Your Excellencies, Your Honours, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

There are many stories behind many of the holocaust survivors who are here today. There are people here, who spent years in Theresienstadt and others who survived Auschwitz as well.

There are even people here, who left what was then Czechoslovakia in those famous trains of Sir Nicholas Winton, the Briton who succeeded in getting almost 700 Jewish kids out of the country right before it was occupied by the Nazis.

Many of you know, that his deeds went unrecognized until his wife accidentally found his archives in 1988. When she asked him why had he never told her about this, Sir Winton, ever modest, replied „I have almost forgotten about it.“

There are even people here who are pictured on some of these panels around us. It all started in mid 90-s when dozens of school kids wanted to find out what had happened to the people of Jewish origin, who lived in their towns and villages before WWII. And found out they did – through meticulous research in archives and chronicles and through interviews with local elders.

It may sometimes seem, especially to those of the older generation, that we have said almost everything there is to be said about the Holocaust,  or even worse, that it is very hard to find new ways to teach the young generations about the horrors that many of you have experienced on your own skins.

Well, this exhibition proves that idea wrong.

Its uniqueness stems from its grass roots origin – from the fact that the questions originated in the heads of a generation of children born 50 years after the Holocaust, while those who lived through it “merely” answered their questions. That is the education in its purest sense, don´t you think ?

Its uniqueness comes also from the “neighbourhood” atmosphere of the whole project. I think that people, and children especially, understand events much easier if they can feel how those events touch their own lives and familiar surroundings.

And last but not least, the exhibition is unique because it was not created by scientists or historians, but by those kids, who were curious enough to start asking that simple question: What happened to the family that lived in the little house across the street…?

It is now my pleasure to invite to the podium a distinguished representative of the Ontario Government and of the Prime Minister, a person who kindly accepted our invitation to take part in today´s event, a person, who´s record in public service has been impecable (?). Please welcome Honourable David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal.

.... We began to plan this exhbition almost a year ago. Looking back, it seems to me that somehow it was always meant to have Prime Minister here at the opening ceremony.

It is my great pleasure to invite to the podium our most distinguished guest, His Excellency Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mirek Topolanek....

....It is not even three months ago when I was standing exactly on this spot, introducing a play based on Ladislav Grosman´s novel called „Shop on the main street“, or „Obchod na korze“ in Czech. Its film version, one of the finest films ever made in Czechoslovakia, received Academy Awards - Oscar in 1966. And as three months ago, I would again like to acknowledge support of Miles Nadal Jewish Centre, Te-Amim Musical Theatre and also to Prague Jewish Museum.

When I found out from Honourable Minister Caplan´s resume that he is, among other things, also in charge of Liquor Control Board of Ontario. I have to tell you, I began to sweat a little, wondering whether our liquor license for this event was properly in place. So I double checked, just to be sure, and I can report to you, with relief, that it is – so you can enjoy your completely legal Pilsner Urquel now, while going through the exhibition.