A message from Rob Nagus, CEO Calgary Jewish Federation

by Rob Nagus

(Calgary) – This time of year holds a unique and powerful place in our communal calendar. It is the season in which we mark what are colloquially referred to as “the Yoms,” a sequence of days that call on us to remember, to mourn, and to celebrate the enduring strength of the Jewish people.

We begin with Yom HaShoah, where we pause as a community to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and to honour the survivors who continue to share their stories with courage and resilience. Their testimony is not only a remembrance of the past. It is also a warning to the present and a responsibility for the future.

This responsibility feels especially urgent today. In the wake of tragedies such as the attack at Bondi Beach, recent events in Michigan, and shootings at synagogues as close to home as Toronto, the sense of concern for Jewish communities has intensified in ways that many of us have not experienced before.

Here in Calgary, across Canada, and around the world, we are witnessing a troubling rise in antisemitism, alongside an alarming increase in Holocaust denial and distortion. These are not abstract fears. They are real and present dangers that demand a clear and unified response. Holocaust denial is not a matter of perspective. It is an assault on truth, memory, and human dignity.

“Never Again” must remain more than a phrase. It is a commitment to education, to vigilance, and to speaking out against hatred in all its forms. I want to acknowledge the many members of our community who continue to meet this moment with leadership and resolve. These are individuals who educate, advocate, volunteer, and stand firm in the face of rising hate.

As we move forward, we transition from remembrance to reflection and then to celebration. Yom HaShoah is followed by Yom HaZikaron, where we will gather as a community for a solemn commemoration to honour Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Almost immediately after, we mark Yom HaAtzmaut, celebrating Israel’s independence with a joyful, family-friendly event at the Paperny Family JCC. This is an opportunity for our entire community to come together in pride and connection.

This progression from mourning to celebration captures something essential about the Jewish story. We carry our past with us, we honour those we have lost, and we continue to build, to live, and to celebrate who we are.

In this season of remembrance and renewal, may we honour the past not only with reflection, but with resolve, and may we continue to stand strong and proud as a community.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Rob Nagus is CEO, Calgary Jewish Federation.