Chanukah Celebration at City Hall in Vaughan and Toronto
Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council hosted Vaughan’s annual Chanukah menorah lighting in advance of the holiday which this year begins on Dec 25 (first night Dec 24). A new colourful sign for the city was also revealed. Rabbi Meir Kaplan founder and spiritual leader of Chabad Flamingo presided over the ceremony. Music and treats followed Security was tight but spirits were high.
The annual Menorah Lighting Ceremony and festivities will get underway at Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive, on Monday, December 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
At Toronto City Hall, James Pasternak hosted a Chanukah party on December 17th which was attended by Jewish community leaders from many organizations. Mayor Chow and various members of council addressed the audience, acknowledging the difficult year of rising antisemitism and promising more firm action to combat this, especially on the streets of the city.
Shocking News-Another Attack on Bais Chaya Mushka School for Girls
Early morning December 20, the Jewish community woke up to news of a third shooting at this Orthodox Girls’ School in North Toronto. While police were quick to arrive at the scene at 3am, and no one was harmed, the building suffered property damaage and the school’s staff and students are more than just a little alarmed. The entire Jewish community is in angst; and Jewish Security Network (JSN) is assessing the situtaion with the Toronto Police Servce.
Notice to the community by the JSN of Greater Toronto, is to be hyper vigilant, to show solidarity with the school staff, students and families—“an attack on any one of us is an attack on all of us.” Members of the community are urged to report all suspicious incidents , call 911 or report 24/7 to the JSN hotline at 416-635-5600. Anyone with information about this incident, should contact police at 32 Division 416-808-3200
The Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, was quick to put out a statement condemning this attack, but now we need a strategic approach as identified by former Canadian Special Envoy on Antisemitism, Irwin Cotler. He urges “prevention of the crime, protection of the target, prosecution of the perpetors, and partnerships among federal, provincial and municipal authorities.” Read article in National Post, December 20, page 2.
Jews and Hindus Stand Together for Canadian Values
On December 18, the Hindu Forum, a non profit humanitarian organization, hosted an event in Pickering, Ontario entitled, Hindus and Jews Together Against Hindu-Hate and Jew-Hate. The evening featured a panel moderated by author, commentator, TagTV founder, and social activist, Tahir Gora, long an ally of the Jewish community and a Zionist. Panelists included Ben Dichter, author and Canadian Freedom Convoy Co-founder, Daniel Bordman, Geopolitical Analyst, and Rahul Yendamuri, Director, Hindu Forum Canada. The event held at Devi Mandir, a Hindu temple and community centre, included many guests from Jewish organizations such as CAEF, Canadians for Israel, and Canadian Women Against Antisemitism, who joined the concerned Hindu community members as both are striving to defend Canadian values and counter those who would tear them down, including Islamists and Marxists.
CAEF Reports Antisemitic Behaviour of Teacher
One of the intimidation tactics of the anti-Israel demonstrators is to hide behind a mask. They think that because they conceal their faces, they can do what they want and get away with it.
Not this time.
Mr. David Shultz was arrested and charged by the Toronto Police with obstructing a Peace Officer. With that information, and bit of sleuthing, we found that Mr. Shultz is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). CAEF took action. Our Vice President has filed a complaint of professional misconduct with the College.
Some would take the view that the off-duty conduct of a teacher, however reprehensible, should not be grounds for professional discipline. While that position might have some theoretical support, it is not the position of the OCT or any other professional regulatory college in Ontario. Since the Paul Fromm case in 2007, the off-duty conduct of teachers is completely relevant to their suitability to teach. At least half a dozen cases involving the College have followed that precedent.
We believe that Mr. Shultz has no business holding a teaching license, and hope the College will agree.
See several of his postings below. You be the judge of whether he’s fit to stand at the front of the class in an Ontario public school.
Toronto Olivia Chow and the October 7 Commemoration – Who Knew What When?
Toronto’s Jewish community was gravely disappointed by Mayor Chow’s absence at a major UJA event commemorating the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 atrocities.
In the aftermath of the commemorative event, Mayor Chow stated that she regretted her absence, and explained that due to a miscommunication between her office and UJA, her office did not receive the invitation.
Through a freedom of information request initiated by our Vice President, we at CAEF learned that Mayor Olivia Chow's office had actual knowledge of the UJA event as early as September 30, 2024.
Here’s what the record shows.
On September 30, 2024, at 4:45 PM, Councilor Josh Matlow sent a message to his constituents offering High Holiday greetings, and describing the October 7, 2024 commemoration event. The link to the event website was linked to his message.
The same day, at 5:06 PM, one of our adversaries sent Councilor Matlow an irate riposte. But here’s the clincher – this anti-Israel individual copied every Toronto city councilor, as well as Mayor Chow, and included Councilor Matlow’s original message and the link with all the details of the event. The subject line of the email also mentioned the commemoration.
So Mayor Chow’s staff did in fact know about the October 7 commemoration as early as September 30.
At CAEF, we believe in letting the record stand for itself. We anticipate and expect that Mayor Chow will attend the major celebratory and commemorative events of Toronto’s Jewish community in 2025. No more excuses.
Firebombing of Montreal Synagogue, School and UJA Office Building
While the fire was put out quickly, having come to authorities' attention at 3 am, and the news cycle quickly reported the story, where is the plan of action to stop all attacks on Jewish institutions and degrade the antisemitism that is flourishing in Canada?
Read in JNS about the firebombing of Montreal synagogue and community centre, December 18, 2024, and in Montreal Gazette, and CBC.
So, the question remains—what are the authorities doing to stop all antisemitic attacks, threats and harassment across Canada?
Anti-Israel Protest at Vaughan Synagogue
Despite recent approval of a “bubble bylaw” supported by Vaughan Mayor Stephen Del Duca and all council, a recent anti-Israel protest outside Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto, a synagogue in that city, there was no police action to enforce said bylaw. The mayor was as shocked as the community and promises stronger action.
Watch Rebel News showing the protest and the Mayor’s reaction.
CAEF in the News
The National Post on December 18 featured an article quoting a letter from the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation and Tafsik Organization, expressing concern about two Muslim speakers scheduled to speak at the annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit convention in Toronto, during the Dec 20-23 weekend.
Remembering and Standing Up for the Hostages in Gaza
Not a day goes by that we can forget the 101 hostages that remain in Hamas Hell. It is unclear where they are held, under what conditions, and what they may suffer in terms of physical and psychological trauma. Rallies and vigils serve to keep them in the minds of caring and concerned people, Jews and non Jews, but also to bring demands to governments and media to speak up. The Canadian media, with few exceptions, the National Post, being a major exception, has seemingly forgotten the lives lost, the massacre of innocents, and those who remain prisoners in Gaza. To help to shine a light on this horrific situation, a number of celebrities and social media influencers continue to speak up. Among them is Montana Tucker, who just released an impressive new music video, produced by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
CAM’s CEO Sacha Roytman is quoted as saying, “Since October 7th, at great personal sacrifice, Montana Tucker has emerged as one of the leading young voices for the Jewish people globally. We are proud to have brought her to Israel twice already in the past year to witness firsthand the aftermath of that horrible day, show solidarity with the victims of the attack, and facilitate her advocacy for the hostages, and we believe this video is an important initiative in the effort to return them to their families.”
TAKE ACTION
Everyone, please sign and circulate this petition. An antisemitic Jew hater must not be in a position of prestige and power, which has more than potential to cause harm. Doctors Against Racism and Antisemitism (DARA) urge everyone to send this strong letter “demanding immediate action regarding the recent promotion of Jew-hater and ongoing activities of Dr. Mohammad Zubairi,* a Program Director for Paediatrics and now the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Director for Postgraduate Medical Education at McMaster University.”
Recommended Reading
Michael Starr, writing in the Jerusalem Post, December 17th, noted Canadian government report on rising antisemitism andhow to address it:
Read excerpt: …”a Canadian parliamentary committee issued a report with 19 recommendations to address the rise in antisemitic incidents in the country.
Chaired by MP Lena Metlege Diab, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) heard testimony and reviewed evidence that highlighted the increasing vandalism and violence against Jews and Jewish sites in Canada, as well as the blackballing of Jewish events and organizations, fueled by the glorification of terrorism in the wake of the October 7 massacre.
Following the study, JUST released a report called, Heightened Antisemitism in Canada and How to Confront it for the House of Commons of Canada and the Canadian government to consider.”
Read article with several recommendations here.
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