Older man with grey curly hair and glasses seated in front of a beige wall and speaking toward a video camera out of frame.
Student Activity – Two Holocaust survivors, Lillian Nemetz and David Shafran, on immigration to Canada

Suggested Time: 15-20 minutes 

Grades: 6+

 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Read Journey to Canada, then listen to both Lillian’s testimony and David’s testimony.

Answer the following questions:

  1. Describe three challenges that Lillian faced after immigrating to Canada.
  2. Identify the problems David faced when he tried to immigrate to a new country after the war.
  3. Do you think it was an advantage to know people in Canada before immigrating? 
  4. Do you think having an education helped new immigrants integrate more easily into Canadian society after the Holocaust?

Break into small groups and discuss the following questions: 

  1. Were you surprised to hear about the experiences of Lillian and David in Canada? 
  2. Were you surprised to learn that most countries, including Canada, continued their restrictions on Jewish immigration for years after the war, despite knowing about the horrors of the Holocaust?