Holocaust Remembrance Day events for TMU community
Holocaust Education Week at TMU offers programming that raises awareness and fosters greater understanding of the Holocaust within the campus community.
This year's event series runs from January 26-30 in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and is designated by the United Nations as a day for people of all backgrounds to remember the victims and reflect on ways to combat hatred and discrimination.
Scheduled events include on-campus tabling featuring a Holocaust exhibit from Yad Vashem, a film screening with director Q&A, a conversation with an author and journalist, survivor testimony and opportunities for guided reflection through a communal Shabbat dinner.
Members of the TMU community are also invited to bring a friend to a Holocaust museum free of charge, extending the week’s learning beyond campus and reinforcing the importance of preserving memory through education.
Together, these events provide space to commemorate the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution, while bringing the campus community together to reflect on shared humanity, preserve historical memory and honour survivors.
Hillel TMU is pleased to offer this week-long series of events open to students, faculty and staff. Registration is required to attend (external link) View the full event list below.
Tabling and exhibit
- Date: Monday, January 26
- Location: Exploring table: 1st floor, ENG building, Exhibition: Lower foyer level, walk-in
- Time: 12 - 4 p.m. (Drop-in)
Holocaust Education Week will begin with on-campus tabling featuring a Holocaust exhibit developed by Yad Vashem, offering historical context through photographs and survivor narratives.
The exhibit and materials will also highlight how the Holocaust affected Jewish communities beyond Europe, underscoring its global impact.
At the table, community members will receive coloured bracelets that reference the identification system used by the Nazi regime, which forced prisoners to wear symbols to classify and dehumanize them based on identity. The bracelets are shared as an educational tool and a reminder of this history, encouraging reflection on the dangers of hatred and the importance of wearing one’s identity with dignity and pride today.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to stop by to learn, ask questions and engage in conversation throughout the day.
Documentary film screening
Crossing the River: From Poland to Paradise and Q&A with the Director and TMU professor Allan Novak
- Date: Tuesday, January 27
- Location: Registration is required. Event location will be emailed to all registered participants the day before.
- Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
A short documentary on a family of Holocaust survivors, directed by Professor Allan Novak from The Creative School.
In his latest documentary, Novak, also an RTA alum, shares the remarkable story of his family, his mother and her three older siblings, recognized as the oldest surviving siblings of the Holocaust.
Inspired by their incredible journey, Novak travelled to Winnipeg to capture the family’s stories on film. The documentary went on to be screened in cities across Poland, including Sanok and Krakow, bringing its powerful narrative to audiences abroad.
30-minute run time followed by a Q&A with the director.
John Lorinc’s book, No Jews Live Here, traces four generations of his Hungarian Jewish family through the Holocaust and beyond.
Q&A with the author of the book No Jews Live Here, John Lorinc
- Date: Wednesday, January 28
- Location: Registration is required. Event location will be emailed to all registered participants the day before.
- Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Hillel TMU will host a conversation with journalist, editor and author John Lorinc, centred on his book No Jews Live Here.
The book traces four generations of Lorinc’s Hungarian Jewish family, exploring their lives before, during and after the Holocaust, and examining how histories of antisemitism, displacement and survival continue to shape identity and belonging – from pre-war Budapest to post-war Toronto.
Lorinc is a Toronto-based journalist and senior editor and has written extensively on urban affairs, politics and local history for publications including The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Walrus and Maclean’s. He is the author of several books and a recipient of the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.
The conversation will be moderated by a student from TMU’s Journalism program and is open to students, faculty and staff interested in history, journalism and the role of storytelling in preserving historical memory.
Holocaust survivor Elly Gotz will share his testimony on January 29. He’ll speak about his experience in the Kaunas ghetto and the Dachau concentration camp.
Survivor Testimony - Elly Gotz
- Date: Thursday, January 29
- Location: Registration is required. Event location will be emailed to all registered participants the day before.
- Time: 6 - 8 p.m.
Hillel TMU will have the honour of hosting a survivor testimony with Elly Gotz, who will share his personal experiences during and after the Holocaust. Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, Elly spent his teenage years confined in the Kaunas Nazi ghetto and later survived imprisonment in the Dachau concentration camp, where he was liberated by the American army in 1945.
In his testimony, Gotz will speak about his experiences during the war, the period following liberation, and his journey rebuilding his life through education and professional pursuits. After the war, he lived in several countries before immigrating to Canada with his family in 1964. He now lives in Toronto and is the author of Flights of Spirit.
As the number of living Holocaust survivors inevitably continues to decline due to age, firsthand testimony is becoming increasingly rare. TMU is uniquely fortunate to have the opportunity to hear directly from a survivor, making this event an especially meaningful moment of remembrance, learning, and responsibility to preserve living memory while it is still possible.
This event is open to students, faculty and staff and offers a powerful opportunity to engage with history through lived experience.
Bring a friend to a Holocaust museum
- Date: Tuesday, January 27
- Location: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Meeting point TBD. Registration is required.
- Time: All day. Free of charge.
As part of Holocaust Education Week, members of the TMU community are invited to visit the Holocaust museum together as an opportunity for reflection and learning beyond the classroom. Participants are encouraged to bring a friend and engage with historical exhibits that preserve the memory of the Holocaust and explore its lasting impact. The visit will be accompanied by Hillel TMU staff.
The experience is free of charge and open to registered participants. The meeting point and museum location will be shared by email with all registered attendees the day before the event. This experience is designed to be accessible to those with varying levels of prior knowledge and offers a meaningful way to engage with history through shared learning.
Wellness debrief and Shabbat dinner
- Date: Friday, January 30
- Location: Registration is required. Event location will be emailed to all registered participants the day before. Subject to capacity.
- Time: 7 p.m
- Registration link (external link)
The week will close with a Shabbat dinner to help process emotions from Holocaust Education Week. The goal will be to help students look ahead and make positive changes from the lessons they learned.
This event will also enable table discussions on supporting the survivors, maintaining Holocaust awareness and education for future generations.
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