Advocacy @ HBT: Speak Up for Safety – Take Action Now 

Our community is facing serious challenges, and we need your voice. Today, we’re highlighting an opportunity and urgent opportunities to stand up for Jewish safety and values in Canada.   

Take action this week to help protect our community from hate and extremism: 

1. Stop Kneecap and Bob Vylan – Urge the Government to Deny Their Entry to Canada. 

Stop Kneecap and Bob Vylan and Urge the Government to Deny Their Entry to Canada.

Two extremist musical groups, Kneecap and Bob Vylan, have come under international condemnation for their hate-filled rhetoric and actions. From chanting “Death to the IDF” at a music festival in Glastonbury to displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London, these acts clearly cross the line into incitement and hate speech.   

While other G7 nations have taken action, the U.K. has launched criminal investigations, and the U.S. State Department has revoked their visas; Canada has yet to respond. 

Kneecap is currently scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver this fall. This is a matter of public safety and Canadian values. 

Join CIJA in calling on the Government of Canada to deny entry to both bands and ensure our country does not become a platform for extremism and hate. 

Write to the Government here

Let’s send a clear message: there is no place for hate in Canada. 

Learn more about Advocacy @ HBT here. 

Advocacy @ HBT

A distorted and cherry-picked letter, written by anti-Israel activists and academics, has reached the desk of the Prime Minister. Please add your name to the response letter pushing back against it.

• Sign this important letter to Prime Minister Carney

The Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA) is requesting assistance in amplifying their response to an “Open Letter to Prime Minister Carney on the Gaza Crisis.” Their response, “A Canadian Path to Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine,” was drafted in the hopes of avoiding a reckless shift in Canadian foreign policy.  NECA has provided the following explanatory note to accompany the letter:  

“While the original letter promotes: 

• Discredited propaganda circulated by Hamas and its allies 
• Brazen distortions of statements made by Israeli leaders 
• Multiple factual and legal inaccuracies, including misleading claims about the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on genocide 

In contrast, the response letter outlines a constructive and principled Canadian path to peace, rooted in our country’s longstanding commitment to building just, inclusive civil societies.” 

We encourage you to: 

1. Read the response letter, and
2. Add your name to the response letter here.

Thank you to the ALCCA, the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, for bringing this important engagement opportunity to our attention.  

Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.  

Host Stranded Israelis in Canada

Dear Members and Friends of Holy Blossom Temple,  

As you may have read, when the war with Iran broke out on Thursday, it left 100,000 Israelis stranded abroad. While the Israeli government has begun taking steps to bring stranded Israelis home, Ben Gurion Airport and Israeli airspace remain indefinitely closed.   

You can help by offering temporary housing!   

Hosting our brothers and sisters at this moment of crisis is not only an act of generosity and love, but also a mitzvah without compare- הכנסת אורחים, hachnasat orchim.   

We hope that you will get involved, as this is one way in which Canadians can make a significant, personal, and human difference in this ongoing conflict.   

🕊️ Bayit Beyachad Emergency Hosting Network   

✅ Safe, secure, and coordinated with Israel’s Foreign Ministry 
✅ Hosts and travellers fill out a short form 
✅ Volunteers are matched with those in need  

💙 Please share widely and support this urgent act of care!  

CLICK HERE TO GET INVOLVED 

Note: When registering to help, please adjust your response using the drop-down menu to indicate that you are in Canada.  

You can also assist Canadians currently in Israel  

Additionally, we know many of you might have Canadian family or friends in Israel right now, either on programs or visits. Some may be ‘stuck’ there, experiencing the current reality, since there are no outbound flights scheduled at this time.  

The staff and leadership of IMPJ (the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism) can reach out to them personally. Please send their contact information directly to Anna Avital ([email protected]).  If they are Holy Blossom Temple members, please also copy Marni Turner, our Interim Director of Membership and Community Engagement ([email protected]).  Please make sure to include the phone number that your family and friends are using (whether local or international), and IMPJ will try to check in with them, connect them with local congregations and generally just make sure they feel safe in their home away from home.  

We draw strength from our communities, our values, and from you, our friends and partners around the world. We will get through this together.  

  

The Holy Blossom Temple Advocacy Committee   

Click here to learn more about the Advocacy Committee  

 

Advocacy @ HBT: Celebrating Community Success, Unity, and Shared Understanding!

This week, join us in reflecting on our achievements, standing tall in our convictions, and showing our pride in Judaism  

• A Proud Success – UJA Walk with Israel Celebrates Unity and Strength.
• Mark the End of the Nova Festival Exhibit – Bring a Friend! 

A Proud Success – UJA Walk with Israel Celebrates Unity and Strength.
This year’s UJA Walk with Israel was a resounding success! A record-breaking 56,000 people, many of whom were Holy Blossom members, took to the streets in a vibrant display of solidarity and pride, celebrating our shared values and unwavering commitment to the Jewish community. The inclusion of interfaith groups added a profound layer of unity, as individuals from diverse backgrounds walked together in harmony. Thank you to everyone who joined us— your presence made a powerful statement of resilience and togetherness. 

Mark the End of the Nova Festival Exhibit – Bring a Friend!
The Nova Festival Exhibit is nearing its close, and there’s no better time to visit. This exhibit has been a cornerstone of education and reflection, providing a meaningful exploration of Jewish culture and resilience. We encourage you to bring non-Jewish friends to experience this powerful display of history and connection. Come and visit the exhibit with Holy Blossom members, sign up here 

Learn more about Advocacy @ HBT and how you can get involved here. 

UJA Walk with Israel & Holy Blossom Temple!

Sunday, May 25, 2025

The annual UJA Walk with Israel is this Sunday, May 25th! Last year, nearly 50,000 people walked down Bathurst Street in solidarity with Israel.  

If you want to participate in this annual tradition, friends and members of Holy Blossom Temple will join ARZA Canada at Wilson, just West of Avenue, at Temple Sinai at 8:30 am to begin the walk.  

If you are looking for us… Look for these ARZA Canada signs! 

 A limited number of these ARZA Canada signs will be available to walkers at the muster point on a first-come come first-served basis. 

Additionally, today and tomorrow, Holy Blossom-branded bags and signs will be available to our members at the Welcome Desk. If you would like to represent our community, please feel free to take one and proudly display your Holy Blossom pride during your Walk with Israel!  

You can register and join the Holy Blossom team here.  

Please note that registration is required to get into the festival on the Sherman Campus of the Prosserman JCC at the end of the walk.   

Am Yisrael Chai!