Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
Encyclopedia
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (MHMC) is a museum in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
, dedicated to Holocaust education and awareness. It was founded in 1979 by a group of Holocaust survivors and facilitated by the philanthropy of Steven Cummings. The Centre's mandate is to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the genocidal murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany
and its collaborators between 1933-1945.
By raising Holocaust awareness the MHMC aims to alert the public to the dangers of anti-semitism
, bigotry and hate, while promoting respect for diversity and the sanctity of all human life.
The centre was inaugurated in July 2003 and is the first major Holocaust museum in Canada. Its also highlights the role of Montreal, a city that is home to the third largest Holocaust survivor population in the world. The museum tells the story of the Shoah
through the eyes, the voices and the possessions of those few who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and who made a new home in the city.
and Kristallnacht
Commemorations.
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
. The MHMC is a constituent agency of Federation CJA
. The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
(AHMS) has supported the MHMC since 1998 by sending Gedenkdiener – interns from Austria
. The Gedenkdiener - interns have worked out a specific area of activity for themselves in the past years and are now an important part of the team of the MHMC. A list of all interns can be found on the website of the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, dedicated to Holocaust education and awareness. It was founded in 1979 by a group of Holocaust survivors and facilitated by the philanthropy of Steven Cummings. The Centre's mandate is to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the genocidal murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and its collaborators between 1933-1945.
By raising Holocaust awareness the MHMC aims to alert the public to the dangers of anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, bigotry and hate, while promoting respect for diversity and the sanctity of all human life.
The centre was inaugurated in July 2003 and is the first major Holocaust museum in Canada. Its also highlights the role of Montreal, a city that is home to the third largest Holocaust survivor population in the world. The museum tells the story of the Shoah
Shoah
Shoah may refer to:*The Holocaust*Shoah , documentary directed by Claude Lanzmann * A Shoah Foundation...
through the eyes, the voices and the possessions of those few who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and who made a new home in the city.
Collection
The Montreal Holocaust Museum features over 418 original artifacts, 372 photographs, and 20 films. It encourages visitors to take ownership of the absolute responsibility to fight intolerance in all its forms.Program
In addition to attracting over 15,000 people a year to its museum, the MHMC offers a variety of educational and commemorative programs that aim to educate and inspire the public about moral responsibility and human rights. Programs include the annual Holocaust Education Series, the Witness to History Program, the Holocaust Survivor's Speakers Committee, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah of Remembrance Program, and annual Yom HashoahYom HaShoah
Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah , known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews and five million others who perished in the...
and Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
Commemorations.
Affiliations
The museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
. The MHMC is a constituent agency of Federation CJA
Federation CJA
Federation CJA aims to be the driving force in a vibrant and caring Montreal Jewish Community. In partnership with an effective network of organizations, builds and sustains the community by providing principled leadership, by raising and distributing funds, and by facilitating, incubating and...
. The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service is an alternative to Austria's compulsory national military service / alternative service founded in 1992. Since 1998 it is part of the Austrian Service Abroad...
(AHMS) has supported the MHMC since 1998 by sending Gedenkdiener – interns from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The Gedenkdiener - interns have worked out a specific area of activity for themselves in the past years and are now an important part of the team of the MHMC. A list of all interns can be found on the website of the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service is an alternative to Austria's compulsory national military service / alternative service founded in 1992. Since 1998 it is part of the Austrian Service Abroad...
.