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Dear John, On the eve of Monday’s election, I had three recent experiences that underscored for me what’s at stake for our Canadian Jewish community—not only in tomorrow’s vote, but in the years to come. The first was attending a screening of October 8. This exceptional documentary unpacks the deliberate, well-orchestrated campaign of hate targeting our community, and that we continue to face. The second was attending the Nova Music Festival Exhibition. Through an immersive experience, this exhibit highlights the beautiful lives brutally destroyed during the deadliest massacre in Israel’s history. It is poignant, painful, and powerful to witness. The third was attending the moving Yom HaShoah memorial event at Shaarei Shomayim in Toronto. These experiences revealed the depths of evil that confront us as Jews today, whether we live in Canada, in Israel, or anywhere in the world. These evils are a mere continuation of the world’s oldest hate – antisemitism. Just as Israelis cannot underestimate the difficult realities of the Middle East, we, too, cannot underestimate the dangers of antisemitism rising in Canada today. Those who want to harm us and Canadian society are organized, determined, and have been transparent about their intent. We must take them at their word. In tomorrow’s election, the Canadian public will make a democratic choice about the direction of our country. With record-high turnout levels for the Advance Polls, it’s clear that our community and Canadians at large are deeply engaged. Passionate disagreements are sure to abound, and I am positive that many Seder discussions included vigorous debate amongst family and friends. Those disagreements will no doubt continue beyond Monday’s vote. But we must never lose sight of what our history
makes chillingly clear: Those who target Jews ultimately make no
political distinctions among us.
This isn’t a clichéd appeal for community unity; rather, it’s a call for community clarity. We must all be clear-eyed that our enemies want us fragmented, fearful, and inclined to flee rather than fight. Wherever we stand politically, we each have a responsibility to fight for a Canada in which the safety and rights of Jews—and all Canadians—are secured. That mission will continue well beyond Election Day. It will call on every one of us to deepen our involvement in democracy, strengthen our advocacy, and bring allies into the battle. But it begins by ensuring every voter in our community casts their ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, I encourage you to make a plan to vote tomorrow and seize your opportunity to be heard. If you need details on where or when to vote, visit Elections Canada’s website. More than anything, like meeting survivors of the Shoah, experiencing both October 8 and the Nova Exhibition left me with an unmistakable sense of the Jewish people’s strength and fortitude. Our history includes many encounters with the kind of evil facing us facing today. It also features many more examples of how Jews not only rise to the challenge, but—as the Nova survivors have shown us—rise to dance again. May we each roll up our sleeves and step up for our Canadian Jewish community. Am Yisrael
Chai, |
