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Today,Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center's (FSWC) Education Department hosted aHolocaust & Genocide workshop at the Dufferin Clark Library in Thornhill.The library initially reached out to us to provide the workshop as supplementalinformation to an Anne Frank Exhibit they are hosting in July andAugust. There were over 45 people in attendance, mostly senior citizens,who knew the basics of the Holocaust but were very eager to know more in-depthinformation. Many came up to FSWC Educator Daniella personally after theworkshop and shared stories of family members and parents who had either beensurvivors or perished during the Holocaust. Vaughan Library Board memberMaya Goldenberg introduced FSWC and spoke at length about the amazing work thatwe do both within the community and outside. 

 Atthe end of the workshop there was a 20 minute question period, with some veryinteresting questions. The questions predominantly focused on the currentclimate and what can be done about it. One man questioned how antisemitismpresents itself today and how that has changed since the Holocaust.Daniella told the group about Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions and therise of hate crimes and provided some current statistics.Daniella concluded the question period with a brief speech on things thatthey each could do to help change the current climate and learn from the past.Daniella explained to the group that every single person, regardless ofage, has a responsibility to do something - however big or small, to help oneperson or to help the world.

 The library staff was incredibly thankful for the workshop, with manylibrarians even saying that they had learned new information as well.