Declaration of the Bergen Belsen Survivors Association of Canada, English version

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Jewish Public Library Archives via Jewish Public Library Archives

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1973-04-15 (indexed as 1973)

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DECLARATION OF THE BERGEN BELSEN SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION OF CANADATO THE FOUNDING MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE EUROPEAN HOLOCAUST - Sunday, April 15, 1973, at Bronfman House of Canadian Jewish Congress.Bergen-Belsen Survivors Assn. of Canada Dov Laufer, President Bergen-Belsen Assn. of Toronto Paul Trepman, President Bergen-Belsen Assn. of MontrealWe have come to today's meeting despite the petty political manoeuvers of certain individuals who tried to prevent our attending. We came, in order to show the good-will of our Belsen organization both here and in Toronto - in striving to work in a spirit of cooperation with all those who are dedicated to the task of perpetuating the memory of the martyrs, and the legacy of the Holocaust.Our organization is well known in world Jewish and non-Jewish circles for her efforts to mark the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis, - through a living monument -- and indestructible monument of books, -- with the establishment of the "Remembrance Award Library", headed by the esteemed writer Eli Wiesel. To date, we have published over 20 books in 4 languages; awarded thousands of dollars worth of prizes to writers of Holocaust literature; printed 2 artistic posters; awarded special scholarships to students of Holocaust research; we have even persuaded the National Film Board of Canada to produce a film, called "Memorandum", which probes the phenomenon of the Nazi era and the aftermath, - and which has been seen by millions of Canadian viewers, Jew and non-Jew, on the English and French television networks.We do not consider ourselves as a distinct group, or differents from any other "katzetniks". We all suffered and were the victims of a common enemy. Our "remembrance" however, is of a quiet nature, free from agitation in the daily press, which in its fickleness, remembers for the moment and quickly forgets our anguish and the sufferings of our martyrs.We will continue to bring the message of the destruction of European Jewry to Jew and gentile all over the world in a manner that is in keeping with the destruction of the Jewish communities of Europe.We are prepared to work in the National Committee, but only under the aegis of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and not under any other national or international body. This is our condition. We earnestly wish to take part in the work of this committee, - with an honest and upright approach - free of petty personal aspirations or ambitions - and based on one fundamental theme or idea: That of remembrance, - perpetuating and teaching the Holocaust to our youth, to those of our generation who were fortunately-not inmates of Auschwitz, - and to pass it on to future generations.Read automatically; may contain mistakes.

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English, Latin

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2026-10-19T03:27:23Z · source datestamp n/a · ead

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