By Julia Smith, General Member
Growing up, I noticed that we had many relatives on my father's side of the family. There are far fewer relatives on my mother's side of the family. My grandmother was Jewish. We sometimes went to synagogue with her and celebrated the holidays. She would cook yummy Jewish dishes and light the Friday night Shabbat candles. She was born in 1945, just after the war. Both her parents were survivors.
Nearly all of her relatives died in the Holocaust.
This is why that side of the family is so tiny. No one ever talks about the Holocaust anymore; kids my age aren't sure what it was. Generally speaking, very little education is provided to students in school about the Holocaust. This educates and empowers youth to make changes so history doesn't repeat itself. I wanted to honour my grandmother and her family, my relatives, and my ancestors by sharing awareness about the Holocaust with youth. I want people to know parts of their stories to make a personal connection. I don't want my relatives' lives to be a number or a statistic. I want to share with you the brave stories of my grandmother's parents, Max and Lily Brauer, who managed to live through the Holocaust, survive and rebuild their lives in a new country, Canada. I felt a calling to make a difference in the world. Recognizing a crucial gap in Holocaust education, especially tailored for young minds, I took it upon myself to create an impactful resource that would resonate with students in grades 6-12. I channelled my efforts into crafting a comprehensive video that encapsulated the heroic narratives of my great-grandparents. The need for this resource was apparent, as the resurgence of antisemitism had infiltrated school environments in Ottawa and beyond. In the face of these challenges, I saw an opportunity to become a trailblazer in youth-focused Holocaust education, striving to equip young minds with knowledge that would foster empathy, tolerance, and understanding.
Including my family's story in my project took a lot of courage. I am generally a private person, as is the entire part of my family that was affected by the Holocaust. My grandmother hardly ever spoke about it, and my great-grandparents were dead so I couldn't ask for their permission. I wanted to make my family proud and let go of the shame and secrecy the older generations held onto. By speaking out, I am speaking for the generations that preceded me who could not do so. I have learned that this is the most potent act of respect I can do to honour my ancestors. Their stories need to be shared, heard, remembered and acknowledged.