Programs for Winnipeg Holocaust survivors to continue despite Claims Conference funding shortfall
Winnipeg’s Jewish Child and Family Services is facing a shortfall in funding after the Claims Conference—which represents Jewish Holocaust survivors around the world and negotiates on their behalf—changed the way it allocates money to services for Holocaust survivors. Despite the $40,000 gap, the agency will continue to maintain services for the elderly survivors, JCFS executive […]
Obituary: Irving Leibgott, 100, whose work as a tailor spared his life in the Holocaust and helped him write a new chapter in Canada
His father was a tailor, all his uncles were tailors, and he was determined not to be a tailor. But being a tailor not only saved Irving Leibgott from almost certain death during the war, but also served as his passport to a new life in Canada as part of The Tailor Project. Leibgott died […]
Obituary: Alexander Eisen, 94, a self-taught electronic engineer and passionate Holocaust educator
Alexander Eisen, a Holocaust survivor and beloved educator and speaker known for his soft-spoken warmth and keen intellect, died in Toronto on Feb. 17. He was 94. His turn as a sought-after Holocaust educator came in his later years, famously first speaking at his grandson Jared’s bar mitzvah. At the funeral, Alex’s son Doron recounted […]
Obituary: Sidney Cyngiser, 99, shared his story about the Shoah with generations of Alberta students
Sidney (Sucher) Cyngiser, an indefatigable proponent of Holocaust education, who was often viewed as Calgary’s Elie Wiesel, died on June 27. He was 99. Cyngiser continued to share his story of hardship and tenacity with generations of Alberta students and educators well into his 90s. “He has inspired thousands, especially young students, advocating for basic […]
How a German high school helped Toronto Holocaust survivor Gershon Willinger learn precious new details about his family
A Holocaust survivor from Toronto who was separated from his parents as an infant recently learned new information about his family—from students in a history club at a German high school. Gershon Willinger was born in Amsterdam in 1942 to German Jewish parents who had fled their home country. A few months later, Willinger’s parents […]
A group of survivors in Toronto contributed to the process of restoring a Torah scroll hidden during the Holocaust
In 1939, the rabbi of the Polish village of Filipów hid a Torah with his non-Jewish neighbours, prior to him being deported to Treblinka. And some 84 years later, Holocaust survivors in Toronto were invited to contribute letters to the scroll during a Feb. 12 event at Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue. From the Depths is the […]
Obituary: Gerda Frieberg, 97, a Holocaust survivor who was a dynamo in education and community activism in Toronto
Gerda Frieberg, an outspoken, energetic and pioneering advocate for Holocaust education and Jewish causes, died at her home in Toronto on Jan. 3. She was 97. For years in local Jewish circles, the name “Gerda,” on its own, was often enough to conjure an image of a whirlwind in perpetual motion, whether it was raising […]
Azrieli Foundation paired Holocaust survivors with volunteer writers to ensure their life stories are preserved
Yvette Newman had always told her children and grandchildren about her idyllic childhood in Slovakia, as well as life during the Holocaust when her family was ultimately deported to the concentration camps. But there was no written record preserving her story for future generations, until an innovative program developed by the Azrieli Foundation matched her […]
Holocaust survivor and Canadian soldier Hans Wolpe is being remembered by Winnipeg’s Jewish community
Hans Wolpe’s life was the stuff of a Hollywood movie—German Jew in hiding during the Second World War, Holocaust survivor, soldier, new Canadian and university professor. His life and accomplishments will be recognized by the Winnipeg Jewish community this week during its annual Kristallnacht commemoration. Wolpe, who went into hiding when the Nazis invaded Belgium […]
Obituary: Max Eisen, 93, was an award-winning author who dedicated his life to Holocaust education
The acclaimed survivor leaves behind a legacy of kindness.
