The Kleinmann Family Foundation
Annual Cégep Holocaust Symposium
Tribute to Peter Kleinmann (1925-2000), z"l
   
In the late 1980s, Peter Kleinmann retired from business and began to relate his experiences as a young man during the Holocaust. His aim was to warn young people about the dangers of racism, bigotry, stereotyping and discrimination. Until his untimely death in February 2000, Peter dedicated his prodigious energies to this mission of education for a better world. Reaching out beyond the account of any one individual, the Symposium which now bears his family name continues under the generous sponsorship of his widow, Esther Kleinmann.

The Holocaust was the final step in a series of steps which started with systematic and tolerated prejudice. Although all Jews were targeted for destruction, millions of others perished at the hands of the Nazis, whose murderous deeds were fuelled by the powers of the state and by the finest technical and scientific achievements of the time. Public indifference also played its role as these manifestations of human evil went unchecked by religious or moral authority.

The Symposium aims to educate Cégep students about the Holocaust and to sensitize them to the moral responsibility all people have towards one another. Through a wide variety of presentations, it offers students a deeper understanding of the history of the Holocaust so that present and future generations, striving to build a humane and tolerant society for themselves and their children, will be better equipped to overcome the evils of racism and intolerance.

Peter Kleinmann's experiences during the Holocaust are conveyed in "Visualizing Memory: A Last Detail", an educational film directed by Naomi Kramer. Click here for a video clip. The film will be screened during the Symposium (place and times t.b.a.)

You may also visit Peter Kleinmann's page from
The Canadian Jewish Virtual Museum and Archives website.

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