]Canada inaugurated a national Holocaust memorial in Ottawa as its government reportedly readied itself to formally apologize for turning away 900 European Jews from its shores on the eve of the Holocaust.

The National Holocaust Monument – a stark, stylized Star of David in form — took a decade to complete, at a cost of $7.2 million split between private and public donors.

“May this monument remind us to always open our arms and our hearts to those in need,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the opening of the memorial on Wednesday.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The unveiling of the memorial — located across from the Canadian War Museum  — was seen as historic. Canada was the sole allied nation not to have a national Holocaust memorial.

In addition, the project might not have happened at all if not for the efforts of an Ottawa university student who in 2007 noted the lack of a national Holocaust memorial and worked toward legislation that made the monument possible.

According to news reports, some survivors were disappointed that at the monument’s official launch Trudeau did not deliver a hoped-for formal apology for Canada turning away the MS St. Louis in 1939.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount