Facing a holiday season already marked by the quickly-approaching anniversary of last year’s Hamas terror attacks, Toronto’s Jewish community is approaching the next few days with cautious optimism.
B’nai Brith Canada’s Richard Robertson tells the Toronto Sun that Toronto’s Jews are facing a somber high holiday season as adherents go into the weekend celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
“Any escalation of the conflict in the Middle East only heightens the concerns of Toronto’s Jewish community in the lead-up to the high holidays,” he said.
“This is already a year that many in Toronto’s Jewish community are conducting themselves with enhanced vigilance as they approach the high holiday season, and the reckless wanton aggression of the Iranian state has only heightened their concerns about the insecurity of the Jewish community.”
As Israel expands its war on regional terrorism by systematically eliminating the scourge of Hezbollah from Lebanon, reaction from both local anti-Israel activists and regional despotic regimes like Iran are testing the community’s resolve.
On Wednesday, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw outlined plans to increase security in the city’s Jewish neighbourhoods in light of Toronto’s unprecedented spike in overt hatred and anti-semitism perpetrated by anti-Israel activists and the city’s far-left.
Communities will see additional police manpower, both marked and covert, and three mobile command posts will be stationed in the city’s Jewish neighborhoods along Bathurst St.
“This was a holiday season that was already going to be severely dampened for us, as it coincides very closely with the one-year anniversary of the atrocities that were committed on Oct. 7, and at a time when we’re calling for the release of and thinking of the hostages who are still being held in Gaza,” he said.
At the same time, many within the community have family or friends in Israel, adding to the stress and trepidation already experienced by the community, Robertson said.
“It’s important to note that we are a resilient community, we are a proud community,” he said.
“Jewish Canadians will continue to exercise their rights and freedoms to celebrate our religious holidays and to embrace our culture and heritage.”
[email protected]
X: @bryanpassifiume