Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentNoah Shack: Jewish Canadians should fight for Canada — not fleeMy ancestors’ dream of Canada is worth defendingLast updated 4 days ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Shack Family Photo taken in 1918, shortly after the family arrived in Canada from Odessa. Used with permission from Noah Shack.A few weeks ago, I received a photograph of my ancestors taken in 1918, shortly after they arrived in Canada from present-day Ukraine. Three generations stare out from another world but at the same time seem so familiar — my great-grandfather in particular looks strikingly like my 11-year-old son.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIn today’s precarious times for Jews in Canada, I can’t help but reflect on their experience and what they would think of our current moment.Throughout their lives in Canada, they and other Jewish Canadians faced admission quotas, outright exclusion and open discrimination. Universities restricted Jewish participation. Employers refused to hire them. Entire neighbourhoods and institutions made it explicitly clear Jews were not welcome.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againIf they were with us today, they would have been amazed by our contributions to Canadian culture, arts, medicine, science, academia and countless professional fields.They would have been impressed to visit our community’s Jewish schools, summer camps, synagogues, charities and cultural institutions.They would be astonished to see this year’s Walk with Israel Festival in Toronto, where 60,000 people of all backgrounds proudly celebrated Jewish heritage and Israeli culture.And having seen a world where police were often complicit in mob violence against Jews, they would have been relieved by the exceptional protection of police — including seeing Toronto’s Chief of Police, Myron Demkiw, in attendance.Despite concerns about the unprecedented hostility and threats to Canada’s Jewish community, my ancestors would have still seen the Canada of their dreams. Their decision to build deep roots in this country would be affirmed.For countless Jewish Canadian families, building those roots — families, businesses, and communities — meant facing and breaking down historic barriers.The battle that Jewish and Italian Canadians waged against swastika-bearing thugs at Christie Pits in 1933. The legal fight led by Jews to strike down discriminatory land covenants against Jewish, Asian, and Black Canadians. In every generation, we made our community stronger, and we made our country better, helping shape a Canadian way of life that is now under attack.The sound of gunfire at Jewish schools. Firetruck sirens outside smouldering synagogues. The sound of shattering windows. Shouts of “Intifada Revolution.” The cheers of a crowd as a Canadian flag burns. Police announcing another terrorist plot, narrowly thwarted.These are real examples of the threat unfolding before us — and a glimpse of a future no Canadian wants to live in. They reflect Prime Minister Mark Carney’s admission that “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,” and that if this “covenant fails for one of our communities, it fails us all.”Canada’s civic compact was built over many generations, including by my ancestors in this family photograph. They and their descendants brought about the potential of this great country. They understood that, even in adversity, Canada is worth fighting for.Many Jewish Canadians are considering leaving Canada. This is understandable given the challenges we face and I respect their position, even though I do not share it.In my view, this is not the moment for retreat. It is time to redouble our efforts, roll up our sleeves, draw strength from those who came before us and restore the promise of the true north, strong and free.National PostNoah Shack is CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. 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