The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

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The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

Newsmaker conversations from The Canadian Jewish News, hosted by Ellin Bessner, a veteran broadcaster, writer and journalist.

  1. 13 HR. AGO

    A new government-issued handbook aims to define antisemitism. Will it make a difference?

    Ever since Oct. 7, there has been a deluge of antisemitism propagated under the veil of anti-Zionism. Cartoons of world-dominating Jewish rats and hook-nosed devils; claims that Israel has no right to exist; calls for the death of Jews… the list goes on. These Canadian examples of real-world instances of antisemitism are just some of the many detailed in a new 56-page government handbook, published Oct. 31 by the office of Canada’s special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism. For Special Envoy Deborah Lyons, publishing this handbook was near the top of her to-do list after being appointed to the post last year, completing the work begun to fulfill a promise the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made in 2022. While the handbook has no legal power, Lyons hopes that by setting out in clear, understandable terms what contemporary antisemitism looks like, Canadians can recognize it when they see it—and take action in their workplaces, unions, school boards, the police, the courts and on campus. Lyons admits her team wanted to avoid provoking pushback from anti-Zionist activists, and so they agreed to exclude certain current pro-Palestinian references, such as the chant, “From the river to the sea”. But that hasn’t stopped the federal NDP and anti-Israel groups from attacking the handbook already, which Lyons says just proves the need for it, amidst the ongoing tensions that have divided many Canadians since Oct. 7. Lyons returns to The CJN Daily to explain what did and didn’t make it into the handbook, and why. We’ll also hear from handbook’s main author, Noah Lew.. What we talked about: Read the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, issued Oct. 31, 2024, and watch this short video with simple definitions of what is and is not antisemitism. Learn why Canada adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism in 2019, in The CJN. Hear why an antisemitism handbook was high on Deborah Lyons’ to do list after she was appointed as Canada’s special envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism in Oct. 2023, on The CJN Daily. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    25 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Amsterdam's mayor says the violence wasn't a pogrom. Dutch Jewish leaders agree, but demand protection

    On Nov. 7, mobs of Dutch soccer fans rampaged through central Amsterdam beating up Israeli and Jewish tourists there to see the Maccabi Tel Aviv team play. The outbreak of violence happened on the eve of the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when organized gangs of Nazi soldiers in Germany and occupied Austria targeted Jewish businesses, torched synagogues and sent 20,000 Jewish men to concentration camps. Video of the Dutch attacks prompted some world leaders to describe the night as a “pogrom”. In hindsight, however, the mayor of Amsterdam is now backtracking on using the word “pogrom”, saying the word has been weaponized to score political points. And while her comments have angered many Jewish leaders in the Netherlands, at least two of them agree that the horrific comparison is an overstatement. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, you’ll hear why. Dave Heilbron, the Dutch-Canadian leader of a pro-Israel lobby organization based in Amsterdam, and Annet Betsalel, a Dutch filmmaker and Holocaust educator in the small town of Bussum, both join the show to discuss what Jewish life in the Netherlands has been like over the past couple of weeks. They say while calling the attacks a pogrom may be exaggeration, Dutch Jews are still nervous about more antisemitic attacks, costly security bills and rising anti-Jewish hatred across the political spectrum in Europe. Related links Read why soccer hooliganism in Europe has disturbing antisemitic chants and symbols, in The CJN. Learn more about Anne Betsalel’s work on the rescue of Canada’s Veffer family in the Netherlands during the Holocaust, on The CJN Daily. Why a new Canadian book about who betrayed Anne Frank has outraged Dutch Jews, in The CJN from 2022. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    25 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    Mississauga organizers cancel vigil honouring Sinwar as ‘Our Mandela’. But local Jews aren’t relaxing yet

    The organizers of a vigil for Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas whom Israeli forces killed earlier this year, have decided to cancel their controversial event just one week before it was scheduled to take place in Mississauga. But the pro-Palestinian organizing group insisted in a written release that it was not intimidated by “pro-Israel lobbies”; instead decision came out of concern for the “safety of our city”. That, and “the urgent food security issue declared 3 days ago,” which their members will be “volunteering to eradicate.” (The news release did not specify the food security issue, nor how they plan to eradicate it.) Nonetheless, before the cancellation, the event made national headlines for its controversial nature. Mississauga’s mayor, Carolyn Parrish, told B’nai Brith Canada that the rally was allowed to proceed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many Jewish and civil society leaders were disgusted after Parrish parroted the promotional flier which compared Sinwar, an internationally recognized terrorist, with Nobel Peace Prize–winning icon Nelson Mandela, who had once also been labelled a terrorist while he was fighting against apartheid in South Africa. Parrish has not apologized for the remarks, despite pressure from Jewish groups. What does Mississauga’s Jewish community want to see next? On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, we speak with Noah Farber, a political consultant who monitors antisemitism at local public schools; Rabbi Audrey Pollack, the spiritual leader of Congregation Solel of Mississauga; and Dr. Roselyn Allen, a veterinarian who is the security director at that same Reform synagogue. Related links Learn which schools in Mississauga held anti-Israel protests coinciding with the anniversary of Oct. 7, in The CJN. It’s not the first time Mississauga has rented city space to anti-Israel groups, in a breach of city policy: read more in The CJN archives (from 2020). Why Reform Jewish supplementary schools have a new pro-Israel curriculum developed by Rabbi Lawrence Englander, of Solel Congregation of Mississauga, in The CJN.Example Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    23 min

  4. NOV 13

    Why this Canadian Catholic leader is rallying Christians to stand up against antisemitism

    Just before Rosh Hashanah, Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett, a Catholic community leader in Ottawa, launched a campaign to convince more of his Christian colleagues to take a public stand against spiking antisemitism. Bennett, a deacon with a Ukrainian-Greek Catholic shrine in the national capital, made the Canadian Christian Declaration Against Antisemitism, hoping to receive a few hundred signatures by the time his petition closed on Oct. 25. To his delight, more than 700 people joined his initiative, including faith leaders from many Christian denominations—including leaders from Catholic, Anglican, United and Evangelical churches. So what happens next? Bennett has committed to put the declaration’s words into action, with plans to hold a summit in 2025 for interfaith leaders. His ultimate goal is to establish a year-long program to pair individual congregations, schools and groups for in-person events and Shabbat dinners. On today’s The CJN Daily, Bennett joins to explain why he believes Christians have an ancient moral and religious responsibility to protect and encourage their “Jewish cousins”, and why he believes Canadians–including Christians and also Muslims–cannot remain silent in the face of record-breaking anti-Jewish hate crimes. Related links Learn more about the Canadian Christian Declaration on Antisemitism, and what's behind the group's support for Jewish Canadians. How Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett served as Canada's first and only Ambassador for Religious Freedom from 2013-2016, in The CJN. Read about Dr. Phil (McGraw) and the eight non-Jewish allies honoured last week by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, in Toronto. Watch the Rally for Humanity interfaith event held Sunday Nov. 10 in Vaughan, Ontario, and learn more about their petition headed for the House of Commons. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    28 min

  5. NOV 11

    Remembrance Day, minus religion: Why faith-based prayers are nixed from Canadian military ceremonies this year

    This year, Remembrance Day ceremonies, including at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, will feel a little different for a number of reasons. The biggest change? Military chaplains who officiate at mandatory public events can no longer recite faith-specific religious prayers for soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in battle. Prayers are now to be called “spiritual reflections”, using non-religious, gender-neutral words. Chaplains can no longer wear their traditional purple sashes with symbols of their faith atop their uniforms. While the changes have been on the books for some time, they weren't being enforced, until now. The changes have prompted renewed backlash from a senior Catholic chaplain and from the Conservative Party, who decried this secularization of the Canadian Armed Forces. But military officials say their goal is to be more inclusive of personnel of all different faiths—plus those who practise no religion at all. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, we consult three Jewish leaders involved in Remembrance Day events and the legacy of Rabbi Reuven Bulka, who delivered a short benediction to the nation on Nov. 11 for nearly three decades, until his death in 2021. We’ll hear from Rabbi Idan Scher, who will deliver the official benediction today; Captain (Rabbi) Arnold Noteh Glogauer, Jewish chaplain at CFB Petawawa; and Jon Mitzmacher, the principal at Ottawa’s Community Jewish School, where a new curriculum unit honours Rabbi Bulka’s legacy of kindness. What we talked about: Read more in The CJN about the Hurwitz family of Montreal, whose son Sgt. Samuel “Moe” (KIA 1944) made the ultimate sacrifice, and about a younger brother, naval gunner Harry (taken POW in 1944) who were both honoured as Canadian Jewish heroes during a recent Remembrance Day ceremony in Hampstead, Quebec. The late Rabbi Reuven Bulka, considered as Canada’s Rabbi, died in June 2021. Catch up on The CJN’s coverage of his legacy here, his obituary, and here. Canada enshrined Kindness Week into law in May 2021 in honour of Rabbi Bulka, on The CJN Daily. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    23 min

  6. NOV 7

    What Donald Trump’s second term means for American Jews—and for Canada

    Until the very last day, pollsters predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election would be too close to call, with just a fraction of a percentage point separating Donald Trump from his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Many observers predicted a repeat of 2020, when Trump refused to concede, resulting in riots on Capitol Hill. But as the votes rolled in on Nov. 5, 2024, it became clear Trump was on pace to win a resounding victory for the Republicans and a surprise second term in the White House. As of Wednesday night, Trump has been elected with 295 electoral collage votes, compared to Harris’s 226, complemented by a victory in the popular vote. Trump’s party also took control of the Senate and will likely control the House of Representatives, although those ballots are still being counted. Political science professor Donald Abelson of McMaster University in Hamilton had an eye-witness perspective of the final hours of the election from his perch in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, David Weinfeld, a Canadian-born professor of American Jewish history, was monitoring the election results from his home in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where he had previously been a volunteer canvassing for the Democrats. Abelson and Weinfeld joined The CJN Daily‘s Ellin Bessner shortly after Kamala Harris called Trump to concede defeat Wednesday. Together, they unpack what Trump’s victory means for Jews, Israel, Canada and the world. Their take? While some pro-Israel advocates may be excited, Trump will almost certainly not be a reliable ally for Jews. What we talked about Read more about professor Donald E. Abelson in The CJN, and learn about his new books on U.S. politics, here and here. David Weinfeld has been a columnist for The CJN, and most recently was a guest panelist on The CJN Daily’s Canada Day episode on why Canadian Jews feel vulnerable in a post-Oct. 7 world. Why the "Tree of Life" synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018 was a turning point for Jews in America and not in a good way, by David Weinfeld in The CJN archives. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    36 min

  7. NOV 6

    A new book of poetry explores resilience and conflict in a post-Oct. 7 world

    After the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Sharon Zohar wanted to take action. The serial entrepreneur, no stranger to kickstarting new organizations, decided to start a grassroots movement called EnoughTO, aimed at bringing civility back to the streets of Toronto. But rather than strengthen the city and its myriad communities, she says, "all I got was hate." The response shocked her. She withdrew to her home and decided, instead, to try and express herself in a more personal way—through poetry. She immediately felt refreshed and invigorated. That led her to reach out to OneFamily Fund, an organization that helps Israeli victims of terror, which agreed to partner on a new poetry anthology that publishes writers from around the world reflecting on this new post-Oct. 7 reality. That anthology, Proof of Life: An Exploration of Conflict, Survival, and the Human Spirit Post October 7th, was released last month, on the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7. To explain more about the book, Sharon Zohar sat down with Ellin Bessner for an intimate interview that dives deep into her creative process and how she recruited collaborators to make it happen. Relevant links Buy the book at proofoflifeanthology.myshopify.com Learn more about OneFamily Fund Read about one of Sharon Zohar's earlier fundraisers, a lemonade stand that raised thousands of dollars to combat homelessness, in The CJN archives (from 2012) Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    21 min

  8. NOV 4

    A new self-guided tour hopes to draw visitors to Ottawa's oft-forgotten Holocaust monument

    Even if you haven't visited the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, you may recall when it opened in September 2017 with one glaring omission: it didn't mention Jews. While the federal government did fix the plaque on the nearly $9-million monument, after that controversial opening, the monument sat largely ignored. Yes, it's used by federal politicians for Holocaust remembrance events, but there is limited signage and no tours to explain its significance to visitors or tourists. It's a problem that the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) wanted to fix. On Oct. 30, just before Holocaust Education Week kicks off on Nov. 4, the Ottawa-based organization, with support from Liberation75, unveilled a self-guided tour now available on IWalk, a mobile app created by the USC Shoah Foundation. CHES calls the tour "an essential companion to the monument," featuring information about the details of the monument along with survivor testimonies, educational materials for teachers and a virtual 3D tour. The CJN Daily's Ellin Bessner was recently in the nation's capital and wanted to see the monument for herself. Rather than take the IWalk tour, she met up with Mina Cohn and Artur Wilczynski of CHES for an in-person experience to hear the story and history behind this new immersive educational experience. What we talked about Learn about the National Holocaust Monument's IWalk tour at iwalknhm.org Find more educational resources from CHES at chesatottawa.ca Read about the plaque controversy when the National Holocaust Monument opened at thecjn.ca (from 2018) Listen to "Canada’s Holocaust monument opened 4 years ago. Why isn’t anyone using it?" on The CJN Daily Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

    26 min
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Newsmaker conversations from The Canadian Jewish News, hosted by Ellin Bessner, a veteran broadcaster, writer and journalist.

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