Rabbi Seth Grauer
Rosh Yeshiva & Head of School

“Never lose your instincts for danger that has preserved you for generations.” Such were the words spoken by New York Times political columnist Bret Stephens Tuesday evening at Congregation Adath Israel in which he spoke about the recent anti-Semitic cartoon published by the New York Times and his op-ed railing against the Times for what he said was anti-Semitic propaganda.

In this op-ed, Stephens writes that the real “problem is that its publication was an astonishing act of ignorance of anti-Semitism” and that this is as a result of an “almost torrential criticism of Israel and the mainstreaming of anti-Zionism, including by this paper, which has become so common that people have been desensitized to its inherent bigotry. So long as anti-Semitic arguments or images are framed, however speciously, as commentary about Israel, there will be a tendency to view them as a form of political opinion, not ethnic prejudice.”

These statements, while intentionally harsh, were meant to create outrage and encourage us not to sit idly by while anti-Semitic acts are perpetuated in our backyards.

At Tuesday’s talk, Stephens didn’t focus only on his op-ed or this particular cartoon. Rather, his purpose was to speak more broadly about the rise in anti-Semitism, both in the US and in Canada. There have been many articles and op-eds written in recent weeks and months describing this increase and making suggestions about what needs to be done and how we need to respond.


To underscore our current reality, an annual audit by B’nai Brith Canada found that incidents of anti-Semitism were on the rise in Canada for the third consecutive year. In 2018 over 2000 incidents were recorded, corresponding to 16.5 percent increase over the 2017 statistics. In the past year alone, we have all been horrified by the devastating synagogue attacks in Pittsburgh six months ago and in San Diego last week. Ran Ukashi, director of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights, said that this is increase is unfortunately beginning to reflect a “new normal” in the landscape of anti-Semitism.I don’t have the specific expertise to suggest why anti-Semitism seems to be spiking, nor do I have all the answers or solutions. While I have many thoughts and beliefs, none are scientific and none can be proven correct. I do however feel exceptionally strong that we cannot ignore everything that is going on in the world around us. We are unfortunately living in a time of complacency and Canadians are sometimes seen as being a bit too timid to speak out against the rising tide of anti-Semitism that we are witnessing.

Yom HaShoah began Wednesday night and we facilitated programs at both Ulpana and Or Chaim this morning to mark the day. Additionally, our boys devoted this week’s mishmar to commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. Yom HaShoah deserves our attention as a community and should serve as a reminder about the dangerous bigotry and violence that humans are capable of. As anti-Semitism grew in the 1930s and 1940s, far too many people failed to speak out and many are speaking and  writing about similar fears of complacency in our generation.

The Jewish people will always strive for peace and freedom, and our teffilot and mitzvoth will be focused on these ideals. At the same time, we must also remain vigilant and be prepared to act as well. It is imperative that we find opportunities to speak out against injustice and not allow anti-Semitism to become the “new normal.”

 

Yom HaShoah Program at Yeshivat Or Chaim 2019: