Perspectives I & II High Schools in St. Michel and LINKS High School in Ahuntsic are collaborating on a powerful Holocaust Sensitization program to foster a deeper understanding of the Holocaust among their students.
Developed by Personal Development and Community Involvement Animator (PDCIA) Vince Lacroce, alongside dedicated educators Salvatore Pileggi and Rodney Handelsman of Perspectives High School and Anna Gualtieri, Francesco Greco, and Anna Condo of LINKS High School, the initiative aims to impart historical knowledge while encouraging empathy and reflection. The multi-faceted program will provide students with a comprehensive exploration of the Holocaust through classroom workshops facilitated by Mr. Lacroce, students participated in an immersive experience at the Montreal Holocaust Museum, allowing them to witness artifacts, photographs, and stories that bring history to life.
In January, Eva Kuper, a Holocaust survivor, will share her personal experiences with the students, providing a rare and impactful glimpse into the realities of this dark period and the resilience of survivors, and a Virtual Workshop on Hana’s Suitcase presented by Lara Brady. Lara has spent the last 12 years educating young people around the world about the importance of family, freedom, compassion and respect. Together with her father, George, she has turned the fate of her aunt Hana, who died at age 13 in Auschwitz, into a global lesson of tolerance.
The program has been carefully designed to educate students about the travesties of War, promote tolerance and acceptance, and to engage them in both academic and personal learning experiences “Understanding the horrors of the Holocaust is crucial for students, not only as part of their education but as part of their development as compassionate individuals,” says Mr. Lacroce, the program’s lead. “We hope this experience will inspire them to become more thoughtful, inclusive members of society and promoters of peace and equality for all.”
About the Project
The objective of the EMSB Holocaust Education Program is to sensitize students and staff to the history of the Holocaust and acts of Antisemitism via special guests, lectures and visits to the Montreal Holocaust Museum and different exhibits and programming in the community.
Federation CJA
For more than one hundred years, Federation CJA has been at the heart of the organized Jewish community in Montreal. In partnership with a vast network of agencies and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally, Federation CJA builds and sustains this community by providing leadership and by supporting the delivery of services and programs to care for the vulnerable and those in need, to ensure a bright Jewish future, to represent communal interests, and to positively affect issues in the wider society.
