MEDIA ADVISORY -INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY - The Launch of the Azrieli Series of
Holocaust Survivor Memoirs - Series 3

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 14 /CNW/ -

KEY INFO:

    
    -  With the October 5th launch of their Holocaust Survivor Memoirs, the
       philanthropic Azrieli Foundation reaches out to a broad audience to
       share stories that highlight the need for tolerance and diversity in
       today's multicultural Quebec

    -  A bilingual evening of dramatic readings by Holocaust survivors with a
       universal message of tolerance and a keynote address by an
       award-winning Catholic priest whose calling is to further
       understanding between people of different faiths.

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    EVENT:  The Launch of the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs -
            Series 3

    INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:  Father Patrick Desbois
    DATE:  Tuesday October 5th, 2010

    SCHEDULE:

    -  12 (Noon)-6pm: Interview Opportunity with Father Desbois upon request
       at the Sofitel Hotel, 1155 Sherbrooke Street W., Montreal. Phone and
       in-studio interviews are a possibility. Please reserve your interview
       before October 1st, 2010.
    -  7pm-10pm: Launch Event at the Centre Mount-Royal,
       2200 Mansfield Street, Montreal. Doors open at 6:30pm.

       Cost of the event is FREE of charge (but donations are gratefully
       appreciated)

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ABOUT THE EVENT:

Hear their words - one story at a time

The Azrieli Foundation is launching their 3rd Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs with a unique evening event that includes readings by the authors. With so few Canadian Holocaust survivors left to share their stories, the opportunity to hear personal accounts should not be missed. Hear these remarkable accounts about survival and overcoming adversity - stories that are as relevant today as they were over 65 years ago.

The event will begin with readings from four of the seven memoirs being launched, followed by a keynote address by Father Patrick Desbois, noted author of The Holocaust by Bullets.

A dessert buffet will follow the program and attendees will receive a set of Series 3 memoirs.

Featured Readings :

    
    -  A Strange Haven by Anka Voticky - read in English
    -  The Shadows Behind Me by Willie Sterner - read in English
    -  Le Bonheur de l'innocence by Renate Kakauer - read in French
    -  Étoile jaune, étoile rouge by Alex Levin - read in French
    

ABOUT FATHER PATRICK DESBOIS:

Father Patrick Desbois, president of Yahad-In Unum, has devoted his life to confronting antisemitism and furthering Jewish-Catholic understanding.

BIOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS:

    
    -  Since 2001, he has led a truly historic undertaking to locate the
       undiscovered mass graves of an estimated 1.25 million Jews killed by
       the Nazi Einsatzgruppen during the Holocaust in Eastern Europe.
    -  He serves as a consultant to the Vatican on Jewish relations and was a
       personal aide to the late Archbishop of Paris, Monseigneur Lustiger.
    -  His book, The Holocaust by Bullets, won the 2008 National Jewish Book
       Award.
    -  Father Desbois has been awarded the Medal of Valor by the Simon
       Wiesenthal Center, the Humanitarian Award of the US Holocaust Memorial
       Museum and Honorary Doctorates from Hebrew University and Bar-Ilan
       University in Israel, amongst other honours.
    

ABOUT THE MEMOIRS PROGRAM:

The Holocaust Survivors Memoirs Program is an initiative of the Azrieli Foundation, a Canadian philanthropic organization that supports a wide range of initiatives and programs in the fields of education and research. The program collects, publishes and distributes the written memoirs of Canadian Holocaust survivors free of charge to libraries, educational institutions, and at Azrieli Foundation events. The memoirs are also available for free download at www.azrielifoundation.org.

ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY (EDUCATION):

Dr. Naomi Azrieli, Chair and Executive Director of the Azrieli Foundation, is also available to discuss the Foundation's mission to assist Quebec educators in their teaching about the Holocaust, racism and discrimination via the use of these memoirs.

For addition information on this event, please visit: www.azrielifoundation.org

For further information: For media inquiries and to coordinate an interview, please contact: Gen Blouin, Publicist, GenesisPR, [email protected] or 514.887.8187