Student Day
APRIL 14, 2026
Liberation75 Holocaust Remembrance Day Student Symposium
Join us for a day of virtual live programming featuring the most impactful Holocaust education programs from leading organizations.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026​
9:00am - 2:00pm ET
​*Recommended for students grades 4-12
Programs:
Ages 12 & Under Programming:
9:15-10:00 AM
Heroes of the Holocaust: Celebrating Well-Known and Not So Well-Known Rescuers
Kathy Kacer, author
Kathy Kacer will talk about her own background as the child of Holocaust survivors and how she came to write more than 30 books about this history. She will also will talk about who the rescuers were at that time in history; their backgrounds and where they came from; their willingness to be up-standers at a dangerous time in history. Students will learn about a number of books that focus on rescuers - those who were well known and saved many Jews, and those who were unknown and still risked their lives for their Jewish friends and neighbours. The books will be geared to kids of various reading abilities and ranges and will include picture books, early chapter books and novels. The session will be interactive, encouraging questions and discussion.
Kathy Kacer is the award-winning author of more than 30 books focusing on stories of the Second World War and the Holocaust. They include The Secret of Gabi's Dresser, Hiding Edith, Under the Iron Bridge, and To Hope and Back. Kathy travels the world speaking to young people about the importance of keeping this history alive.
10:15-11:00 AM
Voices in the Void
Lorenn Peer, The Ghetto Fighters' House Museum
An online interactive workshop that sheds light on the miraculous rescue of Danish Jews in 1943, during which they were smuggled on fishing boats to Sweden. It is an inspiring story that emphasizes values of solidarity, activism, and humanism. The activity includes a moving animated film, 'Voices in the Void', which brings the viewpoint of one of the survivors - the young Bennet Melchior, who later became the Chief Rabbi of Denmark.
Lorenn Peer is a Holocaust educator and serves as Coordinator of International Education at the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in Israel. She is a certified guide for educational delegations to Poland, accredited by the Israel Ministry of Education. In addition, Lorenn leads testimony collection for the Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Erez communities as part of Edut 710, a historical archive documenting the events of October 7.
11:15 AM -12:00 PM
Exploring History Through Ordinary Objects
Cathy Wilson & Catherine Boyd, The Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre
This interactive online workshop, Exploring History Through Ordinary Objects, is
designed specifically for students under 12. It demonstrates how everyday items can bring powerful stories from the past to life. Instead of seeing objects as artefacts stuck behind glass, students are encouraged to think of them as storytellers – items that have travelled through different hands, places, and moments in time.
By studying one special object – a 230-year-old violin - from the permanent exhibition at the
Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre, students will explore the artefact’s “life story” as well as the people and events connected to it. This process encourages the students to consider the memories, feelings, and cultural meaning the object carries as well as how its importance can change over time.
This gives students the chance to see historical objects not just as illustrations of the past, but as keepers of memory. In the case of this violin, we cover bigger social and political issues such as identity, resistance, the ghettos and liberation.
This student-led methodology supports students in developing an age-appropriate understanding of antisemitism and what Jewish individuals and families experienced during the Holocaust. By focusing on personal stories, it encourages empathy and helps students connect historical themes to real human experiences.
Through guided discussion and reflection, learners will also think about how prejudice and discrimination still affect people today. By making thoughtful links between past and present, the session sparks curiosity, builds critical thinking skills, and creates space for meaningful reflection.
Catherine is the JHGC’s Education & Content Director. She manages the JHGC’s day-to-day content. Drawing on her experience in developing online and educational resources, she coordinates education and training programmes and designs promotional materials - she translates strategic objectives into effective action.
Cathy is the JHGC’s Head of Education – she leads and develops the JHGC’s education programmes and resources. She coordinates and facilitates educator workshops, conference presentations, specialised training, and tours of the permanent exhibitions. She builds partnerships and sustains collaborative projects across the JHGC.
12:15 - 1:00 PM
From Courage to Justice: The Story of Aharon Barak
Irene Resenly, Echoes & Reflections
Participants will view a powerful short film: This short animated film tells the story of Aharon Barak, a young boy from Kaunas, Lithuania whose family is changed forever by the Nazi occupation of Europe. Combining animation with archival footage, this film tells the story of Aharon’s experiences during the Holocaust and his rescue by a Righteous Among the Nations. The animation allows younger audiences to engage with this difficult history in an age-appropriate and accessible way, while the archival elements ground the story in historical truth.
Following the film, students will explore what it meant to be a child during the Holocaust and learn how one person’s bravery made survival possible. The session will introduce the idea of a “Righteous Among the Nations” — individuals who risked their lives to save Jews — and help students understand the importance of standing up for others.
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Through guided discussion and reflection, students will connect Aharon’s story to their own lives, identifying ways they can show empathy, fairness, and moral courage in their schools and communities. This session emphasizes that even young people can learn from history and choose to act with compassion today.
1:15 - 2:00 PM
Le Kindertransport : un voyage vers la sécurité
Amy Fedeski, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center
Cet atelier captivant et adapté à l’âge des élèves présente l’histoire du Kindertransport, en mettant l’accent sur les thèmes du courage, de la compassion et du choix moral. Les élèves apprendront comment cet effort de sauvetage organisé a permis d’amener près de 10 000 enfants juifs en sécurité au Royaume-Uni en 1938 et 1939.
Nous commencerons par fournir un contexte historique, en explorant la montée du régime nazi et l’intensification de ses politiques antisémites au cours de ses premières années au pouvoir. Les élèves découvriront comment les attaques violentes de la Nuit de Cristal en novembre 1938 ont poussé les organisations d’aide à réagir, en travaillant avec le gouvernement britannique pour mettre en place le programme du Kindertransport.
Tout au long de la séance, les élèves exploreront les histoires d’individus, de familles et d’organisations d’aide qui ont aidé les Kinder à se rendre au Royaume-Uni et à commencer à reconstruire leur vie en tant qu’enfants réfugiés non accompagnés. Mais surtout, cet atelier met au centre les voix et les expériences des Kinder eux-mêmes.
À l’aide de photographies, de cartes et de témoignages personnels, les élèves réfléchiront à ce que cela pouvait ressentir de quitter ses proches et de voyager seul vers un autre pays dans l’espoir d’y trouver refuge face à la persécution et à la violence.
L’atelier reliera ces événements historiques à des thèmes plus larges : l’empathie, le fait de s’opposer à l’injustice et l’importance d’aider les autres. À travers la vie de ces jeunes réfugiés, les élèves découvriront que même dans les périodes les plus sombres, des gens ordinaires peuvent faire une différence — une leçon durable de l’Holocauste qui continue d’inspirer aujourd’hui.
Amy Fedeski est Éducatrice au sein de Les Amis du Centre Simon Wiesenthal (L’ACSW) à Toronto, où elle élabore et offre des programmes d’éducation francophones sur l’Holocauste destinés aux élèves de la 4e à la 12e année et à leurs enseignants partout au Canada. Amy s’est jointe à L’ACSW en mai 2025 après trois années passées à Queen’s University en tant qu boursière postdoctorale Alfred et Isabel Bader en histoire juive.
Ages 12 & Over Programming:
9:15-10:00 AM
My Friend Max
Melissa Mikel, Author & Holocaust Education Consultant
Max Eisen was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a successful businessman, an exceptional educator and an award-winning author. Max was also a Holocaust survivor. He was 15 years old when he was deported with his family to Auschwitz and had his world turned upside down. In 2008, I sat in an audience listening, for the first time, to Max share his testimony – the tragic memories alongside his message of hope. At the end of the presentation, Max reminded his audience that we were now witness to his story and each now carried a responsibility to share what we had heard and learned. Not long after hearing Max’s testimony, I took a job that allowed me to bring Max to classrooms across Canada as well as travel back to Auschwitz to hear his personal recollections standing on the sites where his life was changed forever. Max is no longer with us, but his reminder that we have a responsibility to continue his story stands out in my memory. Students joining this program will meet my friend Max, both through my memories as well as through Max’s recorded testimony. Students will also have an opportunity to ask Max questions through the remarkable Dimensions in Testimony program created by the USC Shoah Foundation. In addition, teachers will be provided with a brand new ready-to-use program for their classroom that will allow students to further explore Max’s story of survival.
Melissa Mikel recently earned her Doctoral Degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in rural Ontario, before serving as Director of Education with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies in Toronto for sixteen years. In this capacity, Dr. Mikel created and implemented extensive programming on topics of the Holocaust, antisemitism, and racism for thousands of students, educators, law enforcement personnel, and other professionals from diverse sectors across Canada. She is currently the director of scholarships for the 30 Birds Foundation and works as a consultant with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and Liberation75.
10:15-11:00 AM
Online Tour of the VR-Secret Annex in the Anne Frank House
Aaron Peterer, Anne Frank House
Anne Frank’s life and words continue to have powerful meaning for young people around the world. The Online-Tour of the VR-Secret Annex in the Anne Frank House is a resource that can be used to prepare students to read and comprehend The Diary of a Young Girl within the larger historical framework of the Holocaust. Led by a senior educator from the Anne Frank House, this program will leave time for Q&A.
11:15 AM -12:00 PM
The History of Holocaust Survivor Eileen Frydrych as told by her granddaughter Kelly Frydrych
Kelly Frydrych, Carrying Holocaust Testimony
This presentation will deepen students’ understanding of the Holocaust, foster empathy and demonstrate the magnitude of the Holocaust. From life before the Holocaust in Crevitz, a small town outside of Vilna, to survival hidden in a forest, through liberation, and ultimately to a new life in Canada, Aileen Frydrych’s history is shared by her granddaughter, who grew up in the shadows of the Holocaust. The presentation is supported by a power point presentation that includes historical facts, photographs and most importantly compelling first person video interviews between Kelly and her grandmother.
Kelly Frydrych is the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors. She lives in the Greater Toronto Area with her family and works as a physician.
12:15 - 1:00 PM
Saved to Serve: One Child's Journey from Nazi Germany to Canada
Phil Emberley, Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarships
A childhood defined by fear. A night of unbearable terror whose memory lasted a lifetime. A last minute rescue from likely certain death. A new identity created from thin air. A distinguished military career and new life in Canada.
These were the experiences of Dieter Eger, Holocaust survivor. He would experience the evil and loss that many Jewish people suffered. His hometown of Frankfurt, Germany was the epicenter of the Nazi regime, and its quest to destroy the Jewish people was always palpable. In a story that features unimaginable twists, Phil Emberley will describe his father's journey using his father's journal entries and his father's message to people today. In particular, the true story highlights the importance of learning about the features of a functional democracy and being able to see the signs when basic human rights are jeopardized. It also underscores the value of learning about history so that our previous mistakes are not repeated.
Phil Emberley is the son of a Holocaust survivor who was evacuated as a child just before the outbreak of World War II. Phil only learned the details about his father’s terrifying experiences after his death, through a journal that his father kept. Phil is a pharmacist and currently lives in Ottawa.
1:15 - 2:00 PM
Recipes of Resistance: The Ravensbruck Recipe Book
Ellie Lawson & Lise Kirchner, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
This workshop explores the remarkable story of Rebecca Teitelbaum’s secret recipe book, created in the Ravensbrück concentration camp during the Holocaust. Through historical context, family photographs, archival records and survivor testimony, participants learn about the persecution of Belgian Jews, the experiences of women imprisoned in Ravensbrück and the creative acts of defiance that sustained them.
Lise Kirchner, Director of Education, leads the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre’s education team in the development of school programs, educational resources, and docent and teacher training.
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Ellie Lawson, education manager, is responsible for the development, advancement and support of educational initiatives at the VHEC.
You can find the recordings from previous Student Days in our virtual library: