30th annual HOLOCAUST EDUCATION WEEK November 1st to 9th, 2010
Sunday, November 7th, 7:30 PM
WE WHO SURVIVED
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts 10268 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill To reserve tickets in advance call 905-771-5489 Tickets will be available at the theatre prior to the presentation
FREE ADMISSION
REFUGE DENIED: THE ST. LOUIS PASSENGERS AND THE HOLOCAUST In June 1939, 937 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany were denied entry into both Cuba and the U.S. on the ill-fated St. Louis. After sailing close to the shores of Miami Beach, the ship had to return to Europe. Though the drama at high seas is well known, the fate of the passengers remained a mystery for nearly 60 years.
SCOTT MILLER will describe his search to unravel the individual stories and reveal the fate of all the passengers – in effect, telling the final chapter of the story that has come to symbolize America’s indifference to the plight of Europe’s Jews during the Holocaust. Since 2006, Mr. Miller has been the Director of Curatorial Affairs, which oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s archives, artefacts, photos, films, music and oral history collections. In 2006, with Sarah Ogilvie, he co-authored Refuge Denied – The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust, the story of their search to trace the fate of all the St. Louis passengers. There will be a documentary film of the M.S. St. Louis.
LISA AVEDON, a St. Louis survivor, will speak about her experiences surrounding this fateful voyage. She was four-and-a-half years old when she was aboard, but has many vivid memories. Although the ship never entered Canadian waters, Canada’s failure to offer refuge to its passengers is viewed as an example of Canada’s reluctance to protect those seeking shelter from the persecution and genocide of the Nazi regime. Canadian immigration policies from that era will be discussed in the context of current efforts in Canada to keep the history of the era alive.
This program is generously co-sponsored by Helen Stollar and Family, in memory of her husband Jack Stollar