January 26, 2024
Ms Katherine Bambrick,
Chief Executive Officer
Ontario Trillium Foundation
30 Wellington St. West
5th Floor
Toronto, ON M5L 1E2
Dear Ms Bambrick;
It has come to the attention of the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) that the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre (TRCC), a registered charitable organization, that receives funds from the City of Toronto, the Ontario and Federal Governments, and the Trillium Foundation, is promoting and participating in two distinctly biased anti-Israel events this weekend, and has ignored the devastating attacks by Hamas on innocent Israelis and foreign nationals, including rape, torture, and murder of both women and men.
Surely, a rape crisis center ought to acknowledge and condemn violence against women—and not demonstrate support for what is now recognized as a position in the so-called Women’s Movement that can be described as “me too unless you’re a Jew”.
Charitable organizations are by law to remain non-partisan, but as importantly, they must stay true to their mission, and in this case there is no evidence of the war between Israel and Gaza having any connection to rape and abuse in Toronto, but there is evidence that increasing protests and lies about Israel are related to increasing divisiveness in our city and country, increased attacks against Jewish communities, and threats and harassment of Jews, especially of Israelis living here.
CAEF asks you to consider if the endorsement and participation by TRCC in the scheduled Poster making and March for Palestine is an abuse of their funding agreement and cause for an audit and immediate intervention by the province.
Please consider that by endorsing this anti-Israel event and any other such activity, the TRCC is signalling to all Jewish and non-Jewish women, especially Israeli-Canadians, who love and support Israel, that they are not welcome, and may not receive a service with respect for their ethnic, national or religious identity. This is a breach of their rights and an affront to all women and men of conscience.
CAEF asks that the Ontario Trillium Foundation act before this scheduled event.
Sincerely,
Andria Spindel
Executive Director
Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation
cc. Jill Dunlop
Robin Martin
Michael Kerzner
Goldi Gemari
Michael Ford
Laura Smith
Charmaine Williams
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