As the newly elected Board Chair of Federation CJA, I am reaching out to you today to share my thoughts and our actions. The horrific October 7^th attacks perpetuated by the genocidal terrorists of Hamas have made us pivot our operations to respond to a rapidly changing landscape, both here at home in Montreal and in support of our brothers and sisters in Israel. 

We have been witness to shameful anti-Israel and antisemitic rallies taking place right here in our city, where individuals have glorified, celebrated, and called for violence against Israel and Jews. We have seen cowardly acts of violence perpetrated against our institutions.  This is totally unacceptable and stands in stark contrast to our Canadian and Quebec values of respect and tolerance, the rule of law, and the right to protection.

This is a clear attempt to steer our community away from participation in Jewish life. They will not succeed and those responsible must be identified and prosecuted.

Our CEGEP and university students have shouldered immense pressure these last weeks, and we are ramping up our Hillel services to ensure they have the support and encouragement they need. I salute them all for their unwavering courage and commitment that makes us all so proud.

Campuses should foster academic excellence and enlightenment, not divisive and toxic political rhetoric and bullying. The brawl at Concordia University was disgraceful and condemned unequivocally by our political leaders.

Here are some key actions we’ve taken in the last two weeks:

• We have called upon Premier Francois Legault, Mayor Valerie Plante and the Montreal Police Department to ensure that our community is protected, our laws are enforced, and that swift and precise action is taken for any violations.

• We have called for authorization to hire off-duty police officers to guard our Jewish schools and synagogues. We have raised this issue directly with Mayor Plante and others. Currently, hiring of off-duty armed police officers in Quebec is not an option. We are advocating for this to change immediately given the circumstances.

• We have asked the Prime Minister for an urgent meeting with federal intelligence and national law enforcement officials in order to determine the threat level against the Jewish community and what can be put in place to ensure the safety of our institutions.

• We have been in direct contact with the Montreal Police Department at its highest levels. They have assured us that these events are the top priority of the police force and they will continue to work with us to ensure high visibility and security for our community.

• We thanked Premier Legault and the Government of Quebec for opposing a motion  in the Quebec National Assembly calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The Premier correctly indicated that the State of Israel has the right to defend its citizens against the brutal terrorists that seek its destruction.

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met a small group of the community and students experiencing continued harassment on campus. We hope the message we delivered resonated with him and the federal government.

• We met with federal Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc to thank him for enhancing the Security and Infrastructure Program and to discuss the security preoccupations of our community.

• CIJA is calling for the resignation of Bochra Manaï, Montreal Commissioner for the Fight Against Racism.

• And, today, 200 of us, including dozens of students are Marching for Israel in Washington, D.C., with hundreds of thousands from across the continent to show our support for Israel, for freeing the hostages and to combat antisemitism.

Federation CJA has conducted an extraordinary campaign, the Israel Emergency Fund, over the past month, raising an incredible $20+ million of which $11 million has already been sent to Israel - to provide for the critical and immediate needs of victims of terror and so many more.

If you haven’t yet made your contribution, I ask you to please do so now. The generosity of this community will never cease to amaze me. Once again, when called upon, you stepped up to the plate in a way that honours the long-standing tradition of Tzedakah that is synonymous with the Montreal Jewish community.

I would be remiss not to salute the incredible work of the professionals at Federation CJA and CIJA. They have been working around the clock since October 7^th and have been a source of comfort, strength and direction for a community that is reeling.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our outstanding volunteers of our Community Security Network. All of them are our protectors, no matter the weather. They are our local unsung heroes who show up often to watch over our us, our kids and our institutions. Our community is safer because of these dedicated members of our community. If you see them out there, say Todah!

Our community has been integral to every facet of Quebec life for more than 250 years. We have thrived in all domains of society within a context of respect, tolerance, and peace, and we will continue to do so. However, with the scourge of antisemitism and the continued calls for violence against Jews, as witnessed at recent demonstrations on the streets of Montreal, we look to our political leaders at all levels of government and our law enforcement agencies to ensure that we may continue to live our Jewish lives in a safe environment.

I know you are hurting. I know you feel unsafe. But we are as united as ever. We are strong. We are steadfast, and we are not going anywhere. 

We pray for the safe return of the 240+ hostages, the IDF soldiers, and all peace-seeking civilians. May the memories of all the heroic soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces and citizens whose lives have come to a tragic end during this dreadful war, be a blessing for all of us.

Am Israel Chai.

Steve Sebag
Board Chair
Federation CJA