Advocacy @ HBT: Register for our Evening with the ALCCA and the RCMP on November 25; A Canary’s Song; Don’t Forget to Vote on October 26! 

On Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 pm, Holy Blossom Temple will be honoured to welcome Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Baylin, the highest-ranking Jewish officer in the RCMP. Joining him for conversation will be Mark Sandler, the founder and Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA). 

Together, they will help us paint a wider picture of the threats we face, and the solutions available to us to defend our community and our good country of Canada. 

Click here to register.  

Click here to learn more and read the full biographies of our guests.  

Assistant Commissioner Richard Baylin joined the RCMP in 1991 out of Ottawa. In his current role, Richard oversees the RCMP Federal Policing National Security program and is responsible for oversight and strategic direction of national security criminal investigations and operations across Canada and abroad. 

Mark Sandler, LL.B., LL.D. (honoris causa) is the founder and Chair of the ALCCA.  He is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading criminal lawyers and pro bono advocates. He has been involved in combatting antisemitism for over 40 years.   

On September 15, A Canary’s Song: Antisemitism in Our “Free and Democratic Society” was presented at the University of Toronto Conference Centre. Among the presenters were Irwin Cotler, Deborah Lyons, Deborah Lipstadt, our own Rabbi Splansky, and many more. Section 1, the organizers of the event, have generously made the recordings of the day public. You can click on the links below to watch.  

1. Welcome and Reflections: Melanie Woodin, President, University of Toronto
2. Welcome and Reflections: Rabbi Stephen Wernick
3. Opening Keynote – The Virtuous Hatred That Undercuts Liberal Democratic Civic Culture: Peter L. Biro
4. Panel – Antizionism as Distinct Hatred: Naya Lekht, Adam Louis-Klein, Casey Babb, Wodek Szemberg
5. Panel – Civil Liberties, Hate, Incitement and Lawfare: Mark Sandler, Alan Kessel, Michael Geist, Patrick Brethour
6. Lunchtime Remarks – “The Term That Will Lead to the Destruction of the West”: Raheel Raza
7. Fireside Chat – The Two Deborahs: Ambassadors (ret.) Deborah Lipstadt and Deborah Lyons
8. Panel – Antisemitism in Our Institutions: Ayelet Kuper, Pekka Sinervo, Hank Idsinga, Cary Kogan, Rabbi Yael Splansky
9. Reflections: Mark Milke
10.  Closing Keynote – Human Rights and Antizionism Since Durban: The Hon. Irwin Cotler 

Finally, don’t forget to vote in the upcoming important municipal elections on Monday, October 26!  Our friends at CJPAC have a dedicated web page (www.voteand.ca) explaining the key issues facing our community in this election and how you can become actively and effectively engaged in the electoral process over the next 10 days. 

Learn more about Advocacy here.  

Advocacy @ HBT: An Important Evening with the Alliance and the RCMP, November 25th  

The Advocacy Committee is pleased to announce that on November 25th we will have the opportunity to have a high-level, expert-led, conversation on combatting antisemitism in Canada.  

Holy Blossom Temple is honoured to welcome Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Baylin, the highest-ranking Jewish officer in the RCMP. Joining him for conversation will be Mark Sandler, the founder and Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA). Together they will discuss the current threats to the Jewish community of Canada, along with how Canadian society can best respond. 

Assistant Commissioner Baylin will bring a rare glimpse into the world of national policing, discussing how the RCMP has already acted against antisemitic terrorist groups targeting our community. Mark Sandler will discuss the work of the ALCCA, and how it is working to combat hate crimes targeting our community by promoting robust use of the criminal law against extremism and by training police and prosecutors across the country.  

Together, they will help us paint a wider picture of the threat we face, and the solutions available to us to defend our community and our good country of Canada. 

Click here to register.  

Click here to learn more and read the full biographies of our guests.  

Assistant Commissioner Richard Baylin joined the RCMP in 1991 out of Ottawa. In his current role, Richard oversees the RCMP Federal Policing National Security program and is responsible for oversight and strategic direction of national security criminal investigations and operations across Canada and abroad. 

Mark Sandler, LL.B., LL.D. (honoris causa) is the founder and Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA).  He is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading criminal lawyers and pro bono advocates. He has been involved in combatting antisemitism for over 40 years.   

Learn more about Advocacy here. 

Advocacy @ HBT: Our evening with Warren Kinsella can now be watched on YouTube, and Palestine Action Canada crosses the line  

Our evening of conversation with Warren Kinsella, which took place in a sold-out Mishkan at the end of June, can now be watched on YouTube. Click here to watch and please share widely with your network. This was an important evening of calls to action, solidarity and truth-telling, arising from Warren’s new book “The Hidden Hand: The Information War and the Rise of Antisemitic Propaganda.” Thank you to Warren and his entire team for being with us.  

Additionally, please turn your attention to the following petition detailing criminal actions recently taken by Palestine Action Canada.  Palestine Action Canada claimed responsibility in a social media post for the recent vandalism at Dishon Limited, a private manufacturing company in Vaughan, saying that it targeted the company over its alleged ties to Israel’s defence industry. The  Palestine Action Canada post states that the agitator group is “taking matters into our own hands. We are done appealing to the ruling class.” 

CIJA has once again called for Palestine Action Canada to be banned by the Canadian government as a terrorist organization due to its open criminal activity. The UK has already designated Palestine Action as a banned terrorist entity. 

To take part in this action, you can either write directly to your member of Parliament, with a copy to the Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree ([email protected]), and Prime Minister Mark Carney ([email protected]), using the information above and/or you can sign the digital petition here:  Petition e-7598 – Petitions 

Learn more about Advocacy here. 

Advocacy @ HBT: CJPAC and CIJA Municipal Election Briefing 

We are excited to announce that our evening of conversation with Warren Kinsella, happening on June 29th, is sold out! Please be in touch with office manager Lindsay Mockler ([email protected]) to get on the waiting list or to obtain a copy of the recording after the event.  

This Thursday from 11:30-12:30, CJPAC and CIJA are presenting an important and focused election briefing. What is at stake, what are the key issues, and how can you make an impact?  You can register for this important webinar at the following link: 

Special Community Briefing: Ontario Municipal Elections – Intellistack 

Josh Landau at CIJA says, “Municipal leaders play a large role and yield considerable influence in regard to community safety, public spaces, and the response to hate in our cities. Decisions made at city hall have a direct impact on the communities where we live, work, and raise our families. 

While Ontario’s municipal elections are due to take place on October 26, 2026, now is the time to get informed and engaged… (together we will) gain insights into the upcoming election cycle and what to expect in the months ahead (and) understand how to engage effectively with your local candidates.” 

Can’t make it? Register anyway. CJPAC will send you a full replay of the briefing and a summary of the key takeaways. 

Finally, you may have read that Mark Berlin, the sole Jewish trustee at the Canada Museum of Human Rights, resigned this week over the handling of the museum’s exhibit on the Nakba. CIJA and other Jewish communal organizations had previously raised serious concerns over how the museum was treating this exhibit. The resignation of Mr. Berlin only rings more alarms. 

You can read more about the museum and the issues with the exhibit here.  

You can read CIJA’s action item and add your name to a letter of concern to the government here.

Learn more about Advocacy here.  

Advocacy @ HBT: Walking With Israel This Weekend

CIJA has expressed certain early concerns with the implementation of the Prime Minister’s promise to heal the rift in the Canadian covenant. You can add your name to CIJA’s open letter to the Prime Minister by clicking on this link.   

The Walk with Israel is this Sunday, June 7th. You are welcome to meet other Holy Blossom members, our rabbis and staff, and many others across the city on Sunday morning! You can learn more here. The Holy Blossom Temple delegation will be meeting exactly where we did last year, outside of Temple Sinai, on Wilson Street, a few steps east of the entrance to their parking lot, between 8:30 and 9:00 am. We look forward to seeing you there.  

Last, but certainly not least, please join us at Temple on Monday, June 29th, at 7:00 pm for an important evening with the esteemed Canadian columnist, commentator, and author Warren Kinsella. His new book, “The Hidden Hand: The Information War and the Rise of Antisemitic Propaganda”, discusses how Canada has become ground zero for the global propaganda campaign against Jews and Israel. We are excited to welcome Warren to Holy Blossom for a fireside chat, and copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing. Please pre-register for the program here.   

Learn more about Advocacy here.