For the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, author and journalist Ellin Bessner brings the story of Canada's 17,000…
When the Canadian troops began cleaning out the remnants of Nazi Germany's occupation forces across Holland in the spring and summer of 1945, they were met with joyous welcomes by the Dutch people who had endured starvation and brutality under Hitler's forces. But the Canadians also came face to face with the truth about the fate of Europe's Jewish community, as they liberated concentration camps and Nazi death camps from the defeated German guards. Journalist and author Ellin Bessner's book "Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military and WWII", published by the University of Toronto Press, tells the story of the 17,000 Canadians of Jewish faith who served in WWII, helped defeat Hitler, and rescued the survivors of the Holocaust. As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, Bessner will introduce you to some of the Canadians of Jewish faith who were among the liberators.
As the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and Holocaust Education Week, Canadian author and journalist Ellin Bessner comes to the Probus Club of Milton to say we still have work to do to fight the rise of antisemitism in our time.
Bessner is the author of “Double Threat”, published by the University of Toronto Press, about the contribution of Canada’s tiny wartime Jewish community to defeating the Nazis. When the prime minister of the day, Mackenzie King, called the Second World War a “double threat” for Canadian Jews, he meant that not only was freedom and democracy at risk but, so was the survival of the Jewish race from Hitler’s Final Solution. Canada’s wartime Jewish community sent over 17, 000 men and women to defeat Hitler and rescue survivors of the Holocaust.
Bessner has spent nine years researching and interviewing the veterans and their families, to piece the untold stories together. Her message to audiences is that “Remembrance is an active verb” and we must carry the torch of those who fought for our freedom.
As the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, and Remembrance Day under COVID-19, Toronto author and journalist Ellin Bessner speaks (by Zoom) at the Beaches Hebrew Institute about Canada's Jewish community and their contribution to winning the war. Bessner's book "Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military and WWII" tells the little known story of the 17,000 Canadians of Jewish faith who put on a uniform, defeated Hitler and rescued the survivors of the Holocaust. Her research uncovered many important stories about the Fascist supporters in the Beaches area of Toronto at the time, including from the various beach clubs in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as interviews with young Jewish men from the neighbourhood who would go on to enlist.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular Remembrance Day services will not be taking place, or at least, they will…
As we mark Remembrance Day and 75 years since the end of the Second World War, Toronto author and journalist Ellin Bessner brings us the story of some Canada’s hidden war heroes.
Bessner’s book “Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military and WWII” published by the University of Toronto Press -- paints a nuanced picture of how and why Canada’s tiny wartime Jewish community overcame widespread antisemitism at home and on the battlefield, to help defeat Hitler and rescue the survivors of the Holocaust. It is an important Canadian story that has not been comprehensively told before.
Nearly 17, 000 signed up, or approximately 40 per cent of all eligible Jewish Canadian men served in uniform in the Second World War. They fought in all the major battles, from Dunkirk to D-Day, and beyond. Yet unlike their comrades, Jewish personnel faced a double threat: they served at great personal risk, should they be captured by the enemy, and their religion be uncovered.
In Ellin’s lively interactive presentation, she’ll introduce you to some of the most high profile Canadian Jewish men and women who enlisted, including federal politicians like Barney Danson, Senators David Croll and Jack Marshall, entertainers Monty Hall, and Wayne and Shuster, and CFL football stars like Eddie Kushner of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
As the world marked Remembrance Day 2020 under COVID-19, Toronto author and journalist Ellin Bessner takes us back in time to the days when Canadian troops began cleaning out the remnants of Nazi Germany’s occupation forces in Europe. During the spring of 1945, the troops were met with a joyous welcome by the Dutch people. But the Canadians also came face to face with the truth about the fate of Europe’s Jewish community, as they liberated Nazi concentration camps like Vught and Westerbork, and Bergen-Belsen.
Bessner’s new book “Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military and WWII” tells the story of the 17, 000 Canadians of Jewish faith who served in WWII, helped defeat Hitler, and rescued the survivors of the Holocaust. Jewish Canadians served in all the major battles from Dunkirk to D-Day and beyond. They faced great personal risk, should they be captured by the enemy and their religion be discovered.
As the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and Holocaust Education Week, Canadian author and journalist Ellin Bessner comes to the Probus Club Etobicoke club to say we still have work to do to fight the rise of antisemitism in our time.
Bessner is the author of “Double Threat”, published by the University of Toronto Press, about the contribution of Canada’s tiny wartime Jewish community to defeating the Nazis. When the prime minister of the day, Mackenzie King, called the Second World War a “double threat” for Canadian Jews, he meant that not only was freedom and democracy at risk but, so was the survival of the Jewish race from Hitler’s Final Solution. Canada’s wartime Jewish community sent over 17, 000 men and women to defeat Hitler and rescue survivors of the Holocaust.
My Uncle Al Singer, an American who lived in Pennsylvania, never talked much about his service in the Second World…
As the world marks Remembrance Day under COVID-19, author and journalist Ellin Bessner brings her book “Double Threat: Canadian Jews,…
