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October 31, 2003
Yom Hashoah now official in Canada
The Commons creates an annual Holocaust memorial.
PAT JOHNSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Yom Hashoah, the day on which the Jewish community in Canada solemnly
marks and remembers the Holocaust, will now be officially observed
by the entire country. The House of Commons earlier this month voted,
in a rare incident of unanimity, to create Holocaust Memorial Day,
to be observed on the day corresponding to the Jewish calendar's
Yom Hashoah.
"Congratulations to the federal government for doing it,"
said Nisson Goldman, chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific
Region. "It's certainly something to be welcomed."
The Holocaust is a significant event in the history of humankind,
Goldman told the Bulletin, and the creation of an annual
memorial day assists in the efforts to learn from the lessons of
totalitarianism and hatred.
Jewish leaders across the country commended the parliamentarians
for working together to create the memorial day. The bill was sponsored
by one MP from each political party. Similar memorial days have
already been proclaimed in every province.
Canadian Jewish Congress has long pressed for a federal recognition
of Yom Hashoah and Israel Unger, a Holocaust survivor and co-chair
of CJC's Holocaust Remembrance Committee, echoed Goldman's comments
in a statement.
"These lessons must be learned and remembered if we are to
prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the next century,"
said Unger.
Keith Landy, national president of CJC, called it "a proud
day for all Canadians."
"It is particularly satisfying that all parties co-sponsored
the bill and that it passed unanimously," Landy said. "That
speaks so well for this country and our commitment to fight the
scourges of intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism."
The day will be marked in perpetuity. Next year's Holocaust Memorial
Day will occur on April 18.
The bill was sponsored by Liberal MP Art Eggleton, Canadian Alliance
MP Scott Reid, Richard Marceau of the Bloc Quebecois, New Democrat
Judy Wasylycia-Leis and Progressive Conservative Scott Brison.
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