LETTER: Jewish Guelph Resident Urges Candidates to Hear Concerns About Antisemitism

CaughtinGuelph.com received the following letter to the editor from a Jewish Guelph resident who reflects on belonging, local antisemitic vandalism and the approaching municipal election. The writer calls on candidates to make space for Jewish residents’ concerns, even when political perspectives differ.

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An Open Letter to Guelph

I have lived in Guelph my whole life. My family came here as immigrants, drawn by the opportunity to work and build a future. It was not always easy to fit into the community, but over the decades, that changed for the better.

Across so many intersections of who I am, I have been offered safety and inclusion. I am listened to. My origin story is valued. Adversity is met with compassion, and stories of overcoming it are celebrated.

Yet, as a Jewish resident, I increasingly worry about whether that same understanding extends to this part of my identity.

I want to feel that I can express concerns about antisemitism without having to explain or defend my political beliefs before those concerns are heard.

Statistics Canada reports that, across Canada, the monthly average of police-reported hate crimes targeting Jewish people in the final three months of 2023 was 251 per cent higher than the monthly average from January 2021 through September 2023.

Behind those numbers are people, families and communities. For me, they raise painful questions about safety, belonging and the freedom to be visibly Jewish.

This brings me to our municipal election.

One candidate’s use of red, black and green in campaign materials caught my attention because I associate those colours with the Palestinian flag. The candidate has explained that they represent colours in Guelph’s flag. The colours alone do not establish a political position or the intention behind the design.

Seeing them nevertheless prompted me to consider a broader question: how will those seeking municipal office reassure Jewish residents that our concerns about antisemitism will be heard?

The antisemitic graffiti at Guelph’s Chabad Pop-Up made these fears painfully local. Community leaders condemned the vandalism and said antisemitism has no place in Guelph. Those words mattered.

I want that reassurance to be reflected in ongoing conversations with Jewish residents. When we express fear or discomfort, I ask candidates to listen before debating our interpretation of events. Agreement on international politics should not be a condition of compassion.

This year, Simchat Torah, one of our most joyful holidays, begins at sunset on October 3 and continues through October 4. A Palestinian solidarity gathering is scheduled in Guelph on October 3.

The October 7, 2023 attacks occurred during Simchat Torah in Israel. For me, that connection has left a holiday of extraordinary joy intertwined with grief and horror.

Against that background, I find the choice of October 3 for this gathering painful. I am describing my reaction to the date, without claiming to know why the organizers chose it.

I ask the organizers, and any candidates who choose to support the gathering, to consider how its timing may be experienced by Jewish residents.

Political solidarity can coexist with care for another community’s fears. I ask every candidate to demonstrate that care through listening, engagement and a clear commitment to the safety and dignity of Jewish residents.

We should not have to pass a political test to receive compassion, hide our Jewishness to feel safe, or hesitate to raise concerns with those seeking to represent us.

Please hear the concern behind this letter. I want to trust that those seeking our votes will make room for Jewish residents’ experiences, including when our perspectives differ.

— N.C.
A Jewish Resident in Guelph