In the wake of the horrific assault on the Jewish community in Bondi Beach, we are amplifying a call from Allies for a Strong Canada, asking that the Prime Minister and the Premiers take immediate and concrete action against antisemitism here in Canada. Something must be done quickly. We cannot wait for another attack. Already, this week, we also saw a failed attack in Germany, and today, news reports that three Torontonians with ties to ISIS, who were allegedly planning an attack on the Jewish community, were arrested by the RCMP.
You can read the Allies’ letter to the Prime Minister and the Premiers here.
Among the asks are an increase in funding for security at vulnerable institutions through the Canada Community Security Program, to modernize and reform the mechanisms which are allowing extremist actors to enter Canada, and to actively identify and stifle foreign propaganda which is leading to radicalization on social media.
It is important that our national leadership, which has thankfully come out vocally in support of our community this week, now turn their words of support and pledges of solidarity into actionable results.
You can sign the petition here.
Happy Chanukah to all, in this season of resilience, hope, pride and advocacy.
Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.
Many of you, like me, were glued to the news earlier this week of the devastating antisemitic terror attack on Bondi Beach in my hometown of Sydney, Australia. As my own family gathered to celebrate the first Chanukah candle, a piece of the festival light was undoubtedly diminished. Bondi is the heart of Sydney’s Jewish life. An iconic beach suburb and the location of many institutions and synagogues, I spent much of my teenage and young adult years in the area, both as a Sydneysider enjoying the ocean and as a professional Jew in the community.
This week, my heart has been at home, and it is broken, though I am relieved to share that all of our family and friends are, thankfully, accounted for. I feel truly fortunate that they are safe, at this horrible time of Jews losing our sense of safety, not just in Australia, but around the world, including here in Canada.
It is saddening that this is our state of being, where the security and safety of one another is the foremost concern, instead of being able to simply enjoy the events of the holiday. My family and I deeply appreciate the many messages from you, the incredible Holy Blossom community, checking in and offering consolation. I have been passing along your love and care to them. It makes me even more grateful to be one of your rabbis.
As the famous (and my favourite) Chanukah song goes, banu choshech l’garesh, b’yadeinu or va’esh – “we have come to dispel the darkness, and in our hands is light, and flame.”
The antidote, I believe, is spreading Jewish joy and Jewish light, igniting flames of love instead of fuelling the fires of the vitriolic hatred that ultimately led to fatal violence. In Toronto, I have found much hope, light and joy in our Chanukah celebrations. Whether it was our children participating in tefilah during our Young Families celebration, the teens revelling in their glow party, the extraordinary array of our choose-your-own adventure study sessions or the incredible concert or study session during Ignite, our coming together uplifted the soul and reassures us that the Jewish future is bright.
We are instructed in the Talmud to display our Chanukiot in our windows for a reason: to share our light, in all its beauty.
So I humbly encourage that, in this dark time, we double our efforts for hiddur mitzvah (beautifying a sacred act) as we conclude Chanukah 5786: come join us tonight for our Intergenerational Chanukah Party, reach out to our numerous congregants who (also) have family ties to Australia, share a photo that represents Jewish joy, or invite non-Jewish allies to light candles with you.
Australian Jewry are shaken, but they are strong, and I have come to know that Canadian Jews share that same trait. We cannot, and will not, let darkness dispel our light, because the real miracle of Chanukah is that we are still here at all. To be afraid to be proudly Jewish would be a negation of that very miracle. My Chanukiah, gifted to me by my grandmother, has been on display in my window each night, and our Chanukiah here at Holy Blossom has stood tall for all to see.
Shalom al Yisrael, and Am Yisrael Chai – Down Under, in Toronto, and wherever we may be.
Chag Chanukah Sameach.
PS A few of you have asked if there was anything practical you could do. A small step, for those who wish, is to donate to the Bondi Community Relief Appeal, where resources will go straight to front-line responders on behalf of the Sydney Jewish community. The link can be found here.
Tevet is the 10th month on the Jewish calendar, counting from Nisan. The number 10 is considered a holy number. The month of Tevet is mentioned in the Book of Esther and was acquired in Babylonia, and it shares a root with the Hebrew word tov, meaning “good”.
The letter of the month is Ayin (ע), which means “Eye” or “to See” someone who is wise to see that G/d in everything and everywhere.
This is the month of “Good”. This brings us to the significant meaning of “The body delivers pleasure from the body”. Because we are encouraged to perform acts of kindness, goodness/mitzvoth during this month, as the simple act of giving and receiving is gratifying to both the receiver and the donor. Please consider donating to a charity of your choice to make this world a better world.
Tevet starts on December 21st, also on the 7th day of Chanukah, which means the lighting of the menorah with all the light and cheer that it brings, along with celebrations with friends and family gatherings. We celebrate the start of a new month, Rosh Chodesh and also Chanukah, which gives us more reasons to fill this month with light, laughter, peace, hope, generosity, and freedom.
We are recognizing a Woman of Valour coincidentally during this month of Tevet Sheila Bacher z’l’, a woman who paved the way to many other volunteers that followed her footsteps on the “Out of the Cold” Program a true trailblazer, a woman of gave more to the many clients that have passed by the Temple on a Wednesday night because they needed a warm place and a hot soup. Sheila was indeed a “Good” Woman and she is being celebrated by her friend Diana Goodman.
written by Diana Goodman
Sheila Bacher z’l’ was born into a family with strong Hoy Blossom connections. There are windows dedicated to both her parents in the Sanctuary and our Holy Blossom Temple foyer.
At the age of nine, the family moved to a house just a few doors away from Temple, so the connection was physical as well as spiritual.
Sheila grew up at Temple, teaching in the Religious School first as a student, then after graduating from Teachers’ College, as a professional teacher.
Sheila married young at 21 and had 3 children–Jodi, Paul and Andrea.
She became active in Sisterhood now (Women of Holy Blossom), working on a variety of committees before serving as President from 1989-1991. She continued teaching for several years, but when she retired, again became involved in Temple life–working on Mondays at The Temple for seniors and then on the “Out of the Cold” Program.
To those who didn’t know her well, she could be gruff and short-tempered, but those who knew her well knew she had a heart of gold and was a real “softie.”
Sheila passed away in 2017, but her contributions to Temple will live on for many years.
Her daughter, Andrea Katz, currently serves on the Temple Board of Trustees, carrying on the family tradition.
Holy Blossom Temple is open over the “winter break,” with adjusted hours.
Please note on the following days, the building will be open before Shacharit Services at 9:00 am and briefly thereafter for breakfast, but closed the rest of the day. Visit holyblossom.org/worship/ for links and more information.
Temple will be open during the week, Monday to Thursday, all day other than the dates listed above, starting with Shacharit at 7:30 am and ending with Mincha at 6:00 pm between now and January 5. Out of the Cold Community Dinners will continue on Thursday evenings, Kabbalat Shabbat services will remain on all Friday evenings at 6:00 pm, and Shabbat Morning services on Saturdays at 10:30 am. Our Early Childhood Centre (ECC) is on break and will resume classes on January 5. Our Youth Education Centre (YEC) is off and will resume classes on January 11. Regular building hours, including evenings/weekends for school and other programming, will resume on January 6.
Holy Grounds Café will reopen the morning of Monday, January 5.
Please note Holy Blossom Memorial Park Cemetery on Brimley Road will be closed on December 25.
Thank you for your patience during these next few weeks while our dedicated professional team is rotating through some well-deserved and much-needed time off.
Canada has been without a Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism since mid-July, when Deborah Lyons resigned from the position. You can read more about Lyons’ resignation here.
Mark Sandler, Chair of ALCCA (Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism), wrote a recent editorial calling for our government to step up and fill this leadership void. The Advocacy Committee here at Holy Blossom amplified his message several weeks ago. We are now bringing you further action that you can take, courtesy of our friends at ALCCA.
The ALCCA encourages you to write to the Prime Minister and your local MP, strongly encouraging them to fill the Special Envoy position without delay. A draft message can be found below.
Dear Prime Minister Carney,
Canada has been without a Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism for more than four months. There has never been a more pressing need for advocacy to combat antisemitism within and outside government. Hate crimes targeting Jews are at unprecedented levels. Despite representing only 1% of the population, Jews are the victims of 70% of religiously motivated hate crimes in Canada.
Antisemitism has become normalized in Canada. It continues unabated. It often manifests as anti-Zionism. This isn’t about criticism of Israel, its conduct or policies. This is about the demonization and marginalization of all those (including about 94% of Canadian Jews) who support Jewish self-determination in their ancestral lands. Zionism, properly understood, is not incompatible with Palestinian self-determination, although its meaning has been distorted to delegitimize Israel’s very existence. Prime Minister Trudeau declared himself to be a Zionist and said that no one should be afraid in Canada to call themselves a Zionist. But in many Canadian spaces, it is no longer safe to call oneself a Zionist.
The need for a true advocate within government to fight this normalization has never been more urgent. I urge you to appoint a new Special Envoy immediately, to publicly reject efforts to demonize our community and delegitimize Israel’s very existence, and to proactively address the scourge of antisemitism in Canada.
Sincerely,
[Name]
In response to the growing hate-motivated acts of violence and intimidation in Canada, particularly against Jewish Canadians, the federal government recently introduced Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, in the legislature.
The outcomes of the Bill are intended to:
Several Jewish institutions, including CIJA, B’nai Brith Canada, Simon Wiesenthal Centre, and others, have been following the Bill closely and have made submissions and suggestions to strengthen the Bill, while encouraging its passage.
To learn more about this issue, please join legal experts tomorrow, Thursday, December 11, at 7 p.m. for a virtual Community Town Hall. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how you can help to advocate for this important initiative. Please click below to register for the session:
Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.
Chanukah at Queen’s Park
Two weeks ago, I went to Queen’s Park to lobby with CIJA on behalf of Jewish Ontarians. I spent the afternoon in a series of small group meetings with the Premier and seven MPPs – Conservative, Liberal, and NDP. Yesterday, I returned to Queen’s Park at the invitation of MPP Smyth, in whose riding Holy Blossom Temple resides. These are the words I shared with the many MPPs, government staff, and guests who gathered for a pre-Chanukah Party.
What is the miracle of Chanukah?
Ask, and you’ll hear something like the following…. In the 2nd century BCE, Before the Common Era, the Assyrian Greeks took hold of the Land of Israel and denied the religious freedoms of the Jews who lived there. They desecrated the Temple that stood in Jerusalem by setting up altars and offering sacrifices to their many gods there.
The Maccabean Revolt to drive out the foreign occupying power took seven years. In the year 164 BCE, the Maccabees took back Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The word “Chanukah” means “dedication.” At this season, we remember our ancestors’ dedication to religious and cultural identity, and we rededicate ourselves to do the same.
All this we know to be historically true – thanks to reams of written and archeological evidence. But it wouldn’t be a holiday without additional layers of legend and faith, mystery and miracles. According to the ancient Rabbis…. THE MIRACLE of Chanukah was that when the Maccabees went to relight the oil lamp of Jerusalem’s Temple, they found only one vile of ritually pure oil, only enough to burn for one day. It would take a week to press and prepare more of the pure oil fit for ritual purposes. But miracle of miracles, that one sealed vile of oil lasted for eight days, when it was only enough for one day.
So the question comes…. Why do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days? If they knew there was enough oil for one day, that first light wasn’t miraculous at all. So why not celebrate only the seven “miraculous” days? Why do we recite the blessing for miracles (she’asah nisim) on the first night of Chanukah? What was the miracle of the first twenty-four hours?
Ask and you’ll hear one hundred different answers. Literally. In the Middle Ages, an anthology of one hundred answers to this question was compiled. What was the miracle of the first day? Let’s name just three out of the one hundred possible answers.
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Congregants, Honoured Leadership, and Elected Officials of the Province,
This is a joyful holiday season, but I would be remiss if I didn’t name the moment. You know this is a fearful time for Jewish citizens of Ontario. We, in the Jewish communities of this province and across the country, know all too well that we cannot confront or combat antisemitism alone, because it is not a Jewish problem. It is a Canadian problem that can only be solved by a multi-faceted and well-coordinated effort by every level of government.
We are grateful for the security grants and police protections that have been arranged. We wish they weren’t so necessary, but they are. Believe me when I tell you, we do not wish to build our synagogues and schools and community centres into fortresses. We want the religious freedoms that are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We don’t believe that is asking too much of this good country.
As we anticipate the arrival of many winter holidays of our many neighbours, let us remember the power of beginnings. As we anticipate the arrival of many Festivals of Lights to brighten the long dark nights of the season, let us celebrate the power that one little light has to dispel darkness.
May God bless your leadership. May God give you the insight to discern right from wrong and the courage to name it out loud. May we bless one another with good partnerships and creative collaborations, so that we may share in the responsibility of bringing greater light to the great diversity of communities that make Ontario their home.
I will conclude with the prayer we offer up each morning, a prayer for peace:
Grant us peace, Your most precious gift, O Eternal Source of Peace, and give us the will to proclaim its message to all the peoples of the earth. Bless our country, that it may ever be a stronghold of peace, and its advocate among the nations. May contentment reign within its borders, health and happiness within its homes. Strengthen the bonds of friendship among the inhabitants of all lands and may the love of Your name hallow every home and every heart. Praised are You, O God, who blesses all peoples with peace. Amen.
I wish you and your loved ones a season filled with civic courage and increasing light.
UJA has asked for the Jewish community, and its allies, to raise our voices as the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) wades into controversy. “The Nakba Past and Present” will soon be exhibited at the CMHR, highlighting the history of the Palestinians in the days leading up to – and directly after – Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. The Curator and the Museum have chosen not to include any statistics about the near 70,000 displaced Jews at the end of the war, nor does it mention the 800,000-1,000,000 Jews who were similarly displaced in the Arab world (a story we highlighted here at Holy Blossom only last week with our Yom ha’Plitim program). Instead, once again, voices in our Canadian community are playing fast and loose with history and telling only one part of the story. You can raise your voice at the UJA Actionhub here.
Additionally, UJA is sharing a recent Global News investigation which reveals at least 450 people in Canada have direct ties to Hamas. This includes terrorists who are actively sanctioned by other governments. UJA asks that you write directly to your MP, to raise the alarm and to ask them to make sure that individuals are properly investigated before they are allowed to enter or operate in Canada. That letter can be found here.
You can also raise this point, in person, with our own MP Leslie Church on December 14th here at Holy Blossom. MP Church is coming for a neighbourhood check-in, and Holy Blossom has opened its doors to create a space for her to receive thoughtful feedback, meaningful appreciation and genuine concern from our community. Along with MP’s Lantsman and Housefather, we recently learned that MP Church was responsible for organizing a non-partisan screening of “The Road Between Us” on Parliament Hill this last week. You can learn more about MP Church’s visit to Holy Blossom here.
Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.
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Founded in 1856, Holy Blossom Temple is Toronto’s first synagogue with a rich history of tradition and modernity in our religious and spiritual expression.