
Tour for Humanity spent its second day at a Catholic elementary School in Toronto. It was another very successful day and the coordinating teacher was already planning our next visit. Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) Educator Elena saw a variety of grades throughout the day, from Grade 3 to Grade 8. The younger students got to learn about Simon Wiesenthal and how we can each continue his legacy in the present by taking action when we see injustice, whether it's bullying at school or racism online.
Elena also taught a couple sessions of the Canadian Experience, although most students seemed to want to talk about the Holocaust! Many had read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas so that served as a jumping off point for several questions. One student wanted to know if it was a true story, if there was a real Bruno who died in camp. Elena explained that it is a fictional story but based off a lot of facts about what it was really like to be in a camp. Elena also had one student who wanted to know if World War II affected the Philippines, the country the student was born in. Elena told the students about Japan as an ally of Germany and that they had their own ideas about being superior to other Asian ethnic groups. Elena made sure to tell each group of students and their teachers about Freedom Day and encouraged them to sign up before the end of the school year.