Photo credit: Global News
As Jewish Canadians gather with their families for Passover this week, community leaders say the holiday holds increased significance this year amid growing antisemitism across Canada and around the globe.
Global News reports that the weeklong holiday commemorates the Exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. The ritual has always evoked a complex mix of emotions, ranging from joy and pride to sadness and mourning, according to Jewish leaders. But those emotions are now being felt more deeply.
“We’re actually commanded to reenact and remember what it felt like to be enslaved,” said Rabbi Carey Brown, a clergy member at the Temple Shalom synagogue in Vancouver.
Ever since Hamas attacked Israel and killed roughly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish Canadians have reported a rise in antisemitism coinciding with the deadly Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
A fresh wave of fear in Jewish communities arose after Israel and the US launched the war against Iran just a month ago.
Days after the attacks on Iran began, three synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area were hit with gunfire within the span of a week. No one was injured, but it put communities on high alert and prompted Jewish leaders to warn that Canada was “at a crossroads” in confronting antisemitism.
Because Passover is one of the most well-known Jewish holidays, synagogues and other community spaces have taken steps to increase security in coordination with local police services and private security firms.
“Jewish communities worldwide are living in an environment of significantly heightened security risk,” Jevon Greenblatt, CEO of the Toronto-based Jewish Security Network, said in a statement.
The Canadian government said last month it would contribute an additional $10 million to help Jewish communities bolster security at their gathering places after the Toronto-area synagogue attacks.
