Peter Jassem will describe his research on more than sixty victims and survivors of the Shoah, all of whom were close relatives on his father’s side. He will explain how he documented the circumstances of their deaths or survival, verified vital records, collected photographs, and traced the postwar experiences of those who survived. While his focus is on Poland, where all of the individuals he researched lived prior to the Holocaust, many of the resources and methodologies he used are applicable to research on former Jewish citizens of other European countries.

The presentation will be richly illustrated and will be recorded for the benefit of members.

Peter Jassem is a Polish-born architect who, upon discovering his Jewish roots in adulthood, embraced his new identity and dedicated decades of his life to Jewish genealogical research and volunteer work.

He served as a board member of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada (Toronto) [now JGS Toronto] for some time, chaired the programming of the 22nd IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy held in Toronto in 2002, for which he was praised by the Jerusalem Post, and has contributed articles to Shem Tov.

For more than 15 years he chaired the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada, and for 18 years served on the Board of Jewish Records Indexing–Poland, helping to build one of the world’s most significant Jewish genealogical resources. He currently chairs the Canadian Friends of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. Over the years, Peter has organized landmark cultural programs, Holocaust education initiatives, exhibitions, and community events.

Recently, his research has focused on the wartime fate and experiences of the extended family of his Jewish father. This work led to the submission of dozens of Pages of Testimony to Yad Vashem and he has begun work on a book documenting their history.

Peter’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honours, including the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for building bridges of understanding and respect between Jewish and Polish communities, and the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, awarded in Canada for his dedication to preserving the lessons of humanity and tolerance learned from Holocaust survivors.

In person at Shaarei Shomayim Congregation, 470 Glencairn Avenue, North York and on Zoom.

FAQ for this program:

• Who may register for this program?  Public
• Is it being recorded?  Yes
• Who may view the recording?  Members only