06 June 2018
Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, will host a ceremony marking the renewal of a twenty-year commitment to, and continuation of the partnership between Yad Vashem and The Asper Foundation of Winnipeg, Canada.
The Asper International Holocaust Studies Program at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies was the initiative of renowned philanthropists Israel and Ruth (Babs) Asper z”l. The Asper Program was conceived in 2002 to educate the wider public about the events of the Holocaust through various multilevel educational initiatives. Developed in partnership with Yad Vashem’s educational experts, the mandate of the Asper Program incorporates comprehensive professional development programs, support for Yad Vashem’s international educational conferences and expert international engagement, among other facets. Tens of thousands of beneficiaries from over 70 countries have been impacted since the program’s inception.
The tribute ceremony will take place in the Yad Vashem Synagogue on Thursday, 7 June 2018 in the presence of members of The Asper Foundation, Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, Director General Dorit Novak and Ambassador of Canada to Israel H.E. Ms. Deborah A. Lyons. In appreciation for their continuous support, Yad Vashem will present The Asper Foundation with the "Key to Yad Vashem".
“We are delighted that our friends and partners, David, Gail and Leonard Asper, have decided to perpetuate their bond with Yad Vashem, which is so deeply important and dear to all of us here. Twenty years of unabated support is a rare indication of steadfast commitment to the principle and practice of meaningful remembrance, and we are delighted to be marking their unswerving commitment to Yad Vashem today.”
Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev
