TWINNING
The Twinning Program pairs a child (or student) with one of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. The child is given a page of testimony and the tools to discover details about the assigned child such as their lives before and during the Holocaust, their family members and communities, and their aspirations and their fate. The child will learn about their “twin”: how their “twin” coped with the harsh daily realities, responded to anti-Jewish policies, resisted death, and attempted to preserve their human dignity despite the humiliation and suffering inflicted upon them.
This exercise creates a bond between the child and the victim and reveals valuable lessons. It also brings to life a child who never had the chance to live their life and fulfill their promise.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Twinning Program may be undertaken by a youth who will be celebrating their Bar/Bat mitzvah. The program provides a meaningful opportunity for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child and their family to participate in a project that has a lasting significance.
Twins are assigned in various ways. Often the connection with the victim is common dates of birth, family connections, shared names, or the location where the victim resided. The CSYV Memorial Site at Earl Bales Park includes the Ed and Fran Sonshine Children’s Memorial Wall which focuses on child victims of the Holocaust and displays a name of one representative child for every day of the year based on their birthdate. If one of these names is chosen, the child can visit the site to see the inscription.
A TEACHING TOOL
Educators across Canada have also used the Twinning Program in their classrooms as a method of teaching about the Holocaust and to help their students personally relate to these historical events. The CSYV office would be pleased to provide the pages of testimony for students and materials on how to use the testimonies in an age appropriate way in the classroom. This is provided free of charge.
YAD VASHEM JERUSALEM ONLINE TWINNING PROGRAM
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the way Jewish lifecycle events are being marked has changed and people are staying at home and exercising social distancing. It is now possible to mark the Bar/Bat Mitzvah of someone dear to you in a meaningful and memorable way, from anywhere in the world. Yad Vashem has adapted its successful Twinning Program to the current situation and is offering easy access to this unique initiative from home.
MAKE YOUR CHILD’S BAR/BAT MITZVAH MORE MEANINGFUL FROM HOME
The Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl will be twinned with a child who did not have a chance to mark his or her own Bar/Bat Mitzvah. The boy or girl being remembered will share something with the child celebrating – a birthday, a name or place of origin.
A customized Twinning Kit containing the Page of Testimony of his/her "twin" and of his immediate family members, as well as a study guide and a special certificate acknowledging participation in the twinning program will be sent to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child. The Twinning Kit also includes a USB containing a short tour of the Holocaust History Museum at Yad Vashem, filmed especially for this project.
Cost to Participate: $220 US