THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Museum in partnership with the Shaarey Shomayim Congregation of Thunder Bay is hosting And in 1948 I came to Canada: The Holocaust in six dates, a touring exhibit from the Montreal Holocaust Museum that commemorates the survivors of the Holocaust and their journeys to Canada.
“We as public history professionals really feel it’s important that people continue to learn about this history from time to time, there’s never going to be a point where we say, well, it’s now time to move on from educating about the Holocaust or about other genocides,” said Scott Bradley, executive director, Thunder Bay Museum.
"It will be always imminently important to teach especially young people, our leaders and our educators about everything that went on, the causes, how we got there, the social environment, the political environment that led to genocide, especially the Holocaust, and how we can make sure we put in the protections to make sure that never happens again."
Additional artifacts and information have been added to reflect the specific history of the Jewish community in Thunder Bay.
Dr. Daniel Hannah, president of Shaarey Shomayim Congregation says the Thunder Bay Jewish community is small but active and showed overwhelming support for the exhibit, raising donations and even loaning family heirlooms.
"Community members thought that it would be really helpful to have an educational tool on the holocaust available to people in Thunder Bay to fill the gap that wasn't being met at this moment by educational and museum resources currently in the city,” said Hannah.
“People think it's still relevant to talk about the Holocaust, to talk about racism, to talk about genocide, to talk about the dangers of totalitarian government at this particular moment."
An opening reception is planned for Monday, April 11.
Special events during the run of this exhibit include two guest speakers and a concert series featuring works by Jewish composers affected by the Holocaust.
Thunder Bay residents can register for each of the special events at the Thunder Bay Museum Website.
The exhibit will be running now until July 24th and is included with general admission of $3 for adults and $1.50 for youth under 18.
