By CHES Chair Mina Cohn

(L to R) H.E. CHES Chair, Mina Cohn, Nira Staretz,
Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Israel, and Ambassador Matthias Lüttenberg

On May 7th, CHES was pleased to participate in a panel discussion marking 80 years since the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945, a pivotal moment that brought an end to World War II in Europe and the Shoah. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in cooperation with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Foundation and took place at Kildare House in Ottawa. The aim was to remember the end of one of history’s darkest chapters, and recognized the hard-won lessons and how they resonate with us today.

The event started with a short film about the surrender of the Nazi regime 80 years ago. The panel discussion honoured the past while engaging deeply with the present, evaluating what we can learn from the choices of a generation shaped by war, and how we can uphold peace, justice, and democratic values in our time.

Dr. Bernd Althusmann

Moderated by Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Head of Canada Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, panellists, German Ambassador Matthias Lüttenberg, CHES Chair Mina Cohn, and Deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Israel Nira Staretz, engaged in a thought-provoking discussion.

Ambassador Lüttenberg touched on the horrific destruction and loss of life resulting from the rise of Nazism and the present-day alliances in Europe. Mina discussed the future of Holocaust remembrance culture and stressed that we live in a period of transition, and thanks to the established dates for remembrance, including Yom Hashoah and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the opportunity for education will continue to be a factor in the future of remembrance. All agreed on the importance of Holocaust Education today given rising antisemitism, the need to develop better tools to limit hate crimes and deal with incidents of violence, the importance of the IHRA definition, and the problematic lack of enthusiasm within Ontario in accepting the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

In a world still marred by war, displacement, and rising authoritarianism and antisemitism, the events of WWII remain more than history; they are a mirror and a warning for the future.