Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Educator Elena has spent the last two days at Northern Secondary School leading special presentations in collaboration with TDSB in honour of Jewish Heritage Month. Elena worked with approximately 1,300 Grades 5 and 6 students in four presentations from a variety of local Toronto schools. Elena presented a modified version of Simon's Story that also focused on Canadian history and emphasis on taking action in their own lives.

Elena felt all of the presentations were very successful and there was a great deal of positive feedback from teachers. One repeated comment was how they loved our ability to connect different types of intolerance with the Holocaust to help kids empathize. One activity that went over very well was when kids shared some of the heroes in their own personal lives. One student said her younger sister was a hero because she used to be bullied very badly at her old school and when she got home each day her sister would be there to hug her and cheer her up. Another student said his grandpa was his hero because he fought in World War II. 

Tour for Humanity spent a glorious warm summer day at a secondary school in Brampton. FSWC has been working with the school since early 2015, and the History department head has seamlessly integrated FSWC's Global Perspectives workshop into the Grade 10 History curriculum. By the time students graduate, virtually every one of the 2,000 students at the school will have been on the bus and participated in an FSWC program.

Most of the classes were well aware of the Holocaust and a surprising number were also familiar with both the Rwandan and Armenian genocides. Some of the questions that arose from today’s classes included finding and accessing primary source documents. One student wanted to know how footage of the Holocaust existed when the Nazis tried to cover it up. FSWC Educator Daniella explained to the group that a lot of our information comes from survivors and their experiences. Daniella referenced both Simon Wiesenthal and Max Eisen as examples. Daniella also added that we have a lot of the primary source images and documents because people often risked their lives to preserve these sources.

It was a good day and we are already booked to return to the school in the fall and again next spring!