The lessons of the Holocaust figure prominently in FSWC’s education programs that promote the principles of inclusion, social justice and democratic values. In addition to the important historical facts behind Nazi Germany’s murder of six million Jews, we bring this dark chapter to life through the Holocaust survivor testimonies of those who, against all odds, survived the genocide.
Since the inception of FSWC, Holocaust survivors have discussed the horrors of concentration camps at our educational workshops and events. We are deeply grateful for their participation and for their strength in sharing their difficult personal journeys with young people, with the hope it will help prevent such a horrific tragedy in the future.
We are honoured to introduce you to some of the incredible men and women who have given so much of their time to contribute greatly to Holocaust education in Canada. The short summaries below and accompanying videos offer only a brief glimpse into the lived experience of antisemitism and trauma each of these people endured in their younger years duirng Holocaust.
Sadly, with the number of survivors constantly diminishing, the day is fast approaching when there won’t be anyone left who can give first-hand testimony of the excruciating reality Jews faced under the Nazis. All the more reason it is imperative to forever preserve and revisit these stories as part of the legacy of survivors.
L’histoire de Gershon Willinger
Transcription vidéo en français
The Holocaust in Holland
Avant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les Pays-Bas comptaient environ 140 000 Juifs. De nombreux Juifs néerlandais vivaient dans le pays depuis des générations, tandis qu’environ 30 000 étaient des réfugiés venus d’Allemagne et d’Autriche.En 1940, les Pays-Bas furent envahis et occupés par l’Allemagne nazie. Sous le régime nazi, des lois antisémites limitèrent rapidement les libertés des Juifs néerlandais, notamment en expulsant les professionnels juifs de leur emploi et en forçant les Juifs à porter l’étoile jaune de David sur leurs vêtements.À partir de 1942, les nazis arrêtèrent des Juifs partout aux Pays-Bas et les déportèrent vers le camp de transit de Westerbork, aux Pays-Bas, avant de les transporter par train vers des camps de concentration et des centres d’extermination comme Auschwitz et Sobibor.Plus de 75 % des Juifs néerlandais furent assassinés pendant l’Holocauste, le taux le plus élevé de toutes les communautés d’Europe occidentale. Beaucoup de ceux qui survécurent purent échapper à l’arrestation grâce à l’aide de la résistance néerlandaise clandestine ou de citoyens ordinaires, qui cachèrent des Juifs ou les aidèrent à obtenir de faux papiers.
La vie juive avant la guerre
Gershon est né en 1942, deux ans après l’invasion nazie des Pays-Bas. Il avait une sœur, Rita, de deux ans son aînée. Ses parents avaient émigré d’Allemagne vers les Pays-Bas.Ils l’ont placé en cachette auprès d’une famille non juive alors qu’il n’avait que quelques mois. Il avait à peine deux ans lorsqu’il a été enlevé à ses parents d’accueil et envoyé au camp de transit de Westerbork.
Chronologie des événements marquants de la vie de Gershon
1942: Gershon is born in Amsterdam.
1942: At a few months old, Gershon is placed in hiding with a non-Jewish family.
Early 1943: Gershon is arrested and sent to Westerbork transit camp.
June 1943: Gershon’s parents are arrested separately and sent to Westerbork transit
camp.
July 1943: Gershon’s parents are deported to Sobibor extermination centre, where they
are murdered upon arrival in the gas chambers.
September 13, 1944: Gershon, along with 50 other children, is sent on a train to the
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Late 1944: Gershon is sent to Theresienstadt ghetto/concentration camp.
May 1945: Theresienstadt is liberated by the Allies and Gershon is returned to the
Netherlands to live with his foster parents.
Discussion & Reflection Questions
- Many Jews fled Germany in the 1930s because of the prolific antisemitic attitudes that existed within the country. Did other countries accept the refugees? How were Jewish refugees received in Canada and the rest of the world?
- Did the Holocaust influence Canadians’ views of Canada’s treatment of First Nations people?
- How did German antisemitic propaganda affect Canadian people’s perspective of Jewish people?
- Do you think that apologies and reparations from the past have adequately redressed the wrongdoings of the Holocaust? If not, what more could have been done?
- One of Gershon’s messages is “Don’t be a good person who does nothing; when you see something bad, stand up for what’s right!” What does that mean to you? How can you apply that to your every day life?
Activity Suggestions
Pockets of ResistanceDual timeline
1. Have students research the different ways the people of the Netherlands resisted theNazis2. In small groups or as a class, discuss what motivated these acts of resistance.3. Identify the resisters in Gershon’s testimony. Why do you think they helped Gershonand his parents during the Holocaust?
What happens after a war?Letter from Bill
1. Gershon experienced displacement and instability even after the end of the war.
Create a timeline of his experiences after 1945
2. Consider the experiences of Holocaust survivors after the war’s end. Where did theygo? How did they rebuild their lives? What happened to other children like Gershon whowere orphaned when their parents were murdered in the Holocaust?
3. (Optional) Have students research the aftermath of other major conflicts and refugeecrises. What other forms of aid exist for countries after a war ends? How do countriesbegin to put their society back together? Do these aids have long-term benefits?
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