About CHES

With charitable status (CRA registration: 771126331), CHES’ mandate is to offer educational programs and to present events in Ottawa that target antisemitism and promote knowledge and understanding of the history and legacy of the Holocaust. Through its work, CHES builds bridges based on understanding, knowledge, memory, and communication.

To fulfill its educational mandate, CHES offers year-round programming to combat antisemitism, prejudice, and racism, and promote respect for diversity and human rights. CHES events attract a wide audience within and outside the Jewish community including diplomats, government representatives, community leaders, educators, students, and the general public.

CHES plays an essential role in preserving the voices of survivors who have made Ottawa their home. Holocaust survivors and their families contribute to the diverse fabric of Ottawa. CHES seeks out, recognizes, and promotes their many contributions to ensure that their stories are preserved. There remains an ongoing, urgent need to offer quality educational programs and educator training on the Holocaust and antisemitism, and survivors’ voices, through the CHES Speakers’ Bureau, remains vitally important to this work.

Since its establishment, CHES has experienced remarkable growth, reaching out to thousands within the Ottawa area and beyond. CHES projects include the annual Holocaust Education Month programs, outreach to schools with an annual Teachers’ Workshop, a Speakers’ Bureau, and recording and sharing the testimonials of local survivors. CHES also develops events in cooperation with embassies, institutions in Ottawa, and numerous national and international organizations. Our strength lies in our dedicated team of volunteers whose vision and passion are the driving forces behind the establishment of the Centre in our nation’s capital.

Students who learn about the Holocaust use critical thinking, develop societal awareness, and examine personal values. More than one aspect of World War II, the Holocaust was a defining moment in history that spanned geographic boundaries and affected many societies.

From 2020 to 2022, CHES adjusted to the reality of COVID-19 by using webinars and Zoom to deliver its programs and communicate with its members and supporters.