P1131 Kolreena-Fall 09

Kolreena
We thank Fran Kieselstein and all the members of the
Maxwell and Ruth Leroy Holocaust Education Committee
for their commitment and hard work in developing this
curriculum, and the text for the Panels that now grace the
Holocaust Garden,
and for all of the
decisions that
made this day a
success: Chair Fran
Kieselstein
Members: Paula
Sonshine, Esther
Yermus, Paul
Burston, Ellen
Rajzman, Candace
Lewis, Sandy
Keshen, Sandy
Peter Shurman, MPP, Thornhill, receives a
plaque from Avi Slutsky.
Toben, Clifford
Walsh, Stacey
Donaghy, Sally
Wasserman, Arlene Margolese, Michelle Goldstein, Ellen
Little, Barry Gang, and our wonderful University of
Toronto Student Membership Bianca Galloro, and Cathy
Carullo.
Our work as a committee will continue as we plan for
upcoming training dates, and tours. I would also like to take
this opportunity to welcome new member Tali Nizic to the
committee. Tali has always been an active participant in
anything Reena and we are delighted to hear that she will
be joining us as we forge ahead.
Our sincere thanks to Sol Fleising (CFO Reena) for
leading the
Blessing at the
Opening
Ceremony, and to
Minnie Ross for
her assistance
around the
preparatory pieces
that make any
event run
smoothly. We
would also like to
acknowledge
Sabrina Ponnacchio presents plaque to
Irving Feldman, Chair, Reena Foundation.
Guela Solow and
her team at A R K
Architects + Research + Knowledge Inc. for the panel
design and legend descriptor. I would be remiss if I did not
thank my phenomenal team in Learning & Development,
the hard work and dedication of this team is equal to none.
To Sandy Toben and Shigemi Yoshimori, how you
managed to populate the touch screens without hiring
someone to develop the storyboard is amazing! To Ron
Nichols of the Client and Family Department whose radio
smooth announcer voice will forever be captured as part of
the Holocaust Education Centre- thank you so much for
narrating the touch screens.
Last but never least our thanks to Sandy Keshen our
leader and our visionary, who sees well beyond the
horizon and understands that there must be action to
create change. We thank her for her leadership. The
Holocaust curriculum is that vision - a curriculum that
illustrates the atrocities of the past while remaining focused
on the future. The overall message “How can we make
things better?”
Marginalization is a key focus throughout, with the
message being that we need to practice and teach tolerance
as a society in order to stop the mistreatment of others just
Jeff Weiman (r) presents plaque to Edward and Candace Lewis.
because they are deemed to be different from ourselves.
Inclusion happens when we no longer marginalize people.
Atrocities such as the Holocaust occur when we are
bystanders and allow the mistreatment of others:
Quote by Pastor Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Socialists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for meand
there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Kolreena • December 2012 • 7