• News
    • Business
    • Canada
    • Health
    • International
    • Israel
  • Perspectives
    • Ask Ella
    • Ask The Love Rabbi
    • Features
    • Jewish Parenting Wisdom
    • Opinions
    • Ideas
    • Letters
    • Personal Essays
  • Food
  • Culture
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • The Arts
    • Books & Authors
    • Canada 150
    • Jewish Learning
    • June 1967
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Events
    • Contests
  • Supplements
    • Spotlights
  • Other Communities
    • En Français
    • Russian
  • Subscribe
  • Member Centre
  • Log Out
Search
  • Subscribe
  • Member Centre (eCJN)
  • Log Out
  • Newsletter
  • FaceBook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
CJN - Canada’s largest Jewish newspaper
April 24, 2018 - 9 Iyar 5778
CJN - Canada’s largest Jewish newspaper
  • News
    • Jewish community is prepared, security expert says after Yonge St. attack

      Canadian business accelerator lauded as one of the best in the world

      At 100, Ruth Rotman is still active in the community

      Miles Nadal donates $11 million to Mount Sinai heart centre

      Federal politicians honour victims of the Holocaust

      AllBusinessCanadaHealthInternationalIsrael
  • Perspectives
    • From Yoni’s Desk: Portman deserves the benefit of the doubt

      She loves me, but she doesn’t want me

      Looking at the state of Jewish-Muslim dialogue in Canada

      Bridging the divide between Jews and Muslims in the West

      Israel & the Internet: Circa 1948 – April 19, 2018

      Tales from the fascist book club

      AllAsk EllaAsk The Love RabbiFeaturesJewish Parenting WisdomOpinionsIdeasLettersPersonal Essays
  • Food
    • The Shabbat Table: Happy 70th birthday Israel

      The Shabbat Table: A special post-Passover garlic shlissel challah

      Everyone gets gooey at downtown matzah bake

      Making matzah balls unites a modern Jewish family, says Phyllis Feldman

      The easy way out of Passover

      Bannock and matzah: our breads of affliction

  • Culture
    • TJFF founder honoured for decades of public service

      Duo’s debut film has satire, music and a dog — sort of

      Exploring the Jewish world at Hot Docs

      Pound’s support of fascism didn’t deter his appeal to American poets

      Blending Caribbean sun and Jewish history in Curacao

      AllArts & EntertainmentThe ArtsBooks & AuthorsCanada 150Jewish LearningJune 1967SportsTravel
  • Events
    • Jewish Music Week Contest

      Chai Lifeline’s Restoring Hope contest (Closed)

      The CJN Prize (CLOSED)

      BRITISH YIDDISH AND KIDDUSH CONTEST (closed)

      The CJN Prize for Young Writers Contest (closed)

      AllContests
  • Supplements
    • Home Beautiful

      CJL Magazine

      Passover Greetings

      Passover Greetings

      MTL Celebrations

      AllSpotlights
  • Other Communities
    • Quel avenir pour les Juifs de France ?

      Israël dans la grande poudrière du Moyen-Orient

      Une entrevue avec Enrico Macias

      L’héritage de Shimon Peres: “Aucun rêve n’est impossible”

      L’intelligence artificielle au service de la robotique

      AllEn FrançaisRussian
  • Subscribe
  • Member Centre
  • Log Out
Home Perspectives Opinions The Roma and our ongoing fight
  • Perspectives
  • Opinions

The Roma and our ongoing fight

By
The CJN
-
May 25, 2013
429
0
SHARE
Facebook
Twitter

I just returned from a Baptism celebration for a Roma child. This family wants to stay in Canada, but since the time they arrived, they have been swindled by a “refugee agent,” handcuffed in front of their children and schlepped off to a detention centre for a month where they were frisked three times a day. They have lost their medical assistance, and if their newborn should get sick, they will likely be turned away from a hospital and most doctors will not treat him. (See doctorsforrefugeecare.ca to find out about a national day of action on June 17).

Stephen Harper’s government has targeted the Roma in the bid to once again decrease the flow of refugees into our country – this despite the fact there are 90,000 Roma living in Canada as decent, tax-paying citizens. Is it possible that our government buys into the absurd idea that the Roma are Gypsies, tramps and thieves? Are we too good for the Roma child wanting to have a higher standard of education than the classes they are tossed into by Hungarian educators?

One must ask why Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney flew to Hungary and used tax dollars to advertise to the Roma that Canada has no interest in welcoming them. He must be familiar with the violence against the Roma in Hungary, and how deeply they are hated by many Hungarian nationals.

Hungary is not a friendly place for minorities, certainly not for Jews and the Roma. To live in Hungary and to be a Jew or Roma is to expect, at some point, a swift kick in the groin, or even a beating to death. This is not a secret.

Canada needs great leadership to counter the damage we are causing the tired and poor arriving at our shores. It therefore brings me great joy knowing that our community has struck committees to work diligently on the Roma/refugee issue.

One committee member is Bernie Farber, who also happens to be Ve’ahavta’s new chair.

I state this because it is becoming increasingly clearer that we, the Canadian Jewish community, are slowly drawing upon strong voices of advocacy that challenge national and domestic policies. Bernie is that sort of fellow. He is vocal and robust in his activism. His style is similar to that of my late father, Rabbi Philip Rosensweig, who fought bravely against antisemites his entire life, and against those who would undermine the Jewish People, Israel and our freedoms. 

These are gutsy guys who use the tools of the street fighter, as well as the elegance and gentlemanly trappings of the statesman. They are old-school leaders who can persuade the new school through well-crafted sermons and editorials, as well as grassroots planning and strategy.

Welcome Bernie. We welcome your renewed leadership to the Toronto Jewish community and across Canada. We look forward to your participation on the Holy Blossom Temple’s June 5 panel on “Why the Roma?”

I write this column to educate our community about the Roma today, people whose families walked to the ovens of Auschwitz right next to ours. I write this article to congratulate Bernie for agreeing to be a role model once again for the battle we Jews must accept and fight with a voracious desire to make the unjust, just.

Speak loudly! Defend the rights of those who want the freedoms we cherish. It’s the Jewish thing to do.

Avrum.rosensweig@veahavta.org

SHARE
Facebook
Twitter
The CJN

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Jewish community is prepared, security expert says after Yonge St. attack

From Yoni’s Desk: Portman deserves the benefit of the doubt

Jewish Music Week Contest

  • Popular
  • Recent
Subscribe to the CJNSubscribe
RSS FeedView
5,526FansLike
856FollowersFollow
10,107FollowersFollow
197SubscribersSubscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe / Member Centre (eCJN)
  • eCJN Archives
  • Supplements
  • Media Kit
  • Advertising Terms
  • Premiums

One on One at Comicon with Leo Leibelman

Purim 2018 on Toronto's streets

Baba Fira's CJN Prize Awards invite

  • News
  • Canada
  • Israel
  • International
  • Opinions
  • The Arts
The award-winning Canadian Jewish News (CJN) is Canada’s largest, weekly Jewish newspaper with an audited circulation of nearly 32,000 and read by more than 100,000 people each week.
© Copyright 2018 Canadian Jewish News
  • Comments Policy
  • Community Links
  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Admin

Week in Review...

Comes Right to You

Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter

X