A 1989 PR photo for Blue Rodeo’s Diamond Mine album. Left to right are Bazil Donovan, Bob Wiseman, Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor and Mark French. The documentary Blue Rodeo: Lost Together (left) has its world premiere at the Whistler Film Festival. (photo by Andrew MacNaughtan / bluerodeo.com)
The world premiere of Blue Rodeo: Lost Together, which gives viewers a glimpse into the rise of this iconic Canadian band, was so anticipated that the first screening of the documentary at the Whistler Film Festival sold out – a second screening has been added.
The Whistler Film Festival runs Dec. 4-8, offering several programs, including feature-length films, shorts and its “Mountain Culture” series of films, après events and Q&As. The WFF24 Content Summit, which runs Dec. 4-7 in person and Dec. 10-12 online, presents speakers, panel discussions, workshops and other opportunities to learn and connect.
Looking through the festival lineup, I came across Blue Rodeo: Lost Together and requested the screener for a few reasons. First, I grew up with Blue Rodeo’s music and knew many of their songs. Second, given the challenges of being recording and touring musicians – and Canadian to boot – I find it remarkable that the band is as popular as ever 40 years after high school friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor started it. Lastly, founding members included Bazil Donovan (bass), Cleave Anderson (drums) and, most interestingly from my perspective, Bob Wiseman (keyboards). Wiseman is my second cousin and, though I’ve never met him, I have always been proud to let people know that I had a relative in Blue Rodeo. Wiseman was part of the group from 1984 to 1992.
Blue Rodeo: Lost Together delicately covers the comings and goings of musicians, and the sometimes-difficult friendship and professional collaboration of Cuddy and Keelor. It is frank about the band’s challenges in becoming a commercial success, starting as it did in the era of hard rock, but also dealing with some producers who had a different vision than Cuddy and/or Keelor of what would lead to that success. It is always fascinating to see how creative people balance their very personal drive with taking other people’s feelings and opinions into consideration (or not) and the need to feed and clothe themselves.
Overall, Blue Rodeo seems to have avoided any huge drama, though marriages and partnerships were tested by the rigorous tour schedule once the group broke into the international music scene. Some member partings were clearly amicable, such as when Anderson returned to his postman job after taking a five-year hiatus to play with the band – he had a family to support and wanted to be present for them. Other separations were more fraught: Wiseman wanted to leave a good year at least before he did, his unhappiness seeming to have started – from what I understand from the documentary – with the making of the album Casino, which was released in 1990. To make Blue Rodeo fit a more market-friendly mould, so it could become popular in the United States, Wiseman’s innate energy and expressive performance style was tamped down. “That was really traumatic for me,” he says in the film.
Despite creative differences and some tough times, all the interviewees in the documentary speak of one another and their experiences with great respect and gratitude. It is uplifting to see people treating one another kindly, even as they disagree. Hopefully, it isn’t just for show. Their affection seems genuine. The bonds these musicians have created between themselves and with their listeners seem strong. With all the bad that happens in the world, this is reason enough to watch this documentary – and, if you haven’t already, check out the music of Blue Rodeo.
At press time, there were tickets left for the Dec. 8 screening of Blue Rodeo: Lost Together. Of course, the festival features many other movies during its Dec. 4-8 run, including September 5 on Dec. 5 and 8. The thriller is based on the hostage-taking of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The description reads: “At the heart of the story is Geoff, a young producer eager to prove himself to his legendary boss, Roone Arledge. Teaming with Marianne, a German interpreter, Geoff unexpectedly takes the reins of the broadcast. As tensions rise, conflicting reports swirl and the lives of the hostages hang in the balance, Geoff faces difficult decisions that test his skills and moral compass.”
For tickets to the Whistler Film Festival and the full lineup of movies, visit whistlerfilmfestival.com.
The following remarks were delivered at the Israel hostages rally at Vancouver Art Gallery on Sept. 15, which is also the International Day of Democracy.
In recognition of the International Day of Democracy, I will talk about how antisemitism is harming and potentially destroying democracy. This talk will be based mainly on a report by Amy Spitalnick, just published in the United States. Fair warning, this talk will be heavy, but, in my view, important to understand.
Antisemitism is a form of religious, racial and ethnic prejudice against Jews. But, unlike other such prejudices, antisemitism also operates as a conspiracy theory that lies about Jewish power and influence. And, because it functions as a conspiracy theory, antisemitism poses a threat far beyond the Jewish community. It fuels other forms of hate and extremism, including against other communities and against democratic institutions that are depicted as pawns of Jewish control.
Antisemitism – like other conspiracy theories – increases at times of social or political anxiety, as people look for a source to blame for what’s wrong with society and with their lives.
Enemies of democracy, such as Iran and Russia, use antisemitism to undermine trust in democracies and make them seem like failed states. The “conspiracy myth” that Jews control certain sectors of society, such as banks, media or elections, is the cornerstone of antisemitism, and anyone who accepts this myth loses faith indemocracy. If Jews control elections, judges and finance, people say to themselves, how can I, as a non-Jew, live up to my potential? My failings are caused by evil forces beyond my control.
Casting Jews as all-powerful naturally fuels hatred of Jews. But it also explains what extremists believe – that other communities, like People of Colour, non-Christians, LGBTQ+, are incapable of success except through unfair or illegal ways. And so, belief in this powerful Jewish control group causes distrust in democratic institutions and values.
When neo-Nazis came to Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, they chanted “Jews will not replace us,” showing that they believed in the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory.Once hidden in the dark corners of the internet, this conspiracy theory says that there is a deliberate Jewish effort to replace the white population with immigrants and People of Colour. This conspiracy theory has directly inspired many mass killings targeting not only Jewish people (Pittsburgh and Poway), but also Hispanic people (El Paso), Black people (Buffalo), Muslims (New Zealand and London, Ont.) and other communities.
Versions of this conspiracy theory have become increasingly mainstreamed, courtesy of influencers, elected officials, candidates and foreign powers in our social media. They use it to advance their own political goals – and, at the same time, they embolden violent extremists. In the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Congress, when many insurrectionists carried white supremacist symbols in their efforts to overturn the 2020 US election results, they included false claims of undocumented immigrants stealing the election. Only recently, we heard in the presidential debate about immigrants eating their neighbours’ pets from a man who wants to be president.
Recent polling shows that belief in conspiracy theories is among the best predictors of antisemitism. And a recent US survey found that highly antisemitic Americans are significantly more likely to support political violence and other forms of anti-democratic extremism. So, what to do?
First of all, we need to fight like hell! We need to call out conspiracy theories against Jews and any other identifiable group every time we encounter them. We need to educate ourselves about what antisemitism means by knowing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition and its examples, and we must call out antisemitism and other forms or racism when we see it.
We should fight against antisemitism but also against all other forms of racism, including Islamophobia, misogyny, sexual-preference bigotry and other forms of hate and violence; and we should work to advance inclusive, multi-ethnic democracy. The safety and fates of all minority communities and, eventually, all supporters of democracy, are bound together. Jews historically thrive in free, democratic states, and don’t do so well in autocracies, even if autocratic rule might at first seem attractive.
I know this won’t be easy. Many Jews, including me, have felt abandoned and isolated by those who have remained conspicuously silent, or worse, fallen for anti-Israel and antisemitic lies. This crisis since Oct. 7 exposed the lack of understanding of antisemitism in so many parts of society, including how antisemitism is present in conversations related to Israel. Fundamentally, there is a lack of recognition that Jewish safety, including in Israel, is deeply linked to the safety of all communities in all democracies. We need to change that.
But, while we need to work tirelessly to save ourselves and combat antisemitism, we alone, without allies, cannot stop antisemitism. We need to recognize that antisemitism is one part, granted a big part, of the assault on democracy that affects everyone.
If we accept what we need to do as I’ve outlined today, it means having open and difficult conversations with others who think they can save democracy without fighting antisemitism. We need to show them that they are wrong. Let’s start today.
Bernard Pinsky, KC, is chair of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
Recently, a stranger responded to a forum post I wrote on Ravelry, a knitting website. I’ve worked off and on for many years designing knitting patterns. In the last four years, I’ve been distracted by the pandemic, by moving house and renovation, and the war. I haven’t put out any new patterns for awhile. Then, hit by a variety of antisemitic interactions, I decided I didn’t want to market my past work either. Most of my patterns are like anyone else’s, but a few show my Jewish identity. This includes two kippah knitting patterns and a hamantashen grogger design.
So, I mentioned my hesitancy about marketing during wartime to a Jewish knitters’ group. Out of the blue, I got a screed from an outsider that shows just why I’m wary. According to this response, I’m one of those “people without a soul.” Among many other comments, it was insinuated that
Israelis appropriated everything – we even stole hummus. Of course, the “we” showed exactly how jumbled up this person was. She assumed all Jews were Israelis or that all Israelis were Jews. The person didn’t understand the word “antisemitism” at all. It was quite a daunting paragraph. I knew many things about this hateful post were off base, as did others who were on this forum. Despite multiple reports about this screed, however, the website’s owners didn’t respond to us or promptly remove the hateful post.
Meanwhile, my household encountered hateful graffiti about the war in our neighbourhood again, which we reported to the police. This is at least our fifth report; there’s an investigation complete with incident numbers, as most of the graffiti isn’t about the war but simply Jew-hatred.
I then read a biased media report online. Recognizing the name of a journalist associated with it, I contacted her – and here’s where the narrative changes.
The journalist was open to my concerns, thoughtful, and the article was immediately edited. The police contacts I have dealt with have been unfailingly responsive and empathetic. I was comforted by professionals who saw our concerns, indicated they too saw the hate or bias, and acted on it. These were smart people who used their roles to stand up for what is right. Were they allies in every way? I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, but, in these instances, I felt less alone.
As part of my Daf Yomi (page of Talmud a day), I’ve been learning the Babylonian tractate of Bava Batra. In Bava Batra, on page 96, a question arises. At what point is a food so significantly transformed that we need to change the blessing we say when eating it? Rabbi Elliot Goldberg introduces this in an essay on My Jewish Learning, and it gets at the weird gradations we encounter and how to categorize them. On this page, there’s a question that relates to beverages. At what point is a drink derived from grapes so watered down that it’s no longer wine, and now just some sort of flavoured water? I immediately understood this because, centuries later, I’ve also had those bubbly waters flavoured with “real fruit.” Is there any actual nutrition from the fruit in what we are drinking? No, there isn’t. It’s usually just a little grape taste in the carbonated water. It tastes good, but it’s not juice.
My household traveled in September to a family bat mitzvah in New York City. There were many great moments during the weekend, including the bat mitzvah, which was held at the famous congregation, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism. This is where Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan served on the pulpit and the cantor was famous for composing “Hava Nagila.” Reconstructionist Judaism started in this building. There was good food, some great sightseeing. I especially enjoyed the perfect fall weather in Central Park during Shabbat, watching cousins play and chat in the playground.
Even so, I don’t love travel. A 12-hour journey, two airplanes, an international border and huge crowds can be a drag. Like the diluted wine conversation, it reminds me that not everything is obvious. Some dilution (or travel) is fine. Too much can result in a less pleasurable experience that we must bless and define differently.
On the airplanes, I read a novel, Suzanne Joinson’s A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar. At first, it appeared to be a story about women missionaries and their proselytizing efforts in Western China. By the end of the novel, it was about sexual assault, lack of medical care, gender identity, riots and war, colonization, British identity, exoticism, refugees and more. Just like diluted wine, sometimes things are not what they initially appear to be about. A book I sought out as entertainment was something more.
So, too, what we see as entertaining or as a diverting hobby – a knitting project, for instance – can be more. The design is a piece of technical writing, the finished garment keeps us warm and, somehow, discussion about it can turn into an opportunity for those who hate. Even the chore of reporting something can turn positive, via an opportunity for dialogue with a journalist or police officer, or negative, when a site’s moderators and owners fail to respond appropriately or quickly.
During the High Holy Days, we reflect on our behaviour, with clear markers of right and wrong, good and evil. Usually, that is more than enough to think about, but, this year, everything I ponder is tinged with this last year of tragedy, war and its aftermath. As I escape into the outdoors, a good conversation or a novel, I go back to the talmudic conversation about diluting wine. The past year has felt “diluted” to me by the sadness and the war and antisemitism. Yet, I hope, as always, that Sukkot will bring good weather for sitting outdoors, and interesting conversations. Simchat Torah might give me a chance to dance with the Torah with joy and without reservation.
As I sat in Central Park, a cousin asked me, with only a little smirk, if I was still into “the knitting thing.” I paused. It’s OK to acknowledge that our intellectual energies and what we find entertaining have changed or diluted during this time. Many have changed irrevocably since Oct. 7, 2023. The High Holy Days offer us an opportunity to get back in touch with ourselves and consider who we are. The changes may be hard ones. We may be “diluted” differently, but the change itself isn’t bad. Rather, it’s part of life’s journey. Here’s hoping for sunny moments in the sukkah this fall, but, if it snows instead here in Winnipeg or it rains in Vancouver, we can’t control that. We can just control how we understand and bless it. Gam zu le’tovah, this too is for the best.
Joanne Seiffhas written regularly for the Winnipeg Free Press and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. Check her out on Instagram @yrnspinner or at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.
Claudia Goldman, left, presents Bev Corber with the Claudia Goldman Award for Excellence in Leadership. (photo by Pat Johnson)
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Canada have never been worse, according to Israel’s envoy to Toronto and Western Canada.
“The relationship between Israel and Canada is at an all-time low,” said Idit Shamir, consul general of Israel for Toronto and Western Canada. “Canada, according to many, has abandoned Israel, the only democratic ally they have in the region.”
Speaking via remote video link to the opening event of the Vancouver branch of CHW (Canadian Hadassah-WIZO) Sept. 22, Shamir cited, among other things, the Canadian government’s legitimizing of Hamas information, rather than Israeli government sources, when commenting on the conflict.
“Many times, they have been proven as mistaken,” said Shamir. “Not as many times, they have taken the time to correct themselves.”
Canadian Jews are asking themselves if there is a future for their families in Canada, the envoy said.
“This is a question that I don’t think was asked here before Oct. 7, and that’s very, very sad,” said Shamir.
Israelis and Canadians alike were shocked by the alarming spike in antisemitism in Canada and worldwide in recent years, but especially in the past 12 months, she said.
Shamir addressed concerns about the climate on university campuses and even in public elementary and secondary schools. She spoke just after the controversy erupted over an officially sanctioned Toronto public school field trip to what evolved into an anti-Israel rally.
Making Jews unwelcome on campuses will have negative repercussions for the entire society, she said.
“Jews have been instrumental in the university system here, and pushing them out is going to have a serious impact on the future of Canada,” she warned.
Regrettably, Shamir said, Canada has been the launchpad over the years for several negative developments, including Israel Apartheid Week, which began at the University of Toronto before spreading internationally, and, more recently, the concept of “anti-Palestinian racism,” which was adopted as policy by the Toronto and District School Board. The idea, she said, paints any expression that is critical of the prevailing Palestinian narrative as racist.
“When you see that happening already at the elementary school level, we can imagine the depth of indoctrination that is going on in the universities,” said Shamir.
On the positive side, the consul general said, opinion polls indicate that most Canadians support Israel.
“Most Canadians can understand that … we didn’t choose this war,” she said. “We are fighting a war for our survival, for the survival of the only Jewish democracy and country in the world. And now we understand more than ever the need for a safe haven for Jews.”
Among the 101 hostages remaining in captivity, Shamir said, the Israeli government believes more than half remain alive. The body of Judy Weinstein Haggai, a dual Canadian-Israeli citizen who is known to have been killed, remains in Gaza.
“The hostages are the utmost priority,” Shamir said, “releasing the ones who are alive and returning the bodies of those who are not.”
She linked the Gaza conflict to wider geopolitical issues, pointing to Iranian-backed forces launching missiles from Lebanon, Iraq and even Yemen. She was speaking before Iran launched more direct attacks on Israel Oct. 1.
“We cannot forget that Iran is behind this, and we can see that rockets are coming from Iranian-sponsored sources in places we would not have imagined,” she said.
In response to these challenges, the consul general called for unity among the Jewish community and its allies, stressing the need for resilience and solidarity.
Noting that “Jews are coming together and becoming a united force to be reckoned with in Canada,” Shamir said members of the Jewish community must remain vigilant and continue to fight antisemitism and support Israel.
The envoy lauded CHW’s long-standing efforts to empower women and children, provide health care and assist displaced Israelis.
“It’s a labour of love that touches hearts and changes lives every single day,” she said.
The CHW Vancouver event, held at the Richmond Country Club, benefited the Michal Sela Forum, an Israeli organization dedicated to preventing domestic violence through innovative technology and collaboration.
Toby Rubin, president of CHW Vancouver, presents the inaugural Dolly Jampolsky Volunteer Extraordinaire Award to Jampolsky. (photo by Pat Johnson)
Longtime CHW leaders Beverley Corber and Dolly Jampolsky were the honourees. Corber received the Claudia Goldman Award for Excellence in Leadership, and Jampolsky received the inaugural Dolly Jampolsky Volunteer Extraordinaire Award. Sylvia Cristall and Claudia Goldman were inducted into the CHW Lillian Freeman Society by Lisa Colt-Kotler, national chief executive officer of CHW, who spoke at the opening and interviewed the consul general. Toby Rubin, president of CHW Vancouver, emceed the event.
Justice Jules Deschênes, who was appointed by the Canadian government in February 1985 to oversee the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada. (screenshot from B’nai Brith Canada)
For nearly four decades, Jewish human rights organizations have been trying to figure out how Nazi war criminals were able to gain citizenship and refuge in Canada following the Second World War. Why were high-ranking members of the Nazi Allgemeine Schutzstaffel (Nazi SS) and Waffen SS troops who fought on Germany’s behalf considered eligible for Canadian citizenship? And who were they? What were their names?
The answers to many of these questions can be found in an obscure list of reports held in government archives. Since 1985, when the Deschênes Commission was appointed to investigate allegations that Nazi war criminals were living in Canada, B’nai Brith Canada and other Jewish organizations have been urging the federal government to release all the commission’s findings. Those records include an historical account of Canada’s post-Second World War immigration policies, written by historian Alti Rodal (the Rodal Report).
“We have always felt that providing the general public with a greater understanding of Canada’s ‘Nazi past’ is a significant venture to providing closure to that time period,” explained Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith’s director of research and advocacy. “This is important because, at a time of rising antisemitism, where there are less and less survivors of the Holocaust around, it is essential that we furnish educators and advocates with as many tools as possible to enable as fulsome a teaching of the [history of the] Holocaust,” including, noted Robertson, those decisions that may have indirectly made it easier for Nazi perpetrators to escape prosecution.
The Hunka affair
Last September, a critical portion of the documentation was made public by the federal government after it was revealed that a former member of the Waffen SS Galicia Division, Yaroslav Hunka, had received a standing ovation in Parliament. Human rights advocates wasted no time in calling for the rest of the Deschênes Commission’s documents to be released, arguing that the unredacted reports could help further Holocaust education in Canada and avoid such mistakes. More than 15 groups, representing Jewish, Muslim, Iranian and Korean ethnic communities and interests, supported B’nai Brith’s petition and, on Feb. 1, the Trudeau government released the bulk of Rodal’s account.
That move has given human rights organizations access to a wealth of information about the politics, the thinking and the apprehensions that often steered the government’s decision not to prosecute or extradite war criminals. Compiled as an historical account of Canada’s post-Second World War policies, the 618-page redacted Rodal Report provides details that aren’t revealed in Deschênes’ deliberations.
Set against the backdrop of today’s rising antisemitism, the report illustrates that Canada’s current struggle to balance the needs of those targeted by antisemitism and discrimination with other democratic principles, like free speech and privacy, is nothing new.
Alti Rodal, author of the Rodal Report. (screenshot from Ukraine Jewish Encounter)
According to Rodal, Canada’s postwar immigration policies were heavily influenced by a belief that extraditing naturalized Canadian citizens for war crimes would be, in the words of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, “ill-advised.”
“Trudeau’s concern,” Rodal wrote, “was that the revocation [of citizenship of an alleged war criminal] could alarm large numbers of naturalized citizens who would be made to feel that their status in Canada could be insecure as a consequence of the politics and history of the country they left behind.”
And Pierre Trudeau was not alone in his reticence to bring Nazi war criminals to court.
“All those goals which Canadian society has set for itself can certainly not be achieved by short-circuiting the legal process in the hunt for Nazi war criminals,” the commission wrote, while examining whether a military court might be an appropriate venue for litigating charges of war crimes.
By the time the commission concluded its research, it had effectively struck down every available legal mechanism for pursuing action against most former Nazis living in Canada. The Deschênes Commission determined that war criminals could not be prosecuted under Canada’s Criminal Code, but neither could they be tried by military tribunal. Nor could they be successfully prosecuted under the Geneva Conventions for acts of genocide or crimes against humanity. And Canada’s extradition laws would be ineffectual in many instances, including when it came to approving requests from Israel. Israel didn’t exist at the time of the Holocaust, the commission reasoned, and thus didn’t meet Canada’s requirements for requesting extradition of Second World War criminals.
New laws, similar challenges
Canada’s only remedy would be to amend its laws going forward. In 2000, nearly 14 years after the release of the Deschênes Commission’s report, the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act was given Royal Assent. Antisemitism, hate speech and hate crimes are now federal offences as well, covered under Section 319 of the Criminal Code. However, some legal experts say the process of bringing charges of antisemitism or hate crimes to court remains too onerous.
In June, the Matas Law Society and B’nai Brith hosted an educational webinar on the legal strategies available to Canadian lawyers when pursuing charges of antisemitism. Gary Grill and Leora Shemesh, two Toronto-based lawyers who have recently represented victims of alleged antisemitism in Ontario, offered different views as to why it is so hard to bring a hate crime to court.
“We have the tools,” acknowledged Shemesh, “we’re just not effectively using them.” She said she has represented several alleged victims of antisemitism and, in each one of the cases, the charges were later dropped.
Grill, on the other hand, suggested that the issue had to do with initiative. “It’s about political will” when it comes, for example, to ensuring that prosecutors understand that “death to Zionists” is veiled hate speech and should be prosecuted as antisemitism. “The education is easy,” he said. “We can educate prosecutors. We can educate police. It’s not a problem. [But] this is about will. It’s not about law.”
“There are problems with certain [parts] of Section 319 and [its] enumerated defences,” Shemesh said. “Prosecutions under the Criminal Code for the promotion of hatred … require the approval of the attorney general to proceed, which, I say, has partially explained why such prosecutions have been rare in Canadian jurisprudence.”
In Robertson’s opinion, there can be value in legislative oversight. The attorney general’s sign-off “is a safeguard to ensure that our hate crimes legislation … is only utilized when warranted. I believe it is designed to prevent overuse,” he said. “Listen, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with having checks and balances to ensure that the proper charges are being laid and the severity of these charges warrant such. The issue is the reluctance of the attorney general to sign off on these charges and the procedural, I would say, slow-downs in effecting the sign-off. These are the issues. If we can perfect the procedures around the sign-off, then this is a completely fine check and balance.”
Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B’nai Brith Canada. (photo from B’nai Brith Canada)
As for addressing the rise in antisemitism that Canada is experiencing today, Robertson believes the answer lies in ensuring Holocaust education is available and continues. That requires ensuring public access to the documents that most accurately tell the story – including those of Canada and other allied nations.
“With the recent issues that we’ve seen regarding immigration into Canada, I think [the Deschênes and Rodal reports serve as a] narrative that is more relevant than ever. I think it is important for us to understand our mistakes of the past so that we don’t repeat them in the future,” Robertson said. “And, as well, when it comes specifically to Holocaust education, I think it is important for Canadians to appreciate the level of complicity, if there was any complicity, in our government helping Nazis escape prosecution following the culmination of the Holocaust in World War II…. It helps to paint the totality of the picture of just how widespread the Holocaust was.”
Robertson said Canadians often think of the Holocaust as a “European issue,” that it only adversely impacted Jews in Europe. “So, understanding Canada’s role and [the Holocaust’s] aftermath helps to globalize the narrative, and perhaps that will help Canadians to better appreciate the truly global impact of the Holocaust [and the trauma] that is still ongoing.”
To date, most of the Deschênes documents have been made public, with the exception of Part II of the original report, containing the identity of members of the Nazi party who were granted immigration to Canada. The ancillary documents, such as the Rodal Report, also contain information that has not been made public. B’nai Brith Canada continues to lobby for their release.
Jan Lee is an award-winning editorial writer whose articles and op-eds have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism and Baltimore Jewish Times, as well as a number of business, environmental and travel publications. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Vancouver for the first time to meetwith members of the Jewish community and local business leaders. It was a wonderful experience that enabled me to see the Jewish community up close, and I plan to return soon to this city with its beautiful landscape, and warm and friendly people.
Through my work, I know how difficult it has been for the Jewish community given the explosion of antisemitism, especially since Oct. 7. The sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, including attacks on synagogues and the shocking experiences of students at the University of British Columbia, have created an ambiance of fear, anger and uncertainty. At the same time, this troubling climate has brought together Jews from all walks of life to defend our values, our people and the state of Israel.
One name that repeatedly arose – a nongovernmental organization I am very familiar with through my work at NGO Monitor – was Samidoun. Samidoun is a Canadian-registered not-for-profit, founded by a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Khaled Barakat. Barakat’s spouse, Vancouver resident Charlotte Kates, is its international coordinator.
Although Canada declared the PFLP a terror group in 2003 and, despite Samidoun’s antisemitic and pro-terror rhetoric, the government still has not taken action to shut down this NGO.
Like the PFLP, Samidoun disseminates messages and an agenda supporting violence, terror and antisemitism as a means to destroy the state of Israel. Since the Oct. 7 atrocities, Samidoun has expanded its local activities, contributing centrally to the sinister atmosphere facing Canadian Jewry. Illustrative examples include a July seminar in Toronto that called for eliminating “Israel as a military, political and economic establishment” and an event in Vancouver where the PFLP, Hamas and Hezbollah were praised. There have been dozens more such events.
In contrast to Canada, Samidoun activities have been banned in several countries, including France and Germany. Meta (formerly Facebook) shut down the social media accounts of the Vancouver and Toronto chapters of Samidoun, while Stripe, a major credit card processing company, closed Samidoun accounts on its platform, preventing online fundraising in Canada.
Let’s not be naïve. Samidoun is not the only NGO that is problematic, and it joins more than 100 other groups in Canada engaging in offensive and, at times dangerous, rhetoric. Moreover, the hatred stemming from Samidoun’s headquarters in Vancouver is not just against Israel and Jews, but against Canada and all Canadians. The NGO uses strategic attacks against the state of Israel and the Jewish people to distract from their assaults on the very values that enable Jews, Muslims, Christians and others to peacefully live side by side in Canada, Israel, and around the democratic free world.
Samidoun’s threat to Canadians, beyond the Jewish community, is blatant in their statement declaring Canada a settler colony “that require[s] the same settler logics and brutalities as ‘Israel’” and their claim that international law allows for people living in a colonialist society to “resist.”All law-abiding Canadians should be extremely concerned for Samidoun’s justification of Hamas’s Oct. 7 abduction, rape, mutilation and murder of innocent children, women, Holocaust survivors and eight Canadian citizens (including Vancouver’s Ben Mizrachi) as “resistance.” Moreover, Samidoun’s argument about Israel, that “imperialist warmongers will call it terrorism, but we know this is anti-imperialist resistance,” defends any terrorist activities they choose to initiate anywhere and is not reserved only for Israel but rather for all Western “imperialistic” countries.
While Kates is working to overturn Canada’s designation of Hamas and Hezbollah as terror groups, Samidoun is allowed to operate and flourish. After her appearance recently on Iran’s national television station to commend “the brave, heroic Oct. 7 operation” by Hamas that killed Canadian Jews, it is all the more critical to terminate Samidoun’s soapbox of hate that is based in Vancouver.
One of the impressive aspects of the BC Jewish community is the collective desire to work closely with those outside of their faith toward building a better society for all in Canada. After my visit to Vancouver, I am optimistic that Jews and non-Jews will work collaboratively against the seeds of divisiveness and hate sown by Samidoun. This will not end antisemitism in Canada, which has become, unfortunately, widespread. But it is an important first step.
Olga Deutsch is vice-president of NGO Monitor and has extensive expertise in international politics, humanitarian aid, funding to nongovernmental organizations, international development, post-Oct. 7 antisemitism, efforts to delegitimize Israel, and BDS.
לפי נתונים אחרונים של ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית מאז השבעה באוקטובר האנטישמיות בקנדה גדלה בקרוב לשבע מאות אחוזים, לעומת התקופה המקבילה אשתקד. כשבעים אחוז מפשעי שנאה בקנדה מכוונים כנגד הקהילה היהודית המקומית. זאת בזמן שאוכלוסיית היהודים בקנדה מהווה קרוב לאחוז וחצי מאוכלוסיית המדינה
האנטישמיות שוברת שיאים בלתי נתפסים בקנדה ובעצם בכל מדינות המערב והם מדאיגים ביותר. ולמרות זאת בישראל לא מבינים בכלל מה הסיבה העיקרית לעלייה באנטישמיות נגד יהודים ואזרחי ישראל כאחד. וישראל לא מנסה להפעיל אפוא מדיניות הסברה ולימוד ברחבי העולם כדי לנסות ולהתמודד עם האתגר הקשה הזה
רובם של הישראלים מדגישים בהרחבה את העלייה באנטישמיות ברחבי העולם. זאת כדי להצדיק שהרבה יותר בטוח לחיות בישראל מאשר מחוצה לה. את הישראלים זה בכלל לא מעניין כי הסיבה לגידול המשמעותי באנטישמיות נגד יהודים וישראלים בעולם, נעוצה בתוצאות ההרסניות של פעילות צה”ל בעזה. רבים ברחבי העולם צופים ושומעים על כמות גדולה של אזרחים פלסטינים ובהם נשים וילדים שנהרגים עקב התקפות בלתי פוסקות של צה”ל. הצבא הישראלי מחפש לחסל את אנשי החמאס, הג’יהאד האיסלאמי וחברי ארגוני טרור נוספים. אך באותה עת תושבי עזה משלמים מחיר כבד מנשוא. רבים מקפחים את חייהם ומאות אלפים נותרו חסרי בית, והם נעים אנא ואנא בין איים של חורבות
לאור האובדן הגדול של חיים אדם בעזה חל כאמור הגידול המשמעותי באנטישמיות והשינאה כנגד יהודים וישראלים בכל רחבי העולם. ונראה כי לפי מדיניות ממשלת ישראל הנוכחית והעומד בראשה, בנימין נתניהו, לא יחול שום שינוי לטובה בעת הקרובה. כך שאלו שבחרו לגור מחוץ לישראל משלמים מחיר כבד שלא באשמתם
אומר יעקב חגואל, יו”ר ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית: מדובר בעלייה חסרת תקדים. בשבעה באוקטובר לא פרצה מלחמה רק נגד מדינת ישראל, אלא נגד העם היהודי כולו, עם קמפיין מתוזמן וממומן שמעורר אנטישמיות. זו תופעה שלא נראתה מאז השואה, ואנחנו יחד עם ממשלות ומדינות נוספות צריכים להילחם בתופעה הזו ולעקור אותה מהשורש. אנחנו לא ניתן לעולם לחזור לימי מלחמת העולם השנייה. כאמור חגואל לא מתייחס כלל לסוגיה מה הסיבה הישירה לעלייה באנטישמיות והיא מותם של אלפי פלסטינים בעזה בעקבות פעולת צה”ל. אי הכירה בסיבה לא תאפשר להילחם משמעותית באנטישמיות
ואילו ד”ר רחלי ברץ, ראש המחלקה למאבק באנטישמיות בהסתדרות הציונית העולמית מוסיפה: הנתונים בלתי ניתנים להכחשה. בחודשים האחרונים חל שינוי גדול לרעה ביחס אל יהודי קנדה. הדבר ניכר מאוד ברחובות ובריבוי האירועים האלימים, אבל לא פחות מכך בקרב סטודנטים, מרצים וחברי סגל בקמפוסים השונים. הרעות החולות שהפכו פופולריות במערב אירופה ובארה”ב הגיעו גם למדינה שבה מהווים היהודים פחות מאחוז וחצי מהאוכלוסייה. עם זאת, בקנדה חיים למעלה מארבע מאות אלף יהודים. מדובר בתפוצה היהודית השלישית בגודלה בעולם, וראוי שכל הגורמים הרלוונטיים יתנו את דעתם ויטפלו בתופעה חמורה זאת
לעומתם ראש ישיבת סלבודקה בבני ברק, הרב משה הלל הירש (שהוא גם חברת מועצת גדולי התורה של דגל תורה), טוען כי הניסיון לצמצם את עולם התורה, הוא זה שמביא להעצמת תופעת האנטישמיות בעולם. הרב הירש מוסיף כי עלינו שהכל מתנהל לפי פעילותו של אלוהים והכל בעצם לטובתנו. הרב מציין עוד כי אנו חיים כיום בתקופה שאינה חסרת תקדים וכלל ישראל חיות במשך מאות שנים לפני בית המקדש ולאחריו, עם אתגרים מאותם סוג של היום
קנדה מעניקה לישראלים ויזה הומנטרית בעקבות השבעה באוקטובר והמלחמה המתמשכת. לפי הערכות מאות ישראלים ניצלו אופציה זו והם מהגרים בחודשים האחרונים לקנדה. מיכל הראל שהקימה אתר לישראלים הרוצים להגר לקנדה אומרת כי קנדה מציעה חיים נוחים בחברה פלורליסטית וקוסמופוליטית, עם מערכות חינוך ובריאות טובות. כך שיש אופק כלכלי לישראלים ולדורות הבאים שלהם כאן. כמובן יש לציין שלקנדה יש גם טבע מרהיב הכולל יערות ואגמים. ויש לזכור שגם לנושא איכות הסביבה יש כאן חשיבות גדולה
לכל הטוב הזה בקנדה יש אפילו הכרה עולמית: אשתקד דורגה קנדה במקום השני והמכובגברשימה של המדינות הטובות בעולם לחיות בהן. וזאת מתחת לשווייץ שבמקום הראשון, ומעל שבדיה שבמקום השלישי. קנדה מדורגת שמינית בעולם מבחינת גובה ההכנסה ליחיד. מדובר במדינה ענקית, השניה בגודלה בעולם אחרי רוסיה ששטחה גדול הרבה מזה של ארה”ב, אבל מספר תושביה רק קצת יותר מעשירית ממספר תושבי ארה”ב. לקנדה מסתבר יש מקום לקלוט הרבה מאוד בני אדם שיחזקו את אוכלוסייתה, והיא מעודדת הגירה אליה. ועכשיו כאמור מדובר בתוכנית הגירה חדשה ומיוחדת לישראלים. התוכנית שהוכרזה בתחילת השנה הוארכה בימים האחרונים בשנה נוספת. יש שהטוענים שהארכה נובעת בשל ההסלמה בצפון והחשש למלחמה בין ישראל לחיזבאלה.
הראל עשתה רילוקיישן לקנדה לפני חמש שנים. זאת כדי להקים את הסניף של החברה שלה ושל בן זוגה בצפון אמריקה. בעקבות השבעה באוקטובר פנו אל הזוג חברים רבים שלהם מישראל והחלו לשאול אותם איך הם עברו לקנדה. החברים ביקשו שהראל ובן זוגה יעזרו גם להם להגיע לקנדה. אחרי שבועיים של שיחות טלפוניות עם אנשים מישראל הראל ביקשתה מבן זוגה שיעזור לה להקים אתר עם כל המידע שהם נתנו לאנשים בארץ בטלפון. וזאת כדי שהם יוכלו לקרוא על ההגירה לקנדה ובמה היא כרוכה. וכן שהם יעבירו את הלינק של האתר שלהם לחברים ומשפחה שלהם בישראל. במקרה, אחרי זמן קצר שהאתר היה באוויר נפתח המסלול לישראלים שנותן ויזת עבודה לשלוש שנים בקנדה, במהלכן ניתן להגיש בקשה לתושבות של קבע או אזרחות מלאה. הזוג החליט לעזור בהתנדבות לכל מי שירצה להגיע לקנדה בעקבות המלחמה
מה עם הפטריוטיות הישראלית ומה האומרים לאלה שטוענים שאנשים איכותיים עוזבים ובסיוע ממשלת קנדה וגורמים ישראלים כמו האתר של עוברים לקנדה, יורדים מהארץ, ועוד במהלך מלחמה. לדברי הראל ישנם מקרים בודדים של תגובות פחות נעימות ברשתות, אבל רובם מאוד שמחים על הפרויקט ועל ישראלים שעוזרים לישראלים. מי שלא מסוגל יותר וחייב הפסקה מגיע לו לנוח מהטירוף ונהדר שממשלת קנדה מאפשרת את זה. הציונות לא מסתיימת רק בגלל שכמה משפחות רוצות לנוח.
יהודים זכו בקנדה בדרך כלל לחיים נוחים ושלווים, נטולי גילויים אנטישמיים ברמות שחוו ברחבי העולם. כמו בכל מקום, הכל השתנה מאז השבעה באוקטובר, כידוע. אבל, המדינה הייתה מאז ומעולם יעד הגירה מועדף של יהודים מרחבי התפוצות ומאז קום המדינה גם של ישראלים.
לפי הערכות, בקנדה חיים למעלה מארבע מאות אלף יהודים. לפי מפקד אוכלוסין מרבית הישראלים ומדובר בכחמישים אלף איש, חיים ברובם בטורונטו. על פי הערכה מדי שנה מגיעים כשלושת אלפים ישראלים נוספים לקנדה ומספרם הולך וגדל לאור המצב הקשה בו נמצאת ישראל בימים אלה
יצויין שתוכנית ההגירה לישראלים כוללת רישון עבודה התקף לשלוש שנים ומאפשר לעבוד כמעט בכל עבודה. התוכנית לישראלים הוארכה והיא תפוג ביולי שנה הבאה
Victory Square 100 will create banners featuring photographs of veterans, which will be flown about Vancouver around the time of this year’s Remembrance Day commemorations, when the Victory Square Cenotaph in Vancouver turns 100. (images from RCL BC/Yukon Command)
Every year, from the last Friday of October to Nov. 11, tens of millions of Canadians wear a poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s veterans. This year, the Victory Square Cenotaph in Vancouver will turn 100 years old and so the Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Command has created the Victory Square 100 program.
Victory Square 100 invites all interested individuals and organizations to participate in creating banners adorned with pictures of veterans, which will be flown around the city of Vancouver.
If you are a veteran or if you have a loved one who served in the military, submit a high-quality picture of yourself, or the veteran, in uniform. Pictures need to be submitted digitally.
These photographs will be transformed into banners that showcase the faces of Canada’s veterans. Each banner will be crafted to ensure the dignity and respect befitting heroes.
There is a cost to creating and displaying the banners. The legion encourages the community, businesses and organizations to join them in the Victory Square 100 initiative and to sponsor a banner. If veterans or their loved ones who submit a photo choose to do so, they can also donate to the program.
There are a couple of options: a general donation to support the banner program (any amount), and $229 to support the banner program and have a veteran featured on the banner.
Victory Square 100 is more than just a gesture of appreciation – it’s a tangible expression of gratitude and respect for Canada’s veterans. By participating, you are helping ensure their legacy lives on and their service is never forgotten.
For additional information, visit legionbcyukon.ca or call Danny Redden, president of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Shalom Branch #178, at 604-739-1571.
Team Canada and Team Israel at Softball City July 3 to compete for the Canada Cup International Softball Championship, Women’s division. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay)
The Canada Cup International Softball Championship, Women’s division, took place June 28-July 7, with Team Canada winning the competition in a game against TC Colorado (7-0) on the last day of the tournament.
This year, 12 women’s teams competed for the cup: Saskatchewan 222s, TC Colorado, Team Australia, Team Canada, Team Chinese Taipei, Team Czechia, Team Greece, Team Hong Kong, Team Israel, Team Mexico, Team New Zealand and Team Philippines.
Team Canada and Team Israel played each other July 3 at Softball City, and attendees cheered on both teams, despite the presence of anti-Israel protesters outside the stadium. While Team Israel scored the first two runs of the game, Team Canada went on to win 10-3. In all, Israel won four of its seven games and Canada won all its eight games, which included the final.
For more about the annual event, visit canadacup.com.
Blue Rodeo: Lost Together delicately covers the comings and goings of musicians, and the sometimes-difficult friendship and professional collaboration of Cuddy and Keelor. It is frank about the band’s challenges in becoming a commercial success, starting as it did in the era of hard rock, but also dealing with some producers who had a different vision than Cuddy and/or Keelor of what would lead to that success. It is always fascinating to see how creative people balance their very personal drive with taking other people’s feelings and opinions into consideration (or not) and the need to feed and clothe themselves.
