Advocacy @ HBT: The week of November 7, 2025

Advocacy @ HBT: Community responses to Mayor Olivia Chow 

In the wake of Mayor Olivia Chow’s comments accusing Israel of genocide, many congregants have written to us asking how they can express their frustration and pain in a productive way. Some are so hurt that they questioned if writing to the mayor’s office was even worth the time.  

We urge you not to be dissuaded. Please raise your voice.  

Rabbi Splansky has already privately written this week to Mayor Chow to follow the meeting she, Temple President Eric Roher, and Tom Friedland from the Advocacy Committee had with the Mayor at City Hall three weeks ago (as part of the Advocacy Committee’s ongoing efforts to engage with our elected municipal officials). Please follow her example and send your own letter to Mayor Chow expressing your concern with her harmful remarks and urging her to make amends with the Toronto Jewish community.  

Her email address is: [email protected] 

As you write your heartfelt letter, we recommend the following talking points… 

• Mayor Chow spread an extremist narrative.  
• For two years, Toronto’s Jewish community has faced unprecedented levels of fear. Toronto needs moral clarity from their municipal leaders, not vilification.   
• Just this week there was a violent incident at Toronto Metropolitan University, where Jewish students and allies were attacked and threatened. This is the end result of hateful words becoming hate crimes.  
• Mayor Chow should be attempting to bring communities together by engaging with moderate voices on all sides and addressing the hate, violence, and fear that has gone on in this city for too long.  
• We have been let down by Mayor Chow. We call on her to acknowledge the harm her words have caused and to publicly affirm that she will take all possible steps to protect the Jewish community.  

If you so desire, please copy any City Councillors that you know personally on your email to Mayor Chow. Doing so increases the reach of your communication and increases pressure on the Mayor. The Councillors’ email addresses can be found on the City’s website.  

Feel free also to forward any letters you send to the Mayor to the Advocacy Committee, care of Rabbi Kaye ([email protected]). We will not publicize those letters without your consent, but we do want to keep track of how our members are responding to this important issue. 

You can read and watch CIJA’s response to Mayor Chow here.  

Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.