blue - 300 c gree n - 362 c brown - 1535 c HAPPY CHANUKAH! A Wonderful Chanukah Gift SEND SOMEONE AN An Ottawa Jewish E-CARD TODAY. VISIT ISRAEL WITH JNF: JNFOTTAWA.CA Bulletin Subscription [email protected] 613.798.2411 Call 613-798-4696, Ext. 256 Ottawa Jewish Bulletin NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | KISLEV 18, 5779 ESTABLISHED 1937 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM | $2 Trudeau pledges support in fight against anti-Semitism As he offered Canada’s apology for turning away Jewish refugees on board the MS St. Louis in 1939, the prime minister also pledged to fight contemporary anti-Semitism. Matthew Horwood reports. rime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an emotional apology in the House of Commons, November 7, for the Canadian government’s decision not to accept a boatload of German PJews seeking refuge from Nazi persecution a few months before the start of the Second World War. During his remarks, Trudeau also said the gov- ernment was committed to fighting contemporary anti-Semitism in all its forms. In May 1939, the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 907 European Jews seeking refuge from Nazi Germany, arrived in Cuba. Despite the fact that the refugees faced imminent danger, they were denied entry to Cuba, the United States and Canada. The ship had no choice but to return to Europe where some of the passengers were accepted by the BIBLIOTHEQUE HISTORIQUE DE LA VILLE DE PARIS United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Bel- The MS St. Louis, carrying 907 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, arrives in Antwerp, Belgium after Cuba, the United States gium, with the rest ending up back in Nazi Germany. and Canada denied it landing, June 17, 1939. 254 of the passengers were murdered in Nazi death camps during the Holocaust. Of the nearly 500 that returned to Germany, 254 were murdered in death camps during the Holocaust. Trudeau characterized Canada’s refusal to take in 1945, Canada admitted the fewest Jews – only about Jewish refugees as a test of its humanity, which the 5,000 – of all the allied countries, because of Cana- Prime Minister Justin Canadian government “failed miserably.” da’s discriminatory ‘none is too many’ immigration Trudeau, speaking in the “[Hitler] watched on as we refused their visas, policy. Many Jews who were allowed into Canada House of Commons on ignored their letters and denied them entry. With were labelled as prisoners of war and imprisoned November 7, apologizes for every decree, he challenged the political courage of our alongside Nazis. Canada’s refusal to admit leaders and the empathy of those who elected them,” “The government of Canada was indifferent to the Jewish refugees from Nazi Trudeau said. suffering of Jews long before the St. Louis ever set Germany in 1939. Trudeau acknowledged that between 1933 and See Apology on page 2 SCREENSHOT Ottawa congregations hold Chanukah stories and columns Mike Aronson on the inside: Solidarity Shabbat > p. 3 > p. 6, 14, 19, 20, 21, 24, 27 Soloway Jewish Community Centre > p. 6 AN SUV BORN ALFA ROMEO STELVIO FROM A RACING PEDIGREE. 616 St. Laurent Boulevard Alfa Romeo Ottawa 613-740-1001 Book your test drive today. [email protected] SPARK-MM-ALFA-STELVIO-JEWISHB-10.25x1.5-2018-07-EN1.indd 1 2018-11-06 3:08 PM SPARKADVOCACY.CA APPROVED FILENAME SPARK-MM-ALFA-STELVIO-JEWISHB-10.25X1.5-2018-07-EN1 MODIFIED NOVEMBER 6, 2018 3:08 PM DATE 2018 CLIENT CLIENT VENDOR + JEWISH BULLETIN PROPERTY ACCOUNT REP. KAYLA FITZPATRICK ART DIRECTOR ADRIAN JEAN CGD PUBLICATION TRIM SIZE 10.25”W X 1.5”H APPROVALS PRODUCTION BORDELEAU INSERTION TYPE --- COMMENTS SPECS INSERTION DATE --- November 26, 2018 2 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM Apology: ‘The government of Canada was indifferent to the suffering of Jews’ Continued from page 1 sail for Halifax, and long after it had returned to Europe,” Trudeau said. “We apologize to the 907 German Jews aboard the MS St. Louis, as well as their families. We also apologize to oth- ers who paid the price of our inaction, whom we doomed to the ultimate hor- ror of the death camps. Finally, we apol- ogize to the members of Canada’s Jewish community whose voices were ignored and whose calls went unanswered,” Trudeau said. Trudeau said the Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis would have made Canada stronger, but the govern- ment, “went to great lengths to ensure their appeals went nowhere and their cries for help were left unanswered, for Canada deemed them unworthy of a home and undeserving of our help.” Trudeau noted that while the coun- try has come a long way in its attitudes towards Jews, anti-Semitism continues to be a problem in Canada. “According to the most recent figures, 17 per cent of all hate crimes in Canada target Jewish people. Far higher per cap- ita than any other group,” he said. Noting such manifestations of MATTHEW HORWOOD anti-Semitism as Holocaust denial, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau escorts Ana Maria Gordon to the stage during a reception at the Sir John A. MacDonald Building following the graffiti attacks on Jewish institutions, apology for Canada’s refusal to admit Jewish refugees on board the MS St. Louis in 1939. Gordon, then a child, was among the passengers. “BDS-related intimidation on college and university campuses,” and attacks on the very legitimacy of the State of ment’s apology. ish community for always being one of must help people in every way we can, Israel, Trudeau said “Discrimination and Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer the first groups to stand up to injustice. and strive to make this world a safer and violence against Jewish people in Can- said Canada should have offered sanctu- “You are always there with a loud, better place for all.” ada and around the world continues at ary to the passengers of the MS St. Louis. clear voice, that if we don’t stand up for “For many Holocaust Survivors and an alarming rate.” “There is no shame as a country in each other, then we are not standing up their families, [the] apology is a pro- Trudeau said Jewish Canadians were acknowledging shameful acts in our for the values we hold dearest,” he said. found statement that Canada acknowl- “understandably feeling vulnerable” past. The real shame would be in forget- Earlier in the day, Trudeau met with edges and regrets a decision that caused following the recent mass shooting at ting them,” he said. Ana Maria Gordon, the only surviving so much pain and loss,” said Shimon the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh Scheer also said it was a sign of a Canadian passenger of the MS St. Louis, Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and said the federal government would healthy society to be “able to look at in his office. and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), in a statement. strengthen the Security Infrastructure history clearly and see both the light At the reception, Gordon said she Fogel also praised the prime minis- Program to better protect synagogues and the dark” and to celebrate achieve- felt “blessed” to be able to call Canada ter’s commitment to expand the Securi- and other places at risk of hate-motivat- ments while also mourning past failures. home, adding that history must never ty Infrastructure Program. ed crimes. Similar statements were made by be forgotten and should serve as a les- “This program enhances the security “We must guard our communities NDP House Leader Guy Caron, son for future generations. infrastructure of communities with a and institutions against the kinds of Bloc Québécois Interim Leader Mario “We see time and time again how his- demonstrated history of being victim- evils that took hold in the hearts of so Beaulieu and Green Party Leader tory repeats itself. It may be in different ized by hate-motivated crime. CIJA will many more than 70 years ago, for they Elizabeth May. forms or places, but just like in the past, continue to work with the government did not end with the war,” Trudeau said. After delivering the apology in the many people are being discriminated on this important initiative and on other Leaders of the other parties repre- House of Commons, Trudeau attended a against, are starving or are running for practical policies to combat anti-Sem- sented in the House of Commons gave reception at the Sir John A. Macdonald their lives,” Gordon said. “As individ- itism in all its forms today, including statements of solidarity with the govern- Building, where he thanked Canada’s Jew- uals, communities and as a nation, we fighting online hate.” Happy Chanukah! WishingHHaap youpppy ay Rbright Roos hsh H Haashshaannaahh Happy Roshand Ha warmshan aholiday.h Wishing you a goWodW iasnihds sihnwiegne tgy y eoyauro! ua ag ogoodo da nadn dsw sweeete yt eyaera!r! If I can ever Ibfe I o Icff sa eInr cv iaceenv, p eelerva sbeee rc o bontefa csot emfr esv aeitc:r Jveeai,c np.eCll,eo puatliseera@ csotoeta ncwtoaa.nccat t|a 6 m1c3te- 5m 8a0et-2: 4 aJ8te8: a| JJneea.anCCnllo.Cuutlietori.uecortm@[email protected]. |c a6 1| 36-1538-05-8204-8284 8| 8Je |a JneCalnoCultoiuert.iceor.mcom November 26, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM 3 Ottawa congregations hold ‘Solidarity Shabbat’ BY LOUISE RACHLIS t was a weekend of music and prayer, warmth and support, hugs and tears, as Ottawa congregations joined synagogues around the world in Iholding Solidarity Shabbat programs, November 2 and 3, on the Shabbat following the anti-Semitic massacre which killed 11 worshippers at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Jewish Federation of Ottawa led the effort to mark and promote Soli- darity Shabbat in the city urging each congregation to establish its own plan to mark the occasion which Federation promoted via email to the community, and on the Federation website.