Remembering and honouring sacrifice...

Vaudreuil-Dorion, November 11, 2020

At the Hudson Legion War Memorial, Hudson, Quebec, Canada, on Remembrance Day, a poppy wreath was placed in honour of Canadian Armed Forces who dutifully liberated victims of the Nazi concentration camps in Europe at the end of World War II, seventy-five years ago.

The wreath was sponsored by the Gannaiden couple, Marcel Braitstein and his wife Elaine Steinberg. “Lest we forget those Canadian soldiers who were confronted with the inhumane conditions found in the camps, said Steinberg. Most have since passed on. It is in their blessed memory that we placed the poppy wreath this day in Hudson at the Hudson Legion War Memorial,” she said. “The wreath symbolizes a l’chaim (a celebration to life) to our Canadian soldiers and the camp survivors whose voice and testimonies bear witness to the unspeakable horrors of evil doings,” concluded Steinberg.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Remembrance Day ceremonies in Hudson were severely curtailed.

“We are pushing through a dark time,” said Braitstein. “Having the honour to shed light on this largely unknown story about the Canadian Armed Forces, feels good,” he added. “Good heals,” said his wife.

A Gannaiden Toast to Canadian Armed Forces: lives lost, lives well lived. To Life. L ‘Chiam (in Hebrew).

Gannaiden is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote shared values through education, celebration and the preservation of gardens, sculpture, culture and heritage. As a garden, it provides a home for some of the works of internationally recognized sculptor Marcel Braitstein who survived the Holocaust as a “hidden” child.

Braitstein’s life story, career and art broaden the heritage he shares with his wife Elaine Steinberg. Their joint story enriches the fibre of the socio-cultural fabric of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region.