Nazi memorabilia removed from Alberta antique stores: Jewish organization

Nazi memorabilia has been pulled from three Alberta stores’ shelves in time for Remembrance Day, a Canadian Jewish organization says.

B’nai Brith says it reached out to the owners of Old Strathcona Antique Mall, Blue Jar Antique Mall, and Mykel’s Antiques & Collectables in the Edmonton area to talk about the items that were linked to Nazi Germany.

“Antique shops that sell Nazi memorabilia risk propagating Nazi ideology by selling to those such as white supremacists,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, in a statement.

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“Exalting the Nazi era is particularly repugnant [around] Remembrance Day when we remember the sacrifices of our brave Canadian soldiers who gave their lives fighting the Nazis in defence of our freedom.”

After discussing the offensive nature of the items and how harmful selling them can be, which B’nai Brith says encourages the romanticization of Nazi ideology, the owners agreed to remove the items from their shops.

The owner of the Old Strathcona Antique Mall told CityNews that they removed the Nazi items last week after reading the backlash on Twitter.

“The continued emotional trauma, of families of survivors, I guess that’s where it really came home to me yesterday,” said Betty Reitan, the owner of Old Strathcona Antique Mall, in a previous interview.

READ MORE: Edmonton antique store removes Nazi memorabilia after Twitter backlash

“We are encouraged by the wise decisions of the three antique stores we contacted,” said Abraham Silverman, B’nai Brith’s Alberta Manager of Public Affairs in a statement.

“B’nai Brith will continue to monitor the situation in Alberta to ensure our stores are free of such disturbing items.”

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton says the items believe these items belong in a museum, not on store shelves.

“It’s true that it is a part of our history. But having something like that in a store, rather than in a museum with educational context, having it in-store, without a connection to what it is and what it represents, really trivializes it,” said Jenn Magalnick, a Holocaust education coordinator with the Jewish Federation of Edmonton.

That sentiment is echoed by B’nai Brith.

Magalnick recommends anyone with these types of items reach out to a museum or an organization like the Jewish Federation of Edmonton or B’nai Brith for advice on what to do with the items.

-with files from CityNews Edmonton