Building Indigenous-Jewish Friendship | CAEF Bulletin, June 12, 2026
- CAEF
- Jun 12
- 9 min read
Read Sharon Aschaiek in Times of Israel, Record turnout for Toronto pro-Israel march as violent antisemitism spikes across Canada, June 8, 2026.
Learning, Sharing, Praying: Building Indigenous-Jewish Friendship
From June 5th–8th inclusive, over 30 Indigenous individuals from across Canada and the US participated in personal and public events arranged by the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, Allied Voices for Israel, Kanada House, Harmony Foundation, and the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem. The main event was a day-long symposium that covered topics ranging from the historic Canadian government & Indigenous nations' treaties to historic and current definitions of Zionism and the current war against the Jews under the guise of Antizionism, from debunking claims of Jewish settler-colonialism to understanding Indigenous perspectives on knowledge and education. Major speakers included Dr. Csaba Nikoleyni, Dr. Sheree Trotter, Dr. Andrew Pessin, Justice Harry LaForme, Dr. David Newhouse, Dr. Mark Dockstater, lawyer Karen Restoule, and others. The full set of recorded presentations will be posted by CAEF as soon as available.
The major sponsor of the Symposium was the Israeli Consulate for Ontario and Western Canada, and Consul General Idit Shamir delivered a strong message of support for the Indigenous-Jewish dialogue, for shared indigeneity, for standing up against antisemitism and racism, for recognizing shared values and working collaboratively going forward.
Other sponsors included the WagnerGreen Family Fund, Adam Wagman Professional Corporation, Kanada House, CAEF, AVI, Harmony Foundation, Les Kom, Harry and Janice LaForme.
Prayers of fellowship and good will were offered by Rabbi Jennifer Gorman, spiritual head of Beth Torah Congregation which hosted the event, Indigenous musician and songwriter Jonathan Maracle, and First Nations Elders Wendy and Mark Phillips.
Features of the friendship weekend included home billeting of Indigenous guests with Jewish families, sharing Shabbat dinners, attending Shabbat synagogue services, an in-home BBQ for all Jewish and Indigenous participants, and a more formal private dinner with keynote speaker Dr. Csaba Nikoleyni and Indigenous music and song provided by Jonathan Maracle.
It was abundantly obvious and marvellously enervating to see the blooming and growing of personal relationships between these two ancient peoples who have experienced discrimination, horrific mistreatment including massacres, multi-generational trauma, and family losses. Yet, resilience reigns. The values that Indigenous peoples of the world share include reverence for their elders/ancestors, love of their ancestral land, and the restoration or desire to preserve their language and culture over time, over millennia. The Indigenous Jewish people, like no other, returned to their land, revitalized their ancient language, cultivated their ancient culture despite 2,000 years in the diaspora, and hold dear their religion and its source, The Torah.
Dave Gordon, a symposium participant and journalist, captured the sentiments of the day and wrote about the main messages of Dr. Trotter, an historian and New Zealand Māori activist, Karen Restoule, Indigenous Affairs Director at the Macdonald Laurier Institute, and Ryan Bellarose, a Métis activist from Alberta, in this article published in the National Post, June 10, 2026.
Read article by Justice Harry LaForme, Special to National Post, June 10, 2026, on what Prime Minister Carney did not say about Islamic antizionism driving the hate movement.
Counter-demonstrators Breach Police Barrier
Despite a large contingent of police from across the Greater Toronto Area, anti-Israel protesters still managed to breach the barrier. As reported by Sharon Aschaiek, "Anti-Israel protesters assembled at locations adjacent to the route, chanting 'Genocide no more,' and 'Israel is an apartheid state.' Some waved the flag of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and held signs with the slogans 'Marg bar Israel' — Farsi for 'Death to Israel' — 'Down with Zionism,' 'Kill more babies,' and 'Jews against Israeli crimes.'"
Watch presentation by Dr. Sheree Trotter at Beth Tikvah Congregation, June 6, 2026, on the Indigeneity of the Jewish People, from an Indigenous Perspective.
Legal Update
1. Kerry GAUER - Charges Withdrawn from Casa Loma Incident
On June 10, 2026, the Crown withdrew four charges against Kerry GAUER stemming from an incident in front of Casa Loma. On that date, the Abraham Global Peace Initiative was hosting a major event at the City of Toronto venue. Several anti-Israel protesters showed up along with a pro-Israel crowd, and the protests and counter-protests became raucous.
GAUER was charged with Mischief - Interfere with Use or Enjoyment of Property, Assault with a Weapon, Assault and Wearing a Disguise with Intent to Commit an Indictable Offence. After 14 preliminary court appearances, the trial was scheduled for June 10. At the opening of trial, the Crown withdrew all four charges.
Last week, the same thing happened in the case of David SHULTZ.
2. US Attorney Announces Eight Indictments for Transmitting Threats through Interstate Commerce
On Wednesday, June 10, US Attorney Jerome F Gorgon Jr. announced that a US Federal Grand Jury returned indictments against Zainab Aliasgar HAKIM, Amatullah Aliasgar HAKIM, Paige Elizabeth FEYOCK, Ahmet Kerem KORKAYA, Jonathan HONGRU, Alexander Matthew SEPULVEDA, Mariam Muhammed ODEH, and Colin Hunter WEGER
The charges stem from a protracted campaign of property damage against the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and intimidation of Regents and senior administrators of the University of Michigan, in an attempt to coerce them into adopting policies of boycott, sanctions and divestment against Israel.
Links are provided to the US Department of Justice press release, and the text of the indictment.
CAEF will be following the progress of the case.
3. ALCCA Legal Review of the 57th Walk with Israel
The Alliance of Canadians Combating Antisemitism (ALCCA) of which CAEF is a member, has published an extensive analysis of the 57th Walk with Israel from a legal perspective. Please see the link attached for details.
ALCCA also covers the recent attempted arson at a Montreal synagogue (Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom) this week, and the multiple charges laid against Steven LUU. CAEF will be monitoring the progress of the case.
The Israel Conference
Several hundred Bible-believing Christians celebrated Israel, expressing love for the Jewish people and committing to a campaign to spread Love to one's Jewish Neighbours. This two-day conference, June 8–9, included many Jews as well and on Day 2, many of the Indigenous attendees from the friendship symposium also attended. Sponsored by the National House of Prayer, Day 1 was held at Adath Israel Synagogue and Day 2 at the Church of Joy, a Korean Christian church in North Toronto. Among the speakers were Pastor Giulio Gabeli, Pastor Malcolm Hedding, and Dr. Sheree Trotter, as well as a panel on media bias that featured Daniel Koren of AVI and Amanda Eskenazi of Honest Reporting Canada.
One very significant outcome was the circulation of the Solidarity Declaration affirming God's covenant with the Jewish people. The launch of the campaign to love one's Jewish neighbour was supported by a document listing 9 Ways to Love Your Jewish Neighbor:
Pray with Purpose
Educate Yourself and Others
Support Holocaust Education
Speak Up and Challenge Antisemitism
Combat Stereotypes
Support Jewish-Owned Businesses
Report Antisemitic Incidents
Challenge Biases
Vote Responsibly
Many resources were listed, and this site is available: loveyourjewishneighbor.com
CAEF expresses deep and sincere appreciation to the organizers and sponsors of the conference.
Recommended Viewing
Watch Hillel Neuer, UN Watch, reveal a study of UN Special Rapporteurs who all have unspeakable hostility to Israel, to the West, or to Truth, and have received funds from foreign governments such as China and Qatar.
More than 100 staffers at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are affiliated with Hamas' military wing and participated in the Palestinian terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023 massacre across southern Israel, according to the US government's oversight body responsible for monitoring American foreign assistance. The inspector general's office for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed that it found evidence showing 101 current and former UNRWA employees also operated as Hamas terrorists. The federal watchdog said it referred every individual to the US State Department for suspension or debarment from US-funded aid programs.
Watch Emily Schrader for JNS TV revealing this important story: an ISGAP report on Qatar funding of US educational institutions at all levels, and on lobbying the government and its overall influence.
Watch Israeli Druze, Khalifa Khalifa, explain the support the Druze people have for Israel, both in Israel and among the Druze in Syria and Lebanon, and what the Arab mindset really is towards Jews.
CG Idit Shamir on X: “Toronto's @MayorOliviaChow just personally invited FIFA referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan to her city after the United States BANNED him for suspected ties to terror organizations. The SAME referee who publicly wrote that ‘Jews, target Muslims and Arabs, and suck their blood.'” Read here.
Recommended Reading
Read Substack, Behind the Narrative by Yama Bar, on how France has fallen to Islamists and what the government isn't doing about it.
Read Kevin Klein in National Post on the Human rights museum that is treating Jewish concerns as an afterthought, June 9, 2026.
Advocacy and Action
PARENTS, TEACHERS, ALLIES, ACT NOW TO STOP ANTIZIONISM IN TDSB:
Wednesday night, Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) held a closed to the public meeting. At the last minute, they put the Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR) motion on the agenda. Thise opposed challenged the motion, noting that it needed to go through the working group. The chair agreed and ruled the motion out of order, but the other side challenged it and won. The 'other side' basically voted to ignore their own by-laws. The chair ruled their bringing the motion again as out of order and then they voted to overturn the chair. They had the numbers to do it. After the meeting the chair resigned because of all the personal attacks directed at her.
Jewish Educators and Families Association (JEFA) and CAEF call on everyone to send a message: asking the TDSB to cancel Tuesday's PIAC General Meeting and pause consideration of the APR motion. The deadline is end-of-day Friday.
Emails: paul.calandra@pc.ola.org, minister.edu@ontario.ca, Rohit Guptarohit.gupta@tdsb.on.ca>, Stacey.zucker@tdsb.on.ca, "Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (TDSB)" <info@torontopiac.com, PIAC.Chair@tdsb.on.ca
UNraveling UNRWA
ST. CATHARINES, Ontario, June 11, 2026 — The News Forum will present the exclusive Canadian broadcast debut of a powerful, award-winning investigative documentary examining the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency, airing June 27 and 28 at 8:00 PM.
Important Community Events
Register NOW for Why I Stand with Jews and Israel with Weidong Pei, Brandon Lui and Karen Woods.
For the fourth year in a row, on Sunday, June 14th, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM, ICARE (International Coalition Against Racism Everywhere) invites you to join the freedom-loving crowd to honour the bravery of the people of Iran and stand with them. To participate, please reserve your spot here.
We'll send the location and event details via email after confirmation.
Salman Sima, Founder and Executive Director of ICARE
FAITH NOT FEAR | A Community Conversation About the Future of Jewish Life in Canada
Sunday June 14th, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Vaughan, Ontario
Location disclosed 24 hours in advance
Across Canada today, many Jewish Canadians are asking difficult but necessary questions about identity, belonging, resilience, civic responsibility, and the future of both our community and our families in this country.
At the same time, something important is happening: A new generation of Jewish Canadians and allies is stepping forward. Not motivated by fear alone, but by both individual and communal responsibility. By purpose. By faith. By identity. And by a belief that strong communities are built through courageous leadership, civic engagement, meaningful allyship, personal responsibility, and collective action.
Throughout Jewish history, periods of uncertainty have often become defining moments of renewal, courage, and collective responsibility. Every generation is eventually called upon not only to inherit Jewish life, but also to help strengthen, protect, and shape it for the next generation.
"Faith Not Fear" is a Jewish civic and community gathering bringing together political leaders, journalists, educators, advocates, faith leaders, entrepreneurs, and grassroots voices for an important and forward-looking conversation about what this challenging moment requires from all of us.
The evening will explore:
Jewish leadership in a changing Canada
Rising antisemitism and civic responsibility
Jewish identity, faith, and resilience
Media, advocacy, and the information environment
Community mobilization and constructive civic engagement
Allyship, coordination, and collective responsibility
Building stronger Jewish confidence and connection for the future
The evening will also include a special recognition of Shomrim with the YALLA! Jewish Community Leadership Award in recognition of their extraordinary leadership and community mobilization efforts since October 7 and throughout the search for Esti.
The first 100 registrations are complimentary (SOLD OUT)
General Admission tickets are $36
Community Builder tickets are $180 and include premium seating and a private reception
For sponsorship opportunities, please email info@yallanow.ca
Net proceeds to support Shomrim
Comments