Montreal’s Vanier College has come under fire for cancelling a planned Holocaust commemoration event, initially set for Wednesday, due to security concerns. Eva Kuper, a Holocaust survivor and educator, was scheduled to speak at the event, and she expressed profound disappointment at the decision, suggesting it prioritised fear over the necessity of remembrance.
A Disappointing Decision
Kuper, a volunteer at the Montreal Holocaust Museum and a former educator at Concordia University, was set to share her experiences and insights about the Holocaust. The cancellation was announced less than a week before the event, with the college citing potential demonstrations as the reason. “It was very disappointing that Vanier decided to cancel the commemoration in fear, I was told, of demonstrations and problems with agitators outside the college,” Kuper told reporters.
In a statement released on the day of the cancellation, Vanier College clarified that while its 34th Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide would proceed, the commemorative event had been postponed. They stated, “While the College was not the target of a specific threat, in light of the current geopolitical context and information provided by our security team, we elected to review the event’s scheduling and format to err on the side of caution.”
Fear Over Principles
Kuper strongly condemned the decision, arguing that it reflects a worrying trend where fear influences actions instead of a commitment to uphold moral principles. “When fear rules your decisions rather than conviction of what is right, that’s dangerous. I think that it was cowardly,” she declared. She emphasised the essential role educational institutions play in promoting understanding and remembrance, especially during times of heightened tension.
“We live in a very fractured world now, and I think that we have to remember our history,” Kuper remarked. “An educational institution such as Vanier has an obligation to educate their students and help them see each other as human beings.”
Born in 1940 and hidden from the Nazis as a child in Poland, Kuper survived thanks to the bravery of non-Jewish rescuers before immigrating to Canada in 1948. Her intended talk was to focus on the responsibilities of humanity and the critical importance of education. “My talk was really going to be about our responsibilities as human beings, about the importance of remembrance, and how if education is the only tool, are we using it to the best of its possibilities,” she explained during a Zoom interview.
Community Outrage and Call for Action
The decision to cancel the event has drawn sharp criticism from the Jewish Community Council of Montreal, which labelled it “a disgraceful act of capitulation.” They stated, “When a Holocaust commemoration is deemed a ‘security risk,’ that is not a reason to cancel the event; it is proof that something has gone deeply wrong.”
The council also highlighted the crucial need for survivor testimony, stating, “One of the last living witnesses to history was ready to share her testimony, and an institution of higher learning decided that it was safer to cancel her than to stand behind her. Cowardice.”
Kuper reiterated the urgency of such events in the current climate, cautioning against the dangers of forgetting history. “If we don’t learn from our history, then we’re condemned to repeat it and we’re well on the way to repetition,” she warned.
She expressed hope that Vanier College might reconsider its decision in the future, stating, “I would hope that Vanier reconsiders this decision, if not for this year, then for next year, and allow students to learn from it.”
In a gesture of goodwill, the Montreal Holocaust Museum has announced it will offer free admission to Vanier students in the upcoming weeks, encouraging a commitment to education and remembrance.
Why it Matters
The cancellation of the Holocaust commemoration at Vanier College is indicative of a broader societal challenge—balancing safety concerns with the imperative to remember and educate about historical atrocities. As antisemitism rises globally, the need for educational institutions to uphold their mandates of fostering understanding and remembrance has never been more critical. Events like these are vital not only for honouring the memories of those lost but also for ensuring that future generations learn the lessons of the past. By standing firm against fear, institutions can help build a more compassionate and informed society.
