Today the Tour for Humanity was at a public school in Brampton where Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) Educator Elena taught the Canadian Experience workshop to their Grade 8 students. It was a very successful group of workshops and Elena managed to cover a lot of material. As usual, many students knew bits and pieces about World War II and many were curious to learn more about the Holocaust. A lot of the students had been introduced to Anne Frank's diary and Elena tried to make it personal for them by describing Anne's life as a 13 and 14 year old (the ages of all of today's students). Elena was also able to clear up a few misconceptions along the way. When she asked one group about what they knew about Hitler, one student asked if he was the guy that flew the planes into the twin towers. Elena explained the fact that the attack on the World Trade Center happened 16 years ago, whereas World War II ended and Hitler committed suicide 72 years ago. The school also requested a focus on issues of intolerance in Canadian history and many of the kids had read a novel about what it was like for a student in a residential school. The comparison of photos of Thomas Moore before and after attending a residential school was particularly effective.

FSWC’s Education Department was also on the road at a Toronto District School Board high school for a Lessons and Legacies of the Holocaust workshop. There were over 200 Grade 10 students in attendance, all of whom listened very attentively. Holocaust survivor Vera Schiff also gave her testimony to the students. Prior to Vera, FSWC Educator Daniella spoke to the students about FSWC, our center and some background information on both Simon Wiesenthal and the Holocaust. 

Given the large crowd there wasn’t much opportunity for questions but students were able to ask Vera what a typical day in Theresienstadt Concentration Camp was like and what kind of clothes prisoners had to wear.