Shabbat Message - May 21, 2021
This message has 709 words and will take a little more than 3 minutes to read.
Yesterday afternoon the news came through that Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. Since the start of the conflict, Hamas fired more than 4,300 rockets at Israeli civilians, and the quiet across the country this weekend is welcome yet tentative. We sincerely hope the ceasefire will hold and a lasting peace can take hold, but whether it will remain to be seen. If you are looking for ways to help, you can give to the Israel Under Fire Fund.
What is certain is the tremendous toll this conflict has taken, and continues to take, across Canada. Last weekend there were reports of violence taking place during demonstrations, including supporters of Israel who were pelted with rocks at a peaceful rally.
Jewish Federations in Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton, and our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), received reports of anti-Israel protestors entering Jewish neighborhoods and aggressively harassing residents and vandalizing Jewish property. These include anti-Israel activists shouting at Jewish residents, waving Palestinian flags, and yelling slogans including “Death to Israel.” In several instances, these activities were actively promoted on social media. We are grateful for the statements issued by many federal, provincial, and municipal leaders.
In response, CIJA organized a national briefing last night called, Learn. Mobilize. Act, which focused on how we can move forward together in the face of growing antisemitism and actions people can take now.
Jewish students across Canada continue to go through a very challenging time, reporting a drastic rise in antisemitism in peer groups, bullying in classes, and overall harassment. Yesterday, CIJA, in partnership with Jewish Federation of Calgary, Calgary Hillel, Federation CJA in Montreal, and Hillel Ontario, offered a second student support session. “We hear you,” they said, “and we are here to support you.”
So are we. We have heard similar concerns from local young adults, and we are in the process of organizing an additional support session next Thursday. If there are young adults in your life, please have them contact Aluma Zweifler Reicher for more information. While we appreciate that there may also be interest from parents and other community members, the session is exclusively for young adults.
Seeing misinformation circulate in the media during a conflict like this isn’t new. But it certainly felt like there was a significant uptick this time, both in volume and in level of vitriol. If you haven’t yet read John Robson’s opinion piece in the National Post, here it is.
Throughout it all, leaders in our community have stood up for Israel’s right to defend itself while working hard to find common ground with friends whose perspectives are often very different from our own. Rabbi Moskovitz and Haroon Kahan, a leader in the local Muslim community, collaborated on an article in The Globe and Mail, titled Jews and Muslims can live together in peace—and so can we all. I understand that it took several drafts to get to the final, but they were able to stay focused on their mutual desire for peace and their respect for each other.
While the conflict in Israel was rightly the focus for many of us this week, the regular work of the community continued alongside it, and there was even much to celebrate. Junior Achievement BC’s 15th Annual Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame celebration took place yesterday, and we were very proud to see two community leaders honoured. Gordon Diamond was inducted as a Business Laureate, and Morris J. Wosk z’l as a Pioneer Laureate. The awards honour and recognize outstanding BC business leaders who, through their vision and leadership, have built legacies that enrich the lives of others, and whose contributions can be seen throughout our province today.
Many of you know how closely connected our community is to the Jewish community of Khabarovsk in Far East Russia. If you aren’t, click here. It is one of many communities that is becoming more vibrant thanks to your support of our work and that of our partner, the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Through the JDC’s Metsuda program we are preparing strong leaders, activists, and volunteers who can play an active role in shaping their communities’ future. I hope you will join us tonight at 6:00 p.m. for a special Shabbat celebration with our two communities. Click here to register and I’ll see you there!
Shabbat shalom.
Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer