Jewish Learning Series: The Union Kommando, presented by Jake Sivak

Temple Shalom Lifelong Learning invites you to The Union Kommando: The Story of an Ammunition Factory in the Heart of Auschwitz Sat. April 11th, 2026 Following service & Oneg (approx. 12:30pm) Presented by Jacob Sivak Jacob Sivak, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is a retired professor with a long career as a teacher and researcher in the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo. Since retiring, he has published many articles and made several in person and zoom presentations on various topics related to Israel, Jewish history and the Holocaust. Dedicated to the memory of my mother in law, who worked as a slave labourer in an ammunition factory in Auschwitz. In addition to her story, there is the story of another Holocaust survivor, who lived in Toronto and was given an origami heart made by her co- workers at the ammunition factor. It has been made into a documentary called The Heart of Auschwitz. There is also the incredible saga of the Sonderkommando Revolt at Auschwitz, when incredibly brave Jewish women smuggled gunpowder as part of an effort to blow up the crematoria. Four of the 30 or so women involved were executed, just two weeks before Auschwitz was liberated.