Reflections on 2023: But Here We Are...

Brian Zeiler-Kligman's 2023 Annual Newsletter

(Land Acknowledgement) In the spirit of reconciliation and understanding, I begin by acknowledging the people who have cared for this land long before I came to live here, because I am a settler here…which has never been made clearer than in the past few weeks.

My great grandparents came to Turtle Island fleeing the persecution of the Jews in Europe. Until October 7, 2023, they largely found greater safety here and helped to build a community. Yet during this time of freedom and growth for my community, the Indigenous peoples continued to have less security and reduced opportunities.

My family has settled in Toronto, where I live, write and work today, the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, and Huron-wendat nations.

I am grateful that my family has been able to grow and prosper on these lands. I am intent on being a positive part of our search for reconciliation. I commit to continuous education and to live and work in a way that respects the sovereign nations who have been here since time immemorial.

So…

I was gearing up to write a 2023 newsletter that revelled at the pace of the year, amazed at how quickly it has flown by and even somewhat missing the more measured pace of the pandemic years. Definitely a different tone than the frustration in last year’s newsletter which worried about the then-recent rise in anti-Semitism. But here we are…

October 7th and its aftermath shattered all of that.  

For those not as keenly experiencing the situation, October 7 is the date Hamas terrorists attacked almost exclusively civilian targets in Israel, slaughtering around 1,300 people and taking at least 240 hostages. The ensuing fighting has been gut-wrenching. I take no joy in human suffering – least of all when the Palestinians suffering have already been largely used as pawns by their leaders.

And yet.

Even before Israel had done anything in response, there were people all over the world rejoicing, states warning Israel of the limits of response they would accept and groups mobilizing to spread anti-Semitic hatred.

As I write, the UN (and the Canadian government) calls for a unilateral ceasefire with no mention of returning home the innocent hostages that Hamas still holds – and is regularly documenting their murders.

This war has remained top of mind and foreign policy since then – while genocide takes place in Sudan and civil wars rage in Myanmar and Ethiopia. (You didn’t know, you say…funny that).

I have been amazed since Oct. 7 to learn how many laypeople are scholars in international law, the laws of war and armed conflict. So glad these “informed” voices – who are quick to use charged phrases like genocide and war crimes – are shaping this debate.

For the record, I actually studied these legal codes (and, not so humble brag, graduated near the top of my class).

Many seem blind to it, but it’s hard to deny there’s a double standard for anything involving Israel. I’m not saying Israel is never at fault or can never be criticized. But it’s within this double standard where the anti-Semitism lies.

Imagine what the response would be if something 10 times bigger than 9/11 happened to the US (or China or Russia, for that matter). And for the record, October 7 was many times more significant to Israel and the Jewish community than this.

I can barely fathom how criticism of Israel’s response can justify the hatred, violence and intimidation being done in its name. This doesn’t even begin to contemplate how University Presidents can somehow justify and shrug off calls for the genocide of Jews or activists can twist themselves to suggest rape can be justified in certain situations…and on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, no less.

(And not to flaunt my legal scholarship, but I can confirm crimes against humanity retain their criminal status even when committed against Jews).

Am I buggin’ ya?

I don’t mean to bug ya.

Alright Brian, write the blues...

(and my apologies to U2 fans everywhere).  

So, this newsletter contains both dark and light. Dark, as I reflect on the rise in Anti-Semitism that legitimately threatens the Jewish community. And Light, as I figure we all need some levity given recent weeks.

I feel like I need to start this section with some caveats. So…I’m not intending to lecture or make anyone pick a side. I don’t even want to delve too deeply into the war between Israel and Hamas (please, go to social media if that’s what you want…actually, don’t do that).

Personally, I’m on the side of peace – both Israelis and Palestinians are suffering and large losses of life are hard to stomach no matter who it is. The reality is there are two peoples living in a small space and each wants some form of freedom and safety. Peace should be possible, yet hatred and terror seem to reign.

What I want to convey – simply, clearly, directly, without hyperbole – is the terror (I’m not using this word lightly) the vast majority of Jews are feeling right now.

As Jews, we are used to a certain low-level Anti-Semitism in our daily lives. But we’re now seeing things that haven’t happened since 1930s Germany taking place where we live (some recent examples):

·       Protests and daubing of Stars of David on the café beside my office building.

·       Bomb threats and other intimidation tactics at the private Jewish high school my neighbour, friends and cousins attend.

·       Swastikas graffitied on my son’s public school.

·       Intimidation and vandalism of a prominent downtown store done by those who work at the University where I teach. And the Faculty Association protesting against “reprisals” for their criminal and hate-based acts.

·       Denial of Israel’s right to exist and worse at the University my niece attends and where a good friend teaches.

·       Friends in more rural areas having death threats graffitied on their house.

·       Support for terrorist acts by Canadian elected representatives.

This feels very unCanadian. I don’t recognize the country where I’ve lived my entire life.

These are actions meant to vilify, to intimidate, to terrorize. To stir up hatred and violence.

I write this not to make anyone feel guilt or create sympathy. Your Jewish friends, neighbours, colleagues, community members, we feel under threat. And the threat feels very different, very personal and very real.

Hopefully by this point you’re asking what you can do.

We need you to speak up and denounce these acts where and when they occur – not just to us, but publicly as well. Do something to squelch this fire of hatred before it consumes everything.

It’s happened before.

We said it would never happen again.

Let’s be true to our words.

Top 10 Signs 2023 Was Particularly Odd

10.) 2023 is not divisible by 2 (Yes, I’ve succumbed to math humour…and this early on…can grammar humour be far behind?).

9.) We needed a Sidewinder missile to take down a weather balloon (And China got indignant that we wanted to keep the important “meteorological” data for ourselves)

8.) For a brief moment, James Bond casting (Idris Elba), Canadian politics (Sophie Gregoire Trudeau) and divorce law all got intertwined.

7.) We learned the Greenbelt saga apparently had a happy ending…or…we finally learned that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas (no matter how many “Good Luck Rituals” are performed)…

6.) Wildfires burned, the North American East Coast could hardly breathe – and Americans chose to reprise a South Park classic (Blame Canada!) rather than discuss climate change.

5.) Cinema has somehow cemented Barbie as a feminist icon.

4.) Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted (Xed?) at Taylor Swift to do Canadian shows. (He even cringeily tried to be hip and in-the-know by awkwardly referencing her songs)

3.) Boris Johnson and Liz Truss set the bar for competence in British politics so low that David Cameron – who called the referendum that led to Brexit and then promptly quit – triumphantly returned as Foreign Secretary and commentators commended his dedication to public service. (Can knighting the head of lettuce that outlasted Liz Truss be far behind?)

2.) Collectively, it’s taken Republican legislators about 20 votes and at least one brawl to elect a Speaker of the House. And the likely Republican presidential candidate is facing almost 5 times (!) that many felony criminal charges.

1.) If this Top 10 list had been funnier, you’d be convinced it was written by Chat GPT.

While this last quarter of 2023 has been worrying, the year overall has been a good one.

I am extremely grateful that I was able to travel and knock some items off my bucket list (Great Barrier Reef, Bondi Beach, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame – check, check, check) and did other things that weren’t on my bucket list, but should’ve been (Fairy Penguins at Phillip Island, Australia’s Blue Mountains, seeing my son get the biggest laugh at a comedy show). I’m even more grateful I was able to do all of these things with my wife, Sarah, and my practically 10-year old son, Jesse.

I am also immensely grateful for the time I get with my Mom, Mother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law and nieces.

And as always, good friends and colleagues also help to rejuvenate me. Thank you for helping me make the most of this year. I wish you and your family much health and happiness for the year ahead!

Remember to take care of each other. To quote my friend Richard’s business slogan: Be Kind, it’s good for your health :)