DJC Blog

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will soon be upon us and, like so many of you, we continue to watch with despair the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We ask ourselves, what can we do that reflects our commitment to the DJC value of standing against injustice and to seek ways to repair the world (Tikkun Olam)? How can we stand with and support the global Jewish community to end the violence, loss of life, starvation, and devastation? Our tradition teaches us that our lives

We are distressed by the hundreds of drones and missiles that were launched from the Iranian Regime directed at Israel. We pray for the safety of everyone living in Israel, and for the recovery of all the injured, including a 7-year-old Beduin Israeli who sustained significant injuries and is in life-threatening condition. As Israelis wait to hear the next round of air raid sirens and contemplate the threat of a regional war with Iran, those living in the West Bank are also e

Dear DJC Community Member, Security has always been a topic which we have treated with great importance and attention. Recent events in Israel and here in Canada have underscored the need to revisit our security measures. The safety of our community and our staff is our primary concern. We pride ourselves on being a diverse […]

My heart aches as I try to process what has happened over the past 2 weeks. Like you, I find myself glued to the news in an effort to stay up to date and in the know. My cousin, who lives just outside Tel Aviv, regularly updates me on WhatsApp as to the situation on the ground. He and his spouse, and their two children, are constantly running to their bomb shelter. Their eldest child is the same age as my Joel. On October 7, Hamas conducted the largest massacre of Jews since

I am writing to you at this truly difficult time. Today is Shabbat and Simchat Torah – both intended to be joyful and celebratory. But this joy has been transformed into pain and sorrow as we witness the waves of terror inflicted on Israel by Hamas today in a surprise attack. Many of our community members have friends and family in Israel and we are concerned and trying to connect with them by phone, social media, or email. With Israel under attack, we stand in solidarity wit

March 22, 2023 As we watch with increasing alarm the existential crisis unfolding in Israel and the mass protests there and in the Diaspora against the agenda of Israel’s current hard right-wing government, the DJC Board has realized that we must assert our position and get involved. If this Israeli government’s agenda is implemented, the […]

Bearing witness is a moral act. While you and I don’t have the power to hault Putin’s military aggression against Ukraine, and while I feel quite powerless as the horrific events in Ukraine unfold, we have the ability and moral responsibility to bear witness to this assault – -to bear witness Putin’s use of […]

Public antisemitism has increased in Toronto and around the world since the recent violence in Israel and Gaza. This development is disturbing and runs contrary to the intersectional work of building solidarity and ending oppression. We want to share with you this statement on antisemitism from the Toronto Board of Rabbis. This is an important time […]

A Muslim family was targeted and attacked in London, Ontario while they were walking on Sunday evening. Four people were killed. A child was seriously injured. No one should be afraid to walk through the streets of this country. No one should live in fear of being attacked because of their religion, identity, or beliefs. With hearts broken, with prayer, we stand, as […]

We join all of Canada in mourning the devastating discovery of the remains of 215 children buried in unmarked graves on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Jewish tradition teaches that every life that is lost is an entire world lost. Our prayers and broken hearts reach to recognize each life and each lost […]

Tonight’s celebration of Shavuot gathers us at the foot of Mount Sinai to open our ears and our hearts to hear Torah speaking to us and to this moment. This moment is one of multiplying heartbreak and horror as we witness rockets fall on Israeli cities and as we witness Israeli strikes on Gaza. This […]