From one classroom in 1976, Facing History & Ourselves has become an international educational organization. Our Canadian partner organization was founded in 2008 and has a network of middle and high school teachers and administrators across the country in every province and territory.
Using Facing History’s rigorous curriculum, transformative professional learning, and distinctive pedagogy, our network of educators open the hearts and minds of their students–building confidence, empathy, and a sense of agency in the next generation. Our classroom resources and professional development offerings examine racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry and hate at pivotal moments in history and are designed to help students learn about the impact of choices made in the past, and connect them to the choices they will confront in their own lives. Facing and connecting our personal stories to our shared history provides insight into our attitudes and beliefs and informs our actions, helping us all create a better future.
Founded in 1973, the Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre (OJA) is the largest repository of Jewish life in Canada. For over 50 years the OJA has been collecting, preserving, and sharing the rich stories of Ontario’s Jewish community. These stories are captured in the millions of individual documents, photographs, films, newspapers, artifacts, oral histories, and architectural drawings, all generously donated by individuals and organizations and carefully cared for by the OJA. The OJA’s collections span all segments of Ontario’s Jewish community, including families, businesses, cultural organizations, and synagogues. These records date from the community’s earliest days in the province in the 1850s to the present. Now, more than ever, it is critical to preserve archival evidence that generates knowledge, counters false narratives, and fosters greater understanding and empathy across cultures. You can find us online at ontariojewisharchives.org
