On January 27, the Montreal Holocaust Museum will mark the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation and the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust with a poignant public discussion. Holocaust survivor George Reinitz will join award-winning journalist Peter Mansbridge at 7:00 p.m. at the Museum to share his remarkable story of survival and resilience.
Deported to Auschwitz at just 12 years old, Reinitz endured the horrors of the concentration camp while losing his entire immediate family. After the war, he immigrated to Canada in 1948 through the War Orphans Project and began rebuilding his life. He became a world-class wrestler, representing Canada on national and international stages, and founded two Reinitz Wrestling Centres, one of which continues to operate at the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA. Beyond his athletic achievements, Reinitz established a successful furniture business and built a large family with several great-grandchildren. His memoir, Wrestling with Life, was published in 2017 by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
As part of the commemoration, the Montreal Holocaust Museum is offering additional programs to educate the public about the Holocaust:
- January 26: A family program focused on The Heart from Auschwitz.
- January 26-27: Free admission to the Museum’s permanent exhibition.
- January 27 at 9:30 p.m.: Online streaming of the documentary series Shoah, je me souviens on Savoir.
- February 2: Open House featuring Dimensions in Testimony, an interactive biography of survivor Max Eisen, with programs at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The event underscores the urgency of preserving survivor testimonies as living witnesses to the Holocaust grow fewer with time.
“The legacy of the Holocaust instilled in us by our survivor founders and volunteers rings especially true today,” said Daniel Amar, Executive Director of the Montreal Holocaust Museum. “In a world still grappling with antisemitism, intolerance, and fear, the wisdom and warnings of survivors remind us of the importance of education, solidarity, and vigilance against hatred.”
This anniversary provides a vital opportunity to honor the memory of those who perished and to reflect on the universal lessons of the Holocaust, ensuring that history does not repeat itself.