My Muskoka Now June 14, 2023
Friday marked the opening of the Toronto Holocaust Museum.
The museum was created by the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto. It features four main galleries: persecution, atrocity and devastation, liberation and aftermath, and life in Canada.
According to a media release, the 10,000 sq. ft. museum has four themed galleries, a “learning lab” to inspire continued discussion, and a 40-seat theatre featuring three movies to understand the context of the Holocaust.
The museum also has close to four hours of first-hand stories from 70 Holocaust survivors.
Eva Olsson, a Bracebridge resident and Holocaust survivor, says it’s important to speak to survivors. Approaching her 99th birthday, she continues to present virtually and in person. Olsson says 2023 marks her 26th year speaking about the Holocaust and she estimates she’s done over 4,000 presentations.
“I’m glad that the general public will have an opportunity to go and see a part of hate,” says Olsson. “That’s what it’s about. Hate. What hate did and still does today.”
The museum also features hundreds of artifacts collected from survivors. “There are those that say it didn’t happen,” says Olsson, adding that’s why museums are so important.
“As we enter the post-Survivor era, society is rapidly losing access to the firsthand testimony of those who bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust as well as the stories of their vibrant lives before the rise of Nazism, their resistance, bravery, and resilience,” said Dara Solomon, Executive Director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum. “To ensure history does not repeat itself and future generations continue to learn from their legacy, it’s essential to keep these stories alive.”
Solomon adds as Antisemitism and hate of all kinds grows in Canada, it’s to meet it head-on with increased education and awareness.
Premier Doug Ford was one of the many dignitaries on hand for the opening. The province is giving the museum $500,000 to go toward educators, education programs, partnerships with community organizations, and security.
“It’s part of healing,” Olsson says when asked why she continues speaking. She points out she lost 13 family members, including both her parents and four of her siblings, during the Holocaust when they were taken to Auschwitz.
“I knew what it was like to have a family,” she says. “I also know what it’s like not to have one.”
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