Bravo to Ms. Felicia Hershenhorn for her elegantly and sharply written open letter to Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mr. Mark Carney.
First, “Mabrouk” to Mr. Carney.
Second, will he listen to this clever Toronto-based entrepreneur (and former lawyer)?
Third, and if he will genuinely take her letter seriously, what concrete actions will he and his cabinet take to make our fellow Canadians of Jewish ancestry finally safe again?
It is about time.
Of note, Ms. Hershenhorn’s open letter appears on her own Instagram platform and one of Bambi’s dear friends kindly emailed it to her. In turn, she is both happy and honoured to share with you, dear readers.
May calm, reason, kindness, gratitude, open-mindedness, shared humanity, and love find their ways again in our hearts. Our beautiful Canada deserves and can do better.
“Dear Prime Minister Carney,
Congratulations on your election victory. You assume office at a moment when Canada’s foundational promises of fairness, dignity and belonging are openly challenged.
I write as a Jewish Canadian and as the granddaughter of a man who staked everything on those promises.
On December 22, 1935, my grandfather stepped onto Canadian soil at Pier 21 in Halifax, fleeing rising antisemitism in Poland aboard the Ausonia. He arrived penniless, without English or certainty, carrying only a belief that in this great country if you built something of worth you could claim your place.
He did. My father did too, founding a small business, employing Canadians and realising the dream his father had chased across an ocean. Because of them I walked through doors once locked to our family, graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School. Their courage became my inheritance.
Our family’s story mirrors the wider story of Jewish Canadians: a history not of complaint but of relentless contribution.
When legal barriers excluded Jews from full participation, Jewish Canadians didn’t merely break through; they transformed Canada’s legal landscape. Bora Laskin, initially denied an articling position due to his faith, rose to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and embedded individual rights into Canadian constitutional law, laying the crucial groundwork for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Justice Rosalie Abella, born to Holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp, introduced employment equity, reshaping Canadian fairness for women, minorities and persons with disabilities.
When apartheid demanded moral clarity it was Irwin Cotler, a Jewish Canadian, who defended Nelson Mandela, challenged racial injustice internationally and placed human rights at the centre of Canada’s global identity.
When restrictive covenants barred Jews, Blacks and Asians from owning homes, Jewish Canadians confronted this legal segregation. In the landmark Supreme Court case Noble and Wolf v. Alley (1951), Jewish Canadians helped overturn these covenants, paving the way for modern anti-discrimination protections.
When Canada criminalised abortion, it was Dr Henry Morgentaler, a Holocaust survivor, who endured relentless prosecution until the Supreme Court, in R v. Morgentaler (1988), struck down Canada’s abortion laws, significantly expanding the Charter’s guarantee of security of the person for all Canadians.
Jewish Canadians have also profoundly shaped Canada’s economic strength and security. Barry Sherman, through Apotex, delivered affordable life-saving medications to millions globally. Sam Steinberg provided Canadian families reliable access to affordable food, while Murray Koffler transformed healthcare accessibility nationwide through Shoppers Drug Mart.
On Bay Street, Jewish Canadians fundamentally reshaped Canada’s financial landscape. Ned Goodman, founder of Dundee Corporation and DundeeWealth, transformed Canada’s investment and wealth management sectors. Gerry Schwartz, founder of Onex Corporation, secured financial growth and stability for countless Canadians through strategic partnerships with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, enhancing retirement security for millions.
Jewish Canadians have also defined Canada culturally, artistically and intellectually. Jack Rabinovitch founded the Giller Prize, Canada’s most prestigious literary award. Barbara Frum became one of Canada’s most trusted journalists, shaping how the nation understood itself. Leonard Cohen’s poetry and music spoke profoundly to the world. Mordecai Richler’s incisive novels captured Canadian wit and conscience, and Lorne Michaels elevated Canadian comedy globally through Saturday Night Live.
In science and medicine, Jewish Canadians changed global health. Dr Mark Wainberg advanced HIV/AIDS research, dramatically improving treatments and transforming millions of lives.
In contemporary popular culture, Drake, a proud Jewish Canadian artist, has placed Canada at the heart of global music, reshaping cultural conversations worldwide.
These achievements are not isolated; they form a unified narrative. Jewish Canadians did not merely integrate into Canada, we actively shaped it, elevating its ideals and extending its opportunities to everyone.
Yet today our community feels increasingly vulnerable. Although Jews represent just over one percent of Canada’s population, we are targets of more than 75% of all religiously motivated hate crimes. Our synagogues require armed guards. Our schools hide their entrances. Our children are told to conceal their Jewish stars for their own safety.
You have spoken about enhancing protections for places of worship. But vandalism, harassment and hatred are already crimes under Canadian law. What is lacking is not new legislation but political resolve and moral clarity.
Jewish Canadians are not asking for charity. We ask whether the country we helped build with our labour, courage, ingenuity and commitment still fully includes us in its promises? We fought for rights we ourselves lacked and secured them not just for our community but for every Canadian.
We did not come to Canada simply to be tolerated. We came to help build the true north strong and free. And we succeeded.
But those who built Canada’s firehouses should never be left to burn inside them. We do not seek condolences after tragedy strikes but genuine leadership and courage. Right now, before it is too late, we ask your government for a clear commitment and concrete plan to combat antisemitism.
Respectfully,
Felicia Hershenhorn“
