Personal stories help students learn about the Holocaust

Grade 6 and 7 students in Toronto attended an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event where author Kathy Kacer discussed her book about the 1939 St. Louis and family members showed preserved mementos while answering students' questions.

Grade 6 and 7 students gathered at the Toronto District School Board headquarters for an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Author Kathy Kacer spoke about her book To Hope and Back, which tells the 1939 voyage of the St. Louis for younger readers. Relatives of survivor Lisa Avedon brought photographs, a well-worn children's book, a chair and a trunk that had been preserved by the family. Organizers and educators framed the occasion as an age-appropriate way to encourage questions and critical thinking. What happened: - Kathy Kacer discussed her book about the St. Louis and answered students' questions. - Madeline Avedon and granddaughter Talia Mirkin displayed family mementos and spoke about their relative's experience. - Dozens attended in person at TDSB headquarters and others watched the event via livestream. - Liberation 75 has distributed free copies of Kacer's book to Ontario schools and emphasized the value of classroom conversations over social-media sources. - Seven provinces and territories have announced Holocaust education as compulsory in recent years, though most place lessons at the high-school level and some jurisdictions have not yet implemented them. Summary: The event offered students direct testimony and physical artifacts to make historical stories more tangible and to prompt discussion. Educators and organizers highlighted teaching through age-appropriate first-person accounts to build critical thinking and counter misinformation online. Several provinces and territories have moved to require Holocaust education, but implementation timelines vary. Undetermined at this time.