This was an event by invitation only.
This closed event was hosted in partnership with the Swedish Embassy in Ottawa and the British High Commission to honour the legacy of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg’s heroic actions during the Holocaust.
Hosted within the British High Commission Ottawa, a thoughtful panel discussion was led and moderated by Professor Jan Grabowski, University of Ottawa and Advisory Board member of CHES, who questioned the panelists on the future of Holocaust education particularly regarding connecting with younger generations. The panel was composed of Martin Winstone, Senior Historical Advisor of the Holocaust Educational Trust, Katherine Hauptman, Director of the Swedish Holocaust Museum, Dara Solomon, Executive Director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum, and Adam Atlas, Vice-President of the Montreal Holocaust Museum.
Additional speakers included David W. Prodger, the Acting British High Commissioner, Signe Fenja Burgstaller, the Swedish Ambassador, Mária Eva Vass-Salazar, the Hungarian Ambassador, Kevin Lunianga, Deputy Director of the Special Envoy’s Office on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism in Canada, and Taiya Peckham who was one of nine 2024 recipients of the Young Courage Award. Hailing from Ottawa she was the first Canadian to receive the award.
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who risked his life to save 100,000 Hungarian Jews during World War II. Many of those survivors moved to Canada, where they began new lives and made significant contributions to Canadian society.
Wallenberg was arrested on January 17 th , 1945, never to be seen again. His courage and determination serve as a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, hope can be found through the actions of those who seek to do good. Wallenberg’s actions remain an inspiration as CHES strives to combat racism, discrimination, and all forms of hate.
