Vaughan commemorates Yom HaShoah
Event held at City Hall to recognize Holocaust Remembrance Day
Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, provides an opportunity to honour and remember the millions of victims of the Holocaust and pay tribute to the survivors and their families.
Today, Mayor Steven Del Duca, Members of Council and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center marked Yom HaShoah with a special event at Vaughan City Hall. The commemoration featured guest speakers, including Holocaust survivor Renate Krakauer and grade 11 student Dalia Balder.
This year, the City of Vaughan officially proclaimed April 23 Yom HaShoah. Vaughan is a diverse city and home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel. This is one of the many ways the City continues to recognize its Jewish communities and acknowledge their contributions to Vaughan, Ontario and Canada.
QUOTES
“Yom HaShoah commemorates those who were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War. In observance of this solemn day, the City of Vaughan held a special event and joined Jewish communities around the world to raise our voices against antisemitism and Holocaust denial. We must continue to remember the Holocaust and listen to the stories of its survivors so we learn from the past. Survivors like Renate Krakauer – who I want to thank for sharing her story with us today and for giving us the opportunity to learn more about her personal experiences. In Vaughan, we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community against intolerance, hate and violence. We must remain vigilant and ensure the hateful ideologies that led to the Holocaust never reappear. I want to thank Michael Levitt, President and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, for his partnership in bringing this important event together. Occasions like this help us to understand how these atrocities occurred so we can prevent them from ever happening again.”
- Mayor Steven Del Duca
“At the best of times, Yom Hashoah is an extremely difficult day for the Jewish people as we grapple with the enormity of the Holocaust, the magnitude of what we lost, and the boundless hate and inhumanity that fueled it. This year is the second time we mark Yom HaShoah in the shadow of the atrocities of October 7, the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Making it even more painful is the global antisemitic onslaught unleashed by October 7, which still rages on. Today’s special Yom Hashoah commemoration at Vaughan City Hall was particularly meaningful given it was hosted by Mayor Del Duca, who, as a staunch ally of Canada’s Jewish community, has consistently stood up against the alarming rise in antisemitism.”
- Michael Levitt, President and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center
QUICK FACTS
- The City has proclaimed April 23 Yom HaShoah.
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