The Montreal Holocaust Museum () is a museum located in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec, Canada. It is dedicated to educating people of all ages and backgrounds about the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, while sensitizing the public to the universal perils of antisemitism, racism, hate and indifference. Through the museum, its commemorative programs and educational initiatives, it aims to promote respect for diversity and the sanctity of human life. The Museum was founded in 1979 as the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre () and is Canada's first and only recognized Holocaust museum.

History

The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre was founded in 1979 by members of the Association of Survivors of Nazi Oppression and young members of the Montreal Jewish community, and led by Steven Cummings. It opened in its current location in the Allied Jewish Community Services building (now Federation CJA). The Centre served as a museum with a permanent exhibition and a memorial centre. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Jewish immigrants settled in Montreal, making it the third largest population of Holocaust survivors in the world in proportion to its inhabitants after

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The Centre became distinguished for its collection featuring artefacts and testimonies primarily from local survivors. In 2003, the Centre underwent a renovation funded by government grants and private and corporate donations to expand and improve the existing collection. The centre launched the current permanent exhibit, ''"To Learn, To Feel, To Remember"''. In 2010, director Carl Leblanc released the documentary film ''The Heart of Auschwitz'', based on the heart-shaped book exhibited in the museum. The film retraces the book's history and the stories of the women who signed it. He later published ''Artefact'' in 2012, a fictional story inspired by the book. '' '' In 2013, a free app was developed for electronic devices and smartphones on

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

and Android platforms. The app can be used in the permanent exhibition and as an educational tool for classrooms unable to visit the museum. It provides additional in-depth information on the subjects and objects displayed in the exhibit. Interactive touch-screens featuring maps and timelines were added in 2014 to modernize the exhibit. In 2016, the centre was renamed the Montreal Holocaust Museum to reinforce its openness to the public and its mandate as the only Holocaust museum in Canada. In March 2024, a group of pro-Palestinian protestors blocked access to the building, protesting an event where Israeli army reservists were speaking.

Collection

The majority of the Museum's collection is composed of artefacts donated by local Holocaust survivors and their descendants. To date, the museum's collection of artefacts numbers over 12,900 objects relating to life before, during and after the Holocaust, with 85% of the collection digitized. Over 100 key artefacts from the collection are displayed on the museum's website and the Artefacts Canada database. Over 4,000 artefacts are accessible digitally through the Canadian Jewish Heritage Network. Notable objects in the collection include an urn containing ashes from

Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

that is on permanent display in the museum's commemoration room, and the Heart from Auschwitz, a heart-shaped book with birthday wishes made by a group of young women in Auschwitz. The Heart was given to a woman named Fania Fainer, who smuggled it out of the concentration camp and eventually donated the book to the museum. The museum also holds the largest oral history collection of Holocaust survivors’ stories in Canada. The museum's oral history program started in 1994. Since then the museum has recorded and archived over 800 oral histories, and continues to do so. In 2016, it participated in the Canada Collection

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...

project that consolidated more than 1,250 testimonies from Holocaust survivors across Canada and preserved them in the

USC Shoah Foundation The USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education, formerly Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the ...

Visual History Archive.

Exhibitions

Permanent Exhibition

''To Learn, To Feel, To Remember'' is the current permanent exhibition that went on display with the renovation in 2003. When it launched it featured 418 artifacts, 372 photographs and 10 video stations. It is designed to reflect Jewish culture and history in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

before the war, the destruction of Jewish life during the Nazi era and the Holocaust, and how the survivors who immigrated to Montreal and Canada rebuilt their lives.

Travelling exhibitions

''United Against Genocide: Understand, Question, Prevent'' aims to educate the public about

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

, its implications and how to prevent it. The exhibit examines the similarities and differences between the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

Cambodian Genocide The Cambodian genocide was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodian citizens by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Pol Pot. It resulted in the deaths of 1.5 to 2 million people from 1975 to 1979, nearly 25% of Cambodia's populati ...

, the Genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda and the Holocaust through testimonies, interviews and archives. ''"And In 1948, I Came to Canada": The Holocaust in Six Dates'' focuses on six key dates of the Holocaust, from the Nazi party's rise to power to the liberation of concentration camps. There is also an emphasis on Canada's reaction to the Holocaust and survivors’ lives in Canada. The exhibition uses artefacts from the museum's collection and testimonies from Montreal survivors.

Virtual exhibitions

The museum has three virtual exhibitions available for free online. ''Building New Lives'' follows the stories of Jewish refugees in Canada after World War II and their contributions to society as they made communities in Canada their home. ''United Against Genocide: Understand, Question, Prevent'' explores the similarities and differences between genocides to educate about its implications and prevention. ''Holocaust Life Stories'' features biographies and video testimonies from Holocaust survivors.

Programs

Every year the Museum organizes a number of events open to the public including annual

Yom Hashoah Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah (), known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah (, ) and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Je ...

and

Kristallnacht ( ) or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from the Hitler Youth and German civilia ...

commemorations attended by survivors, members of the Jewish community and dignitaries. It also commemorates the Roma Genocide and

International Holocaust Remembrance Day The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an list of minor secular observances#January, international memorial day on 27 January that memorialization, commemorates Holoca ...

. The Roma Genocide commemoration was first held in 2016 in partnership with Romanipe, a local non-profit that combats prejudice against Roma and advocates for Canada to recognize the Genocide of Roma and Sinti. The museum also organizes events for the public that educate about the Holocaust and current human rights issues with guest speakers, films, workshops and Holocaust survivor testimonies.

Education and resources

The Museum develops a number of educational resources for teachers on the Holocaust and human rights. Pedagogical tools, such as A ''Brief History of Antisemitism in Canada, The Heart From Auschwitz,'' and '' Hana’s Suitcase'' are produced in English and French and available for free on its website. The museum also organizes a biennial conference to assist and train educators in teaching about the Holocaust and human rights. In 2017, the Museum received a grant from the Canadian government's Inter-Action fund for the Beyond the Walls of the Montreal Holocaust Museum project. The project, in conjunction with teacher's associations, universities, Holocaust education centres, Jewish Federations and the

Canadian Museum for Human Rights The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR; ) is a Canadian Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and List of national museums, national museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, adjacent to The Forks, Winnipeg, The Forks. The purpose of the ...

, provides educators in various provinces with tools to teach about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights.

Public positions

Since 2012, the Museum has taken public positions in order to take a stand on issues related to the history of the Holocaust and human rights of concern to Canadian citizens. It issues statements, organizes events and maintains a social media presence in order to promote diversity and public awareness by bridging the gap between the past and the present. The Museum issued statements denouncing Quebec's Bills 60 and 62 on the grounds of racism and prejudice because they reinforced prejudices and alienated minority groups. Working with human rights organizations and minority groups is another way the museum addresses current issues. It has taken an active role in advocating and supporting refugee rights through statements and events.

Affiliations

The museum is affiliated with: Federation CJA, CMA,

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, VMC
SMQMusées Montréal
IHRA and AHO.

References

External links

*
Virtual ExhibitionsArtefactsEducational Resources

Canadian Jewish Heritage Network