Happy Hanukkah in a grim season

 

חנוכה שמח 

Hanukkah Sameach

Happy Hanukkah

It's a grim season we're in, with 15 Jews murdered and dozens injured at a public menorah lighting in Sydney, Australia. It could have happened just as easily at the public menorah lighting I went to, here in Toronto. 

We've had two years of continual hatred directed at the Jewish community. Even on Sunday at the menorah lighting, the usual group of terrorist supporters stood across the street screaming to "globalize the Intifada," to bring the Intifada to Canada. Just like they’ve brought it to Australia. This terrorism fan club is there every week and lately has taken to wandering the neighbourhood looking for Jews to harass.

Also in attendance were several dozen police cars, countless officers, and the mobile police headquarters which now seems permanently parked in the corner plaza, because – in addition to the weekly anti-Jewish protesters – we can be sure of antisemitic acts in the neighbourhood on a regular basis.

For two years, there has been a concentrated international effort to isolate Israel and to isolate Jews; to make Jews afraid to gather, to send the message that we don't belong here – not in Israel, not in the UK, not in Australia, not anywhere in the world – and to celebrate murder. Even here in Canada, people literally dance in the street at the news that Jews have been murdered. 

 We wait (still!) for our political leaders to take action to push back against the haters, and in the meantime, we look to ourselves and to all Canadians who stand with us for strength. 

After darkness, light. 

And after 4,000 years, the people of Israel still live. 

Am Yisrael Chai. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי