By Minda Chaikin
My name is Minda Chaikin. I’m a both a Canadian citizen and an Israeli citizen. I live in both of these worlds and know both very well. I was born in this country as were my parents. I have deep roots. I love this country and feel proud to be Canadian.
My parents made Aliyah to Israel in 1968 where I grew up from the age of 11. I served in the Israel Defense Forces. I love Israel and I’m a proud Israeli. Many years ago, I moved back to Canada with my husband, Zev Zlotnik, and our two daughters. I continue to maintain close ties with Israel. As a family, we visited every year and in the past eight years, I spent three months a year there. I also taught about Israel and led many Israeli events in my capacity as a long-time member of the Judaics staff at the Gray Academy of Jewish Education in Winnipeg. And I am a founding member of CHES.
I’m writing this article to address the newest form of antizionism/antisemitism Jews in Canada have been facing since the war between Israel and Hamas last May.
There has been an explosion of antizionism/ antisemitism hatred around the world, which unfortunately has also taken hold in Canada. This is apparent on our streets, in our schools, on social media, and in the mainstream media. We cannot accept Jews in Canada feeling unsafe as a result of the violent rallies that were held across the country during the recent war.
Allowing people to express violent ideas and then act on them without any consequences should be unthinkable in Canada.
Those who live in this country are expected to behave in a certain way even when expressing anger. Calling on Jewish people to be attacked does not fall into this category. No one should come to this country with hatred and encourage people to attack Jews and not be called out on it and held accountable.
I urge our Members of Parliament to deplore this horrifying behaviour and address the threat that is antizionism/antisemitism. They need to debunk and expose these lies with facts, historical facts of the narratives of both Israeli Jews and Palestinians and not succumb to propaganda. Facing the lies and hatred with proven facts will have a powerful effect. This is not political. The MPs don’t have to choose a side or like what the facts say.
I draw your attention to the violent rhetoric that was spewed at public rallies across Canada. A B’nai B’rith special report chronicled calls to rape Jewish women, rocks thrown at peaceful protesters, and Nazi emblems in our streets (). From coast to coast, throughout May 2021, Canada’s Jewish community was assaulted on multiple fronts. In some cases, individuals displaying Israeli flags were beaten in plain view of police officers, some of whom were hospitalized with serious injuries. Property was damaged, stolen, and vandalized. Some reported fearing for their lives as they realized the severity of the situation. Witnesses were shocked to see that this behaviour was allowed to take place in public, in Canada, with little consequence and minimal media coverage.
This is too reminiscent of what happens in other places – but surely not in Canada!
One could feel overwhelmed by the enormity and viciousness. Lies have overtaken the importance of being armed with facts and speaking the truth.
At CHES, we have spent the last years making a concerted effort to teach students and teachers about the Holocaust, hoping such education would prevent the resurgence of hateful attitudes towards the Jewish people and other minorities.
Unfortunately, the face of antisemitism has morphed into something that has set us on a path in which there is a need to choose a new front in this struggle.
I’m speaking about ensuring that Ottawa’s Jewish community is knowledgeable about the historical facts that form the narratives on the ground in Israel.
We need to forge a new way to deal with this.
We can not afford to be complacent. We need to educate ourselves with information about Israel, the Palestinians, and wider Middle Eastern conflicts.
We need to be able to face the lies and distortions with an educated and supportive Jewish community, one that realizes that while Holocaust Education remains important, our house is on fire, and we must take immediate steps to douse the flames.
I believe that knowing the facts will build confidence in our community. We cannot let antisemitic voices define us. What is happening is not a right wing, white supremacist version of antisemitism. The left or the “WOKE” are very much part of this picture. Their perception of the reality on the ground is not based on facts; it is based on “their truth”.
How can we fight back? Knowledge has always been at the forefront of Jewish values. We must harness this and work with organizations on which we can rely: B’nai B’rith, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Honest Reporting Canada, and UN WATCH. Become informed and get involved.
There is an excellent resource in Israel called “unpacked education”, which provides very balanced information on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It is in the form of short videos and written articles and their podcasts are also accessible. The resource is geared towards educators but is excellent for anyone in our community. You will be required to create a free account. Please don’t be deterred by this. We are all educators
I call on all of you to get involved and to be informed. Be confident about the facts of the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict so that each and every one of us becomes an ambassador in the fight against this new and terrifying antisemitism.
For an excellent read on the subject, I recommend Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby.
