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John -- On Monday, the very first day of Parliament, CIJA and our Federation partners were in Ottawa to meet with the Prime Minister. We shared with him what we are hearing in community conversations across the country: Canadian Jews are questioning whether our future is secure in Canada. And we were clear that it’s the responsibility of the government to safeguard that future. The conversation touched on a range of priorities: from community security and the exclusion of Jews in society to Canada's positions on Israel and the Middle East. We presented concrete proposals for the government to address these urgent issues. In the meeting, the Prime Minister shared specific commitments the government will be advancing to combat the rise of antisemitism. Some of these are noted in a public communique issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, including legislation to protect people from being harassed, intimidated, or obstructed from places of worship, schools, and community centres. Nobody should be targeted dropping their kids off at school, visiting an elderly parent, or praying at synagogue. And the meeting was also an opportunity to reiterate our opposition to the government’s intent to recognize Palestinian statehood. We shared that this symbolic gesture fails to advance the release of hostages and an end to this painful war – and has emboldened Hamas and extremists. This was reflected in our public response to comments later in the week by Foreign Minister Anand, who stated that Canada intends to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN in the coming days. What does all this mean for our community? When we see opportunities for concrete progress on our core priorities, we need to be ready to work collaboratively with governments at all levels. And when we disagree with governments, we must always be ready to speak up candidly and stand for our principles. Choosing to do one but not the other isn’t enough to meet this pivotal moment. Our responsibility to fight for our community’s future demands nothing less from us. And this is what you can count on from CIJA. But we can’t do it alone. We’ve seen what’s possible when our community and our allies speak up: we become an undeniable force for change. That’s what you showed when Montreal Pride tried to exclude Jewish delegations from the parade. Together, we acted swiftly to reverse this shameful decision. We stood up, spoke out, and countless allies joined our call. Pride leadership apologized, welcomed us back, and 150,000 people cheered us as we proudly marched in the parade. That’s also what you showed when the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) attempted to cancel the October 7 documentary The Road Between Us. Community members and allies responded by sending tens of thousands of emails to TIFF’s leadership. Combined with broader advocacy efforts, this groundswell led to a reversal of the shameful decision. And ultimately Canadians made their voices heard by selecting this powerful film as the festival’s People’s Choice Award. In both instances, we showed we can win the fight for our values and defeat the extremists who threaten our Canadian way-of-life. Next week, when we gather to celebrate Rosh Hashana, we will hear the piercing sound of the shofar. That sound is meant as a wake-up call for each of us to reflect, repent, and recommit to our values. So too, the shofar is symbolic of what we must do together: wake up all Canadians through impactful, united advocacy. Shana Tova, Elan Pratzer Noah Shack |
