
If you SEE SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING!
As the central organizing body for the Montreal Jewish community, Federation CJA has always been concerned with community safety, but our role has significantly expanded in recent years with the increase of antisemitic incidents and violent hate crimes both worldwide and close to home. Our Jewish community has prioritized our safety, ensuring that Jewish life in our institutions, synagogues, and Jewish day schools can continue to operate with a sense of security. That’s why the Community Security Network (CSN) was created four years ago. Federation CJA is able to deal effectively with the current rise of antisemitism in our own backyard.
Over the past few months, we have witnessed an alarming number of antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish Montrealers, both on and offline. Our security professionals are in constant communication with the Montreal Police and other authorities, including municipal security departments, to help ensure the best possible protection of our community from this wave of hatred.
Federation CJA has been leading a collaborative, community-wide effort to increase security preparedness and confidence. Our CSN has served as a point of contact for critical incident coordination, information and intelligence sharing, as well as safety and security training. In partnership with experts in the field and over 33 local Jewish institutions, we have developed best practices to enhance the safety, security, and resilience of our schools, synagogues, and agencies.
The CSN volunteer program has been training community volunteers to act as the eyes and ears of our community. The recent spike in antisemitism has shown just how important community volunteers are in such situations.
Whether you go to synagogue regularly, work out at the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, or use any of the services provided by Ometz or the Cummings Centre, CSN’s vigilance touches every aspect of Jewish life. We are grateful to have this dynamic team protecting the Montreal Jewish community and empowering us to be proactive about our own safety.
Remember, we all have a responsibility for our community security. If you SEE SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING! Always call the Police (911) and then report your interaction to the Community Security desk at (514) 343-4343.
« If you see something, say something. »
In case of emergency, please immediately call 9-1-1,
and report all incidents to the Community Security Network hotline at 514-343-4343.
Articles
CIJA received confirmation that the Government of Canada will convene an Emergency Summit to Combat Antisemitism, which will be led by the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy on antisemitism. (more) Montreal’s City Council passed a motion condemning the recent wave of antisemitism in the city. (more) The Government of Quebec joined dozens of jurisdictions in more than 34 countries in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) normative definition of antisemitism. (more) Federation CJA and its advocacy agent, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), co-hosted a high-level security roundtable for Jewish community leadership featuring the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Hon. Bill Blair (more) Sunday’s rally was organized in response to a spate of attacks on Jews — including, most recently, a stabbing attack at a rabbi’s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey and a shooting in a Jersey City kosher supermarket that claimed four lives. (more) We are shocked and heartbroken by Saturday’s vicious attack in Monsey, New York, in which five Hasidic Jews were stabbed while celebrating the seventh night of Chanukah at a rabbi’s house. (more) Please watch this powerful video from Jeffrey Finkelstein, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, about the importance of taking every possible precautionary measure to protect ourselves and our community: (more) "Our hearts are broken and we are horrified by this senseless act of violence that has struck the Jewish community of Halle. We mourn the loss of the two bystanders whose lives were taken from them and we stand in solidarity with their families. To those who were injured, we wish a full and speedy recovery." (more) We all know that we are living in troubling times. Antisemitism is rising around the world, not only in Europe but in North America, in our own backyard. (more) Securing our community means different things to each of us. Whether it means ensuring the next generation is Jewishly engaged or that our most vulnerable are not wanting for basic needs, Federation CJA has been securing our future for over 100 years. Today, securing our future has taken on a more distinct set of responsibilities for Federation CJA . (more) A $10-million fundraising campaign to increase and better coordinate security at Jewish community institutions in Montreal has been launched by Federation CJA. (more) A Jewish man says he was the victim of an anti-Semitic assault by a Montreal taxi driver in the St-Laurent borough on Sunday. (more) The 2018 Statistics Canada Hate Crimes Report confirms the presence of antisemitism and hate crime spikes in key cities (more) When it comes to anti-Semitism, everyone’s an expert. They know who is and who isn’t an anti-Semite. (more) Government statistics show Jews remain most frequently targeted minority group (more) Opinion: If Jews feel they do not belong in Europe seven decades after the Holocaust, can any Diaspora community afford complacency? (more)