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Dear John,
Last month, CIJA’s Board had a unique window into the extraordinary
character of Israelis, as we conducted a special mission to show our
solidarity and gain firsthand insights into the evolving challenges
facing Israel.
The week brought many deep
conversations, expert briefings, and unforgettable sights that will
directly inform our advocacy strategy here in Canada. What we
discovered in the town of Metula shone a light not only on the current
moment for Israelis but also on what we’re facing at
home.
Located right on the Lebanese border, Metula is normally home to
1,700 residents overlooking some of the country’s most breathtaking
landscape. This idyllic town also has a special connection to our
Canadian Jewish community. Home to the Canada Centre, a fantastic
community centre and arena built with the generous support of Canadian
philanthropists, Metula is a hub for Israel’s small but growing hockey
culture.
When we arrived, Israeli authorities had just lifted
the travel ban on the border area. We were warmly greeted by
Metula’s brave mayor, David Azoulay, who gave us a
tour of this virtual ghost town, now a landscape of burn marks, broken
glass, and shrapnel scars. One must picture a Hezbollah missile
designed to destroy a 70-ton tank fired into a family home to
understand the scale of destruction in Metula and in dozens of other
border communities.
The sight of debris
and missile damage at the Canada Centre – a symbol of the friendship
between our countries – reflects more than just smashed
windows. It speaks to the assumptions that have been
shattered regarding the security of Israelis and, indeed, the Jewish
people everywhere.
Before returning to Canada, I spent Shabbat
services at Jerusalem’s Hakhel synagogue where I said Kadish for my
mother, a Holocaust Survivor, who died last year. Mid-prayer, tears
came as I encountered a familiar face – Jon Polin, the father of Hersh
Goldberg-Polin. While I mourned my mother, he was mourning his son,
brutally murdered in captivity by Hamas terrorists. I could not help
but think about the tragedy of the moment.
After all
that our people have gone through to ensure ‘never again,’ our
struggle is nowhere near over. Seventeen months since October
7, Israel is in a fight for its very survival, and every single
Israeli is contributing, sometimes with their lives.
Coming back to Canada, it’s clear that Israel has set an
example for how we must wage our own fight. One that’s very
different, but no less existential for our community.
With a
new Liberal leader announced later today, we’re coming closer to the
opportunity for Canadians to choose their next government. As
a Canadian Jew, the stakes of a federal election have never been
higher.
If you, too, are sick of seeing bullet holes
at Jewish schools and arson damage at synagogues…
If you’re
disgusted by the pro-Hamas mobs in our streets and the antisemitic
bullies targeting Jews on campus and in the workplace…
If
you’re tired of hearing Canadian politicians lecturing Israelis
without understanding what they’re going through…
Then
we need you to engage in the next election as never before – as
voters, volunteers, mobilizers, and advocates.
As an
election draws near, we will be calling on you to join us in taking
concrete actions that – taken together – will ensure our community
punches well above our weight in the next election. Because an
exceptional situation calls for an exceptional response from every
single voter in our community.
Israelis have survived in the
Middle East not because of their strength in numbers, but because of
their strength in resiliency and ingenuity to beat overwhelming odds.
So too, our Jewish community – less than 1% of Canada’s population –
will only have a bright future here if we strengthen our engagement in
Canadian democracy.
With your active commitment, we will
ensure a better Canada not only for our community, but for all
Canadians.
Am Yisrael chai,
Elan Pratzer
National Chair
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