High Holidays: A time for reflection and renewal

Judy Zelikovitz

By Judy Zelikovitz

(AJNews) – This year, the High Holidays fall later than usual, with Rosh Hashanah just a few days before the anniversary of October 7, 2023 – the most tragic date in the history of modern-day Israel.

The High Holidays offer special opportunities for reflection and renewal, reaffirming what matters most, pursuing positive change, and strengthening our connections with others.

As we look back on 5784, we should examine our own actions, reflecting honestly on our challenges and successes and seeking lessons we can take from our experiences to carry into the year ahead. It’s a time to consider which elements of our lives and our relationships with others need improvement.

This leads naturally to an opportunity to contemplate our intentions and priorities and plan for the future. It is a means of charting a course that aligns with our values and contributes to the strength of our families and our communities.

While Canada remains one of the safest places for Jewish communities, CIJA’s advocacy –especially since October 7 – has been fueled by a profound dedication to tackling the disturbing rise in antisemitism with extraordinary resolve.

The alarming surge in antisemitism, both online and on the streets, has been profoundly shocking. Yet it has also driven us to forge essential connections with all levels of government, law enforcement, educational institutions, and community organizations representing Canada’s Jewish population and other vulnerable minorities.

Just as the High Holidays are arriving late this year, so too are long-awaited protections from the government. We have seen some progress, but there is much to be done to ensure ‘bubble legislation’ (safe-access laws to protect defined areas from protests, harassment, and hate) becomes common – if not ubiquitous – across Canada. Vaughan, Ontario, has adopted an encouraging example, and many other municipalities have expressed serious interest in following suit, but there is still much work ahead.

Federal online hate legislation has been in  development under various ministries for years. But we are not backing down on contributing to and securing this fundamental legislation that will enhance security measures for the benefit of all.

The accusations against Israel of war crimes from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are both absurd and detrimental to Canada and the West’s long-standing policies aimed at achieving peace in the Middle East. If the Canadian government wants to rescue the reputation of the ICJ, it must denounce this evidence of its politicization.

Antisemitism is not a ‘Jewish’ problem. Jew-hatred poses a grave danger to all who cherish our core Canadian values. We know from history that, wherever antisemitism is allowed to thrive unchecked, social malaise and political oppression follow. Its defeat requires a concentrated, multi-pronged approach involving many cultural, political, ethnic, and faith organizations, as well as individuals from across the country. Together we are working to combat antisemitism while building relationships with many partner groups, promoting the Canadian values of dialogue and understanding, tolerance, and respect.

As Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, wrote in her July op-ed in the National Post, “Jews did not create antisemitism and…it is not on them to fight it alone.”

Nor are we doing so.

As we approach the sad and sombre anniversary of the October 7 massacre, many will join us in honouring the memories of those murdered by Hamas and in praying for the safe return of the hostages and for the restoration of peace to the region. And, if we are so blessed to have welcomed home the hostages by the time you are reading this, we’ll have more to celebrate as we begin the New Year.

In the meantime, I wish you a sweet, healthy, peaceful, and happy 5785.

Judy Zelikovitz is Vice President, University and Local Partner Services, at CIJA.

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