Dec. 2026
Wendy Schneider

A new interactive installation at the Margaret’s Legacy Holocaust Learning and Jewish Advocacy Centre at JHamilton is ensuring that the voices of Holocaust survivors interviewed by Judy Schwartz more than 25 years ago remain accessible to future generations.

Windows to Witness was created in honour of Schwartz’s 80th birthday and initiated by her daughters, Noa Daniel and Ora Goldin. The installation was formally unveiled on Sunday, Nov. 8, at a very well-attended community gathering that brought together family members, friends and members of Hamilton’s Jewish community to recognize Schwartz’s contribution to preserving Holocaust history.

In the late 1990s, Schwartz interviewed 55 Holocaust survivors from Hamilton and surrounding communities for the USC Shoah Foundation. Through these interviews, survivors shared firsthand accounts of their experiences during the Holocaust, their journeys to rebuild their lives and the challenges of starting over in a new country. Their testimonies became part of the foundation’s Visual History Archive, an important resource for Holocaust education and remembrance.

Windows to Witness gives these testimonies a new and accessible home. Visitors can search the interviews by keyword, making it possible to explore individual stories and discover specific experiences, places and people. Rather than relying on a single narrative, the interactive installation allows each visitor to engage with the survivors’ accounts in a personal way.

For Schwartz, the project represents the continuation of work she undertook more than two decades ago, when she sat with survivors and recorded their memories for posterity. At a time when the number of Holocaust survivors is diminishing, preserving and making these firsthand accounts accessible has become increasingly important.

The installation also reflects the thoughtfulness of her daughters, who found a meaningful way to honour their mother’s milestone birthday while recognizing the lasting value of her work.

Windows to Witness ensures that the stories entrusted to Schwartz will continue to be discovered, heard and remembered by generations of visitors to Margaret’s Legacy.