OTTAWA, April 16, 2004 -- Canada's first National Holocaust Memorial Day, or Yom ha-Shoah, will be held Sunday, April 18. "It is my hope that on Yom ha-Shoah, Canadians from all religious, ethno-racial and ethno-cultural backgrounds across the country will take time to reflect on the devastating effects that racism and hate can have on individuals, communities, and entire countries," said the Honourable Jean Augustine, Minister of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women).Shoah is the Hebrew word for whirlwind--the whirlwind of hatred and fear that swept six million Jewish men, women and children to their deaths in a systematic genocide during the Second World War. It is a time to remember their deaths and honour their memory by doing everything in our power to ensure that such a thing never happens again."The chilling lesson of the Holocaust is that we must never be complacent. Racism, discrimination, fear and hate were the roots of the Holocaust," said Minister of State Augustine. "We must all reaffirm our commitment to respect other peoples and to speak out strongly against racism."Yom ha-Shoah has been commemorated in communities across Canada for many years, and was formally recognized by the House of Commons on October 21, 2003, through the Holocaust Memorial Day Act. The date is determined each year by the Jewish lunar calendar, coordinated to mark the date of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, on April 19, 1943, which in the Jewish calendar was the 27th of Nisan. In 2005, Yom ha-Shoah will be held on May 5.According to the text of the Holocaust Memorial Day Act, this is a day to "reflect on and educate about the enduring lessons of the Holocaust and to reaffirm a commitment to uphold human rights."Information:Fred ShermanPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women)(819) 997-9900
