In one week, we have commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day, learning about Jew hatred and its current manifestations with famed activist and educator Ben Freeman (in case you missed, it you can watch it now) only to experience an onslaught of antisemitic activity nationally and internationally. The proliferation of swastikas at the truck convoy in our nation’s capital, followed by Whoopie Goldberg exclaiming that the Holocaust was not about race, and the release of a report from Amnesty UK calling on the dismantling of the State of Israel felt like daily blows.
It has been a riveting week, and one that has showed repeatedly the importance of naming Jew hatred for what it is, for speaking up, and for ensuring that we continue to advocate, educate, and live proud Jewish lives in the face of rising antisemitism.
Whether you continue to educate yourself or share information over social media, examples of measures to counter antisemitism include the Canadian Reform Rabbinic Leadership issuing a statement speaking out against antisemitic rhetoric and about the Amnesty International UK report.
The House of Commons passed a motion condemning the imagery seen in Ottawa this week and introduced Bill C-229 to ban symbols of hate. You can contact your MP to encourage support of this bill. Finally, the Jewish Federations of North America has a petition to the United Nations to condemn the Amnesty Report.
We must not forget the Jewish values that are at our core and that bind us as a community. While we are combatting antisemitism, we can define ourselves by a Judaism that is much more than this. It is time to live proud Jewish lives, to embrace and ensure that we can continue to do so for generations to come; as Ben Freeman put it so eloquently, we are the guardians of Judaism for future generations.
Amid all this, Dara Horn, author of Everyone Loves Dead Jews, published an article in Sapir, Dreams for Living Jews daring us to dream and to have fulfilling, proud Jewish communities of living Jews. “The act of inspiration and of imagining what might be possible is also at the heart of what distinguished Judaism from other traditions.” What does living a proud Jewish life mean to you? What can we dare to dream as an Edmonton Jewish community?
Doug Wolch, vice-president of strategic planning, and I are eager to move forward with the strategic plan that was presented at our most recent annual general meeting. The new mission adopted by our board, “Jewish Federation of Edmonton mobilizes and develops resources and strengthens relationships in order to provide leadership at home, in Israel, and around the world” as well as our vision of “A thriving, caring, engaged, and connected Jewish community” will guide us as we emerge from the pandemic. In next week’s message, we will bring this report to you and inform you of the next steps to implementation, as well as how we are already using this plan to guide our daily efforts.
Shabbat Shalom,
Stacey