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Tonight, Jewish families around the world will be gathering for Sukkot. Coming right after the solemnity of Yom Kippur, this holiday allows us to celebrate a fresh spiritual beginning. In fact, the midrash commands us to find joy and community, to share food and drink, sing and dance.
But this year Sukkot arrives following the targeted attack on the Sons of Jacob synagogue and the Belleville Jewish community. Were it not for the incredible bravery of Constable Jeff Smith and his colleague Constable Michael McCurdy, this could have been a mass casualty event. It’s sobering and frightening, and we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the officers who risked their lives for ours. We continue to think of Constable Smith and send prayers for his recovery.
This should be an urgent call to all Canadians. The time to act is now. The country must come together to push back against violence and hatred toward our community. We all deserve to worship and participate in Jewish life safely and freely. Everyone who believes in the promise of Canada—a country where diversity is celebrated—cannot and should not accept this kind of violence.
Against this backdrop, it might feel jarring or even wrong to celebrate with lightness and joy. The sukkah symbolizes the fragile temporary shelters that our ancestors lived in during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt. After Belleville, our community may be experiencing a similar feeling of vulnerability and fragility.
I find comfort remembering that whenever there is a tragedy impacting Jewish people, we rise above and show that our strength can never be defeated by hatred.
So, we will celebrate our traditions and stand proudly. And continue to do what the Jewish community does best: come together and support one another. In fact, just yesterday, students from Yeshivat Or Chaim went to Belleville to build a community sukkah—embodying the spirit of Sukkot and community.
On Sukkot, we fulfil the mitzvah of the Four Kinds: the lulav (palm frond), the etrog (citron), the aravot (willow branches), and the hadassim (myrtle boughs). We recite a blessing over them, bring them together, and wave them in six directions to represent the diversity of our Jewish community—but also our intrinsic unity.
We are stronger together.
Chag Sukkot Sameach,
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