- In a March 23 letter to Martin Berman, the chair of the
Toronto Board of Rabbis, Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic, spoke forcibly for
the Catholic community when he condemned the spate of anti-Semitic incidents
in the Toronto area:
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- "Attacks or harassment directed against innocent
civilians are violations of fundamental human rights and are never acceptable,
in any place, any time or for any reason. The recent vandalism, directed
against the homes of the elderly or the graves of the beloved dead, is
a manifestation of bigotry and ignorance directed at some of the most vulnerable
among us."
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- On March 25, similar comments were echoed by community
leaders such as Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller as they
addressed an overflow crowd at the Leah Posluns Theatre in North York.
It was a marvellous showing of community solidarity in Canada's most diverse
city. That evening, somebody attempted to burn down a mosque in Pickering,
to the east of Toronto.
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- One wonders about the origin of these pathetic, cowardly
acts. Who is behind them? Are they the usual disaffected, alienated punks
looking for a convenient and defenceless target to assuage their amorphous
anger? In the case of Muslim targets, are they still the scapegoats of
choice in the immediate 9/11 period, or in the case of the recent anti-Semitic
incidents, are they that ever convenient victim, "the Jew?" We
do not know. What is obvious is that the people of Toronto, reflecting
the broader Canadian genius of tolerance and inclusion, expressed their
abhorrence.
-
- In our Catholic New Times trips to synagogues in this
city with such a strong Jewish presence, we have been pained by two things:
-
- First, the omnipresence of police and security personnel
in a house of learning and worship. It reflects the genuine concern that
Jews have over their physical safety and security. This is both financially
draining and psychologically enervating.
-
- The second thing that catches our eye is the sign outside
shuls: "Time to stand up for Israel." Again, no one can cavil
with Jewish solidarity with the national homeland. All Jews have an emotional
connection with Israel and are naturally concerned with what transpires
there. Undoubtedly, what happens in Israel influences global anti-Semitism.
-
- It is our view that the "new anti-Semitism"
in Europe is in reality anti-Zionism, a reaction against the expansionist
policies of the Sharon government.
-
- A prescient comment by Israeli journalist Akiva Eldar
fits here: "It is much easier to claim the entire world is against
us than to admit the State of Israel, which rose as a refuge and a source
of pride for Jews ... has become a genuine source of danger and a source
of embarrassment to those who choose to live outside its borders."
Many diaspora Jews simply can not bring themselves to lovingly criticize
the abominable, short-sighted policies of the Sharon government.
-
- "Standing up" for Israel, as Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
says (p.14), means observing the 11th commandment: "Thou shalt not
criticize Israel in public." As the brave rabbi Gottlieb says, "The
demand for silent loyalty would have perplexed and outraged the prophets
and rabbis that shaped Jewish sensitivities in the classic period."
Writer John Dirlik (below) catalogues the unremitting misery of the Palestinian
people, a shame and a scandal which cries out for justice.
-
- The noted Philadelphia rabbi Arthur Waskow eloquently
speaks to this moment in Jewish history. Writing in the wake of the extrajudicial
murder of Sheik Yassin, Waskow cautions Jews "to think more deeply
and feel more fully" about supposed Jewish powerlessness, the typical
fear tactic used by a generation of Likud leaders is to stoke unquestioning
diaspora support.
-
- Waskow maintains there are anti-Semites around, but the
danger is far less than it used to be because Jews in America and Israel
have real power (such as the fourth largest army in the world, backed by
the US). His warning: "Nothing is more dangerous that a community
which thinks of itself as a victim when it is actually powerful. Dangerous
to others and itself."
-
- Waskow believes that such a powerful state should not
be engaged in murder (over 325 extrajudicial executions). "Killing
people without a trial ... smells too much like lynching."
-
- Finally, Waskow says Jews must understand that the repulsive
suicide bombings are a terrible response to the occupation, itself a gigantic
act of violence. It has killed and maimed many more Palestinians than the
terrorists have killed Israelis.
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- This is a Jewish voice we long to hear within Canada.
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- - Ted Schmidt is Editor of Catholic New Times
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