To the Jewish Community in Davenport,

You have been on my mind constantly since shots were fired at Temple Emanu-El on Purim night, then at Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Avraham Yoseph this past weekend — and now with reports that Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s oldest Jewish congregation, was vandalized last night, and the news that the US Consulate on University Avenue was struck by gunfire early Tuesday morning in what the RCMP is treating as a national security incident.

The pattern is no longer deniable. This is not a series of isolated incidents. It is an escalating campaign of intimidation — and it has to stop.

For my entire life, Canada has been a place where Jewish Canadians can build their lives, raise children, and walk freely into their synagogues without fear. What we are witnessing now is a betrayal of something I believe is foundational to who we are. I refuse to treat that betrayal as normal.

These shootings are targeted acts of violent intimidation designed to make Jewish Canadians afraid to worship, gather, and exist openly in the country they helped build. Geopolitical tensions, however grave, can never be imported into our streets as license to terrorize a community. There is no cause, conflict, or grievance anywhere in the world that justifies firing bullets at a house of prayer.

You are right to be exhausted by words. You have heard condemnations before. You have heard promises before. So let me tell you what your federal government has already done — and what I will keep fighting for.

Our government has been building the tools to protect you. Last March, we convened the National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism — bringing together all three levels of government, law enforcement, and prosecutors from across Canada — resulting in a signed Statement of Intent and National Commitments to strengthen hate crime investigation, prosecution, and community security. In Toronto, this has allowed our Police Services to expand its Hate Crimes Unit to address the massive rise in hate-motivated incidents. And today, Minister Anandasangaree announced an emergency $10 million investment through the Canada Community Security Program: directed specifically at Jewish schools, daycares, synagogues, and community spaces, this funding aims to accelerate the physical security upgrades that cannot wait.

I will continue to vigorously support Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which would make it a criminal offence to intimidate or obstruct anyone from accessing a place of worship, and make hate-motivated crimes a distinct offence in the Criminal Code. It is in committee now and I will be fighting hard to see it passed. The law needs to match the reality you are living.

My voice will also be raised to ensure our federal government leads the work with law enforcement at every level — so the investigation into these shootings receives every resource it needs, and the perpetrators face the full weight of justice.

One more thing: when a synagogue is targeted in this city, every mosque, every church, every gurdwara, every temple feels it. The safety of one faith community is inseparable from the safety of all — and that is precisely why this moment demands a response from every Canadian, not only those directly affected.

Noah Shack of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said this week that “Canada is at a crossroads.” We have a clear choice about whether we are a country that tolerates this kind of intimidation or one that confronts it. He is right. And I know which side of that crossroads I am standing on.

Canada is your home. Davenport, Toronto, this country — it belongs to you as fully as it belongs to anyone. No one should ever have to choose between their faith and their safety. I am committed to upholding this principle for as long as I hold this office, and well beyond.

My very best,

Julie Dzerowicz

Member of Parliament, Davenport