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John,
We awoke this morning to devastating news: Jews gathered to
celebrate Chanukah in Sydney, Australia, were murdered in a targeted
terrorist attack. They were parents and children, grandparents and
friends – families just like ours.
As Jews around the world grieve, expressions of sympathy have
rightly poured in. Mourning the dead and comforting the survivors is
important. But it will not stop the next atrocity – just as it has not
stopped the wave of violent antisemitism we are now witnessing.
We have seen the deadly consequences of unchecked, violent
hatred of Jews in the United States, the United Kingdom, and now
Australia. In each case, violence was preceded by a familiar
pattern: sustained incitement, the normalization of antisemitic
hatred, and the tolerance of extremists celebrating terrorism...until
words turned into bloodshed.
Here in Canada, we’ve seen that radicalization process in action
since October 7. For more than two years, hateful activists have taken
over our streets, waved the flags of terror groups, harassed Jewish
Canadians, and openly called for violence.
To add fuel to the fire, Canada’s national security agencies have
warned of foreign actors, including the Iranian regime, seeking to
exploit antisemitism and extremist ideologies to harm Canadians.
As Jews, we have confronted – and outlasted – such hate time and
again throughout our history. On Chanukah, we remember that the
Maccabees confronted not only physical violence, but a worldview that
demanded silence, submission, and moral surrender.
But as Rav Meir Soloveichik reminds us: lighting the
Chanukah menorah is not merely an act of remembrance, but an act of
public proclamation. The miracle, he explains, lies not only
in the oil that burned beyond all expectation, but in a people who
refused to hide their truth — who understood that light must be
displayed openly, even in hostile surroundings.
That teaching speaks directly to our moment. When hatred is
excused, when extremism is justified, and when antisemitism is
dismissed, darkness is allowed to spread. And one of the deadly
results is the horrific scenes witnessed on a Sydney beach.
Which brings us to a truth that must now be stated plainly and
acted upon with courage:
The fight against antisemitism is a fight for Canada
itself.
It demands that political leaders look at these problems squarely
in the eye, to call it out for what it is, and to take comprehensive,
coordinated action to confront this hateful extremism before it turns
violent.
This is not about one community alone. It is about defending
democratic values, public safety, and the moral foundations of our
country which are increasingly under threat.
This year, displaying our menorahs is more than a tradition or
mitzvah. It’s a statement to the world: We will never stop
being publicly and proudly Jewish.
This Chanukah, we reaffirm that promise. And we demand that
officials at all levels in this country—from Parliament Hill to your
local city hall—take action to safeguard Canada.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Noah Shack, CEO
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