About the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem

Established in 1986, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem (CSYV) has worked for over 30 years to fulfill its mission.

The Canadian Society for Yad Vashem’s mission is to educate Canadians about the Holocaust. Through commemoration and educational programs, CSYV perpetuates the memory of the Holocaust and disseminates its universal lessons.

CSYV is a national organization with a core group of significant donors, volunteers and professional staff who are committed to the vision of advancing education and commemoration of the Holocaust. CSYV supports its vision by developing philanthropic support from individuals, families, foundations, government agencies and the business community.

Canadian Society for Yad Vashem holds a tradition of excellence in bringing together the community for the purpose of remembering and learning about the Holocaust, which is integral to increasing the knowledge of Canadians about the Shoah so that they can then proceed to make significant contributions to Canadian Society. Our vital educational and commemoration programs focus on educating future generations of Canadians about the Holocaust. To name a few:

  • The CSYV Holocaust Scholarship Program

    The program awards scholarships to selected Canadian educators to participate in a three-week seminar at the International School of Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. Upon their return from the seminar, our scholarship recipients implement what they have learned about the Shoah in their classrooms.

  • Ambassadors of Change Program

    Taking place in Ottawa, the program helps create a more tolerant and inclusive society by bringing together high school students and Holocaust survivors for guided group sessions about the Holocaust and its relevance today.

  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Twinning Program

    The program provides a Bar/Bat Mitzvah child with a unique opportunity to learn about the Holocaust through a life story of a child who perished in the Shoah. Pairing a Bar/Bat Mitzvah child with a child Holocaust victim creates a special bridge between the past and present.

  • Memorial Site

    CSYV is the only organization in Toronto to have a Memorial Site, enabling the community at large to commemorate victims of the Holocaust and honour survivors.

With a dedicated memorial site specifically focused on the core fundamentals of Holocaust education and commemoration, the CSYV is uniquely positioned to raise awareness and advance the collective knowledge about the Holocaust while helping meet the challenges of preserving the Shoah’s legacy.

Guided by a mission to remember the past and shape the future, CSYV offers educators diverse ways to teach the holocaust through experiential learning opportunities that are practical, innovative and socially conscious. For example, CSYV maintains a digital archive of Righteous Among the Nations stories and Testimonies of Canadians survivors that are available to teachers and students as a learning tool.

CSYV is constantly evolving and is currently developing a new Youth Holocaust Education program to facilitate learning about the Holocaust through the CSYV Holocaust Memorial Site. This program aims to integrate Holocaust learning experiences into the program of study of both Jewish and non-Jewish schools. On occasions, CSYV also brings mobile exhibitions on the Holocaust, to Canada.

CSYV works closely with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Centre and has access to its expertise and resources. CSYV’s numerous educational and commemorative programs bring world-leading Holocaust knowledge and expertise to multicultural Canadian audiences. As generations change, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem is dedicated to advancing and expanding its important mission.