Today Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Educator Elena was at a public school in Hamilton to give our Leadership 101 workshop to all of the Grades 7-8 students. Elena taught 3 workshops throughout the day, all of which went very well. Elena concentrated on examples of both bad and good leadership from the Holocaust (Righteous Among the Nations vs. Hitler and Goebbels). Elena also read them a quotation from Rudolph Hoss from his post war trial where he claimed to bear no responsibility because he was just "following orders".

One of Elena's favourite conversations of the day came when she asked students to think about a time they had been a leader or stood up for someone else. One student shared the fact that he often helped his cousin who has a physical disability. Another student said that he often babysits his three younger siblings and cooks dinner for them to help his mom. Lots of great responses! 

Tour for Humanity finished off the week at a Catholic elementary school in Mississauga, where Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Educator Daniella worked with Grades 4-8 students. There were 6 workshops on the bus, the Grades 4 and 5 students participated in Simon’s Story and the Grades 6-8 students participated in the Canadian Experience workshop. It was a very cold and windy day (especially for April) so students were chilly as they went from the school to the bus. Sighs of relief were heard as soon as they entered the nice warm bus. School administrators, staff and students were all very welcoming and there was plenty of participation on the bus. After one of the Grade 7 workshops, one student said he “Just wanted to say thank you for coming to our school and teaching us about history but also how we can do better in the future” - which Daniella thought was a very thoughtful gesture.

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