March 23, 2020: COVID-19 now affects all of us

By Michael Regenstreif

As I write, the world seems to be in a state of constant flux as COVID-19, the novel corona virus, spreads and governments, organizations, families and individuals take actions and precautions to slow the spread of the pandemic and mitigate its effects.

So much about this story has changed rapidly in such a short period of time. Not too long ago, we were looking at hot COVID-19 zones in China, Iran and Italy. Today virtually the entire world has been affected in some way or another.

Events, large and small, have been cancelled. South-by-Southwest in Austin, Texas is one of the largest music festivals in the world and it was one of the first major events to be cancelled. There have since been many more. Sports leagues – including the NHL, the NBA and Major League Baseball and others – have suspended or postponed their seasons. Broadway has cancelled all of its shows for at least a month and other cultural venues have followed suit. Here in Ottawa, the National Arts Centre and the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe have cancelled all scheduled performances and events until (at least) April 5.

The House of Commons has been adjourned until April 20 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is among the Canadians in self-isolation at home because his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, who had travelled to England for a charity event, was the second person in the Ottawa area to test positive for COVID-19.

Our Jewish community in Ottawa has been affected. Since, March 13, I have been working from home because the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin office is in the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (SJCC) and the SJCC, like many facilities in Ottawa and across the country, has been closed as a precaution. The SJCC has announced it will tentatively reopen on March 30 but “will re-evaluate as the situation evolves.”

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Jewish Community School, like many Jewish day schools elsewhere, will remain closed until after the Passover break next month, and Hillel Lodge, like all long-term care facilities in Ontario, has been closed to visitors until further notice.

The first event cancellation or postponement I learned of in the community was Limmud Ottawa – one of my favourite annual community events – which was to have taken place on March 15 at the SJCC. Other community events, no doubt, will be cancelled or postponed in the days, weeks and, perhaps, months ahead. I would advise verifying with organizers that scheduled events are going ahead before leaving home.

Our lives will be more complicated until COVID-19 is under control, but even as we engage in precautions like vigilant hand-washing, safe sneezing and coughing, and “social distancing” practices ranging from avoiding largescale events and nonessential travel, to not shaking hands, etc., such adversities also have a way of bringing communities together.

Jon Braun

Like so many in our community, I was shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jon Braun, the director of athletics, leagues and summer camps at the SJCC for more than three decades, and a beloved figure to generations of kids and adults in Ottawa’s Jewish community.

I met JB, as he was affectionately known, on my first day of work at the Bulletin in 2007. We’d see each other almost every day at the SJCC and had countless conversations about our common Montreal background, about our shared passion for music, about the community, about politics, and even, sometimes, about sports, even though I’m not much of a sports fan.

JB was passionate about his work and, appropriately, the SJCC has established the Jonathan Braun Camp Scholarship Fund at the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation to help support Jon’s vision that all Jewish children in the community have the opportunity to enjoy a great summer at one of the JCC day camps. Visit https://ojcf.ca/jb for more information or to make a contribution.

I know I’m not alone in offering my deepest condolences to JB’s family and to his many friends, but also to the entire community – we’ll all miss him.

March 9, 2020: Updates – Israeli election, IHRA definition of antisemitism

By Michael Regenstreif

Israeli election

As this issue went to press on February 28, I can’t comment yet on the results of the March 2 election in Israel – its third in less than a year after governing coalitions were not formed after the first two.

The latest opinion polls still showed Likud and Blue and White running neck-and-neck, with each winning 33 to 35 of the Knesset’s 120 seats – although it appears that Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu may be closer to finding enough coalition partners needed to form a government than he was after the last two elections.

IHRA definition of antisemitism

In my column last issue, I wrote about the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and noted that Canada – which adopted the definition in 2017 – was among the growing list of countries (now 33) to recognize the definition.

I also mentioned that Bill 168, An Act to Combat Antisemitism – a private member’s bill introduced by MPP Will Bouma – would, if passed, make Ontario the first province to adopt the definition. I’m pleased to report that Bill 168 passed second reading unanimously at Queen’s Park on February 27.

Bill 168 has now been sent to the standing committee on justice policy for review – including public input – before it returns to the legislature for third and final reading before final passage.

You can be sure that there will be briefs and/or testimonies at the committee opposed to Bill 168. Despite the fact that the IHRA explicitly states that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic,” groups and individuals seeking to delegitimize the very existence of the State of Israel push a nonsensical narrative that the IHRA definition “criminalizes” any and all criticism of Israel.

As I pointed out last issue, the IHRA definition does provide parameters pointing out how criticism of Israel can cross the line into antisemitism by “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation,” or “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis,” or “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis,” or “holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.” But such antisemitic criticism in and of itself will not result in criminal charges. However, when such criticism motivates criminal acts, police and the courts could be guided in determining when criminal acts are also hate crimes.

So, when Ontario’s standing committee on justice policy does ask for public input on Bill 168, it is important that we make our voices heard in support. In an era when antisemitism and antisemitic hate crimes are on the rise, a commonly accepted definition of what constitutes antisemitism is important.