At Camp Miriam, on picturesque Gabriola Island off the coast of British Columbia, a beautiful new pavilion was dedicated in honor of Dr. Janusz Korczak. Below is an account of the day’s events from one of the invited guests, Lillian Boraks-Nemetz, a board member of the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada.
Janusz Korczak in Camp Miriam by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz
On Thursday morning of July 19, 2016, a delegation consisting of Bernie Simpson MLA, the Hon. John Fraser, Jerry Nussbaum, President of the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada, Nancy Gabor our co-ordinator and Lillian Boraks-Nemetz, author and Holocaust survivor, boarded a small plane headed for Camp Miriam where we would meet up the rest of the delegation: Dr. Irene Bettinger and Dana Bettinger, Dr.Robert Krell, Gideon Levit, Philip and James Dayson, members of the staff, boys and girls.
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The plane drilled through the air for a short time and soon out of the morning mist emerged the emerald view of Gabriola Island.
We were to participate in the dedication of a pavilion in honor of Dr. Janusz Korczak – a Polish Jew, pediatrician; an author; a caretaker of a Jewish orphanage and a hero.
We were met and driven through the forests, and meadows to the legendary Camp Miriam nestling among the impressive firs and pines. What an inspiring place Camp Miriam is, surrounded by nature with its spread of wooden buildings each offering a different branch of camp activity.
Excited young people bustled about laughing and talking, and finally we saw the majestic Pavilion. It stood on an incline looming large. A reddish wood post and beam structure with a slanted roof, supported by strong, wide pillars.
Soon everyone gathered round for the program announced by James Dayson.
Dr. Bettinger and Dana consecrated the Pavilion as the DR Janusz Korczak Pavilion.
Afterwards speakers were presented. The Honorable John Fraser spoke briefly to the campers, pointing out how proud they must and should be firstly of being Jewish, and secondly but most importantly, Canadian. Jerry Nussbaum followed by telling us “Who was Korczak” and introducing the crowd to two new books co-published by the Korczak Association , written by two pupils of Korczak :
The first, titled Taking Root, My Life as a child of Janusz Korczak-the father of children’s rights-the biography of Shlomo Nadel.
The second: White House in a Grey City written and illustrated by Itzchak Belfer, a child pupil of Janusz Korczak.
Next, Lillian Boraks-Nemetz spoke of the Warsaw Ghetto where both she and Dr. Korczak were incarcerated. She as a child, he, as an aging Doctor looking after 200 orphans. When the Nazis announced the deportation of children to the camps Dr. Korczak was offered a reprieve but he refused saying, “My children need me.” And he went with them to Treblinka death camp where they all perished.
Boraks-Nemetz concluded with these words:
“We desperately need more people like Korczak in today’s world. To lead our children towards life and light, towards justice and hope.
May this pavilion symbolize that the flame lit by this great man burns forever in the hearts of all those who love children.”
We adjourned for a fantastic lunch which we ate in the shade of gigantic trees with interesting discussions around the table.
After lunch, Nancy Gabor took the visitors on a tour of the camp and soon it was time to return home after a day of wonders and miracles both of the Mother Nature and the human kind.
Read the Jewish Independent article describing the dedication of the Korczak Pavilion at Camp Miriam