I’m honoured that Rabbi Bulka , who passed away in 2023, considered my project worthy of his endorsement. I always had the greatest respect for Rabbi Bulka, and so this means the world to me.

My roots lie in the Shtetl of Ukraine, where both of my parents grew up. My parents and my siblings emigrated to Canada in the 1920’s, searching for a better future. They settled in Montreal’s Jewish neighbourhood around St. Urbain Street, where I was born in 1926. Unfortunately, my father’s entire family never left the Shtetl, and it, like so many others, fell victim to the Holocaust. His entire family was lost during this time.

My generation, and that of my children, fully understand the scope of the tragedy that was the Holocaust. For future generations, it might be tempting to put all of this misery and loss in the past. But that would be a mistake. It’s important to remember what is possible when man’s worst instincts are allowed free rein by a corrupt and evil regime, such as the Third Reich in Germany. In order that it should not be repeated, we must confront the difficult past, and continue to honour the victims of hatred. Equally important, we must effectively counter those voices that insist it was exaggerated, or that it never happened at all.

Next – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising