HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY

Co-sponsored by UJA’s Holocaust Centre of Toronto and the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem with the support of many community organizations, this is the only community-wide commemoration in Toronto and the largest commemoration outside Israel. Last year’s commemoration attracted over 2,000 people.

This year’s ceremony will pay special tribute to the child survivors of the Holocaust. Joe Gottdenker, who was a child in hiding in Poland during the Holocaust, will deliver the keynote address. Mr. Gottdenker came to Canada in 1958 and has become one of Canada’s most successful business people, and most generous philanthropists. 

As part of the ceremony, Israeli Consul General Amir Gissin, will bestow the distinction of Righteous Among the Nations. The distinction, which is given by Yad Vashem on behalf of the State of Israel to those individuals who risked their own lives to save Jews during the Holocaust, will be given posthumously to Catharina Develing for saving the life of John Sanders, a 4 ½ year old Jewish boy in Holland.  Mr. Sanders, who now lives in Toronto will be at the commemoration and Mrs. Develing’s daughter, also a Torontonian, will accept on behalf of her mother.

The commemoration will feature over 50 children singing from The Toronto Heschel School Children’s Chorus and Toronto Children’s Chorus Training Choir and a candle lighting ceremony to honour those who were killed in the Holocaust.

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Media Contact:

Sally Szuster, Public and Media Relations
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Phone: 416.840-2988/Cell: 647-280-6017 sszuster@ujafed.org/ www.jewishtoronto.com
or
David Eisenstadt
Canadian Society for Yad Vashem
Phone: 416-696-9900 ext. 36/Cell: 416-561-5750
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com/ www.yadvashem.org

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