celebrates Freedom Day to memorialize Simon Wiesenthal's vision and belief – that "freedom is not a gift from heaven, we must fight for it each day." By hosting this annual event for 3,500 students to discuss the Holocaust and human rights issues, we promote the idea that together – with the celebration of democracy and tolerance – we can ensure that a tragedy like the Holocaust never happens again.
    
10. Over the last 10 years, we have educated more than 20,000 people about the Holocaust and critical issues through Spirit of Hope Benefit, which is an annual dinner and forum.
    
    
11. Outside of continuous Holocaust study and development of policies that counter modern antisemitism, our comprehensive education and diversity workshops include Lessons and Legacy of the Holocaust; The Roots of Hate and Intolerance; Genocide and Power of Action; and much more.
    
    
12. The organization continues to pursue and pressure governments around the world to bring war criminals to justice. We supported the recent trial of Oskar Groning in Germany and recently brought in the prosecutor to speak about the trial and meet with Holocaust survivors and their families. Previously, FSWC met with Canadian     government officials to press for the deportation of Nazi war criminals residing here. 
    
    
13. FSWC has been actively engaged in producing Holocaust educational films through Moriah Films, which has won two Academy Awards for the films Genocide and The Long Way Home. Additionally, FSWC has produced its own Holocaust films, including a six-minute documentary about the Holocaust, which is shown on the Tour for Humanity. FSWC has also produced a five-minute documentary called Unless, which features Holocaust survivors and their children and grandchildren. The film deals with the importance of remembering.
    
    
14. One of our most recent Holocaust projects is a website – www.neverforgetme.ca. The website features six Holocaust survivors providing testimony and is utilized by schools and accessible to the world     at large for Holocaust research testimony. The website was launched in 2016 and is purposefully intended to provide short excerpts to match the needs of all ages. 
    
    
15. FSWC commemorates Yom HaShoah each year either through partnerships or its own community events. This year, FSWC is hosting a commemoration with a Holocaust-related film about Simon Wiesenthal. 
    
    
16. FSWC also has a wide selection of books and videos about the Holocaust at its Toronto headquarters under the Harry and Barb Silverberg Library. Additional Holocaust resources can be found in our online pages at the Hellin Learning Centre.
    
    
17. Lessons in Humanity is a law enforcement training program that works with forces across Ontario. The program examines the Holocaust with a specific focus on the role of law enforcement from a historical perspective, followed by an analysis and discussion of prevailing modern-day issues such as antisemitism, the Middle East conflict, terror and Jewish targets, hate crimes and laws, campus and BDS/hate advocacy. 

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center forHolocaust Studies (FSWC) is a top Jewish human rights foundation in Canada'sorganized Jewish community. It directly impacts over 100,000 people each yearand 500,000+ peripherally. FSWC is committed to countering racism andantisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice andCanadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programsincluding workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Toleranceand the widely acclaimed Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with theSimon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organizationheadquartered in Los Angeles which has won two Academy Awards, has built twoMuseums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO atthe United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the LatinAmerican Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca. 

Canadian Headquarters: Toronto  Branches:Los Angeles • New York • Chicago • Paris • Buenos Aires • Israel