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Jane Foster's avatar

This is appalling! It is time for everyone in the Western world—and this includes Canada— to WAKE UP from the delusions that have taken root in the minds of gullible, willfully ignorant people. Like the author of this piece, "I am not religious, but nonetheless [I believe] the Bible is a source of fundamental cultural and philosophical values," and not only that, but I believe it is a source of historical knowledge as well. Who, among those with any knowledge of history, can believe that the Jews have no right to the land they occupy? The Jews have inhabited the area that is now Israel for millennia. Christianity sprang from Judaism in roughly AD 30–33. The founder of Islam, the prophet Mohammed, lived from c. 570 – 8 June 632 CE. The Jews were the original inhabitants of that land. Islam has no right to claim ownership of that land, much less to claim the right to annihilate all non-Muslims. THIS IS MADNESS.

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Diane Steiner's avatar

Thank you for reinforcing another article about Canada's disappearing act of tolerance for all. Have the librarians in your area heard of the Nazi book burnings? Yet, they call us Nazis. Did the Chinese "woman" realize how ridiculous her statement was, “Everyone interprets history based on their own experiences.” Really, I thought it had to do with actual facts that occurred in history and to connect the dots to today's reality and figure out why certain events happened, why social conditions improved or deteriorated, etc.. My experience as an American woman does not cause me to interpret history, but may help me to understand it better. Your comment about the safety for you and your family just swooshed right over the "white" man's head. Because you cited a real concern, he quickly discarded it. I hope for you and other Jewish Canadians, your next election will be a sea of change back from bizarro world.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

This is outrageous. "Oh Canada..." should be changed to "Oh stupid, regressive, Jew hating Canada..."

Praying that Pierre wins in 2025.

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carrie's avatar

Not sure who should be their next leader but Canada has been deliberately Islamified since the 1990s - none of this surprises me, in fact, I expected it.

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Karen Sinclair's avatar

An intelligent sad depressing read. Thank you

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J. Crohn's avatar

We've had similar things going on in New Jersey, and similar idiotic justifications for it.

I always wonder what the point of the "dialogue" is that these liars say they want.

In reality of course they don't want an exchange of views. They want and will only tolerate a monologue, the purpose of which is to proselytize for Palestinianism.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Sometimes dialogue is helpful, sometimes it proves to not be productive, but maybe sometimes it plants a seed. Anyway the only alternative is to do nothing, and that's most certainly unproductive, so I'll keep talking.

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Frau Katze's avatar

The two people referred to here weren’t even Palestinians or even Muslims, just woke fools.

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Robin Alexander's avatar

Love the Sowell quotation. Right on. Great piece.

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Puck's avatar

Masha Kleiner,

Could you please send this essay about your meeting between you, the "older, tall, slender white man and . . . middle-aged queer non-binary person of Chinese descent [aka a BIPOC female]" to Yechiel Jacobs. It screams to be turned into a satirical skit in his inimical style.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Sure! What would be the best way to reach him?

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Puck's avatar

Googled his name and came up with

jacobsyechielmanagement@gmail.com

He also has an instagram account, but as I am not on any social media, don't know if he can be reached through it.

Hope you do make contact him because your piece is worth a wide audience.

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Jewish Grandmother's avatar

Thanks for another brilliant essay, Masha. I am emailing you for specifics re: which VPL branch and also to ask for permission to cite your essay when I explain why I am stopping my donations to their Foundation. There was already an incident where an employee was wearing a keffiyeh to work. The administration declined to enforce their own excellent policy on the subject. Overall, though, we are blessed to live in Vancouver, compared with both Toronto and Montreal. Our Mayor and our Chief Constable have our backs, and it has made a difference.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Absolutely agree, Vancouver is better than the East Coast of Canada, but that's a really low bar. This happened in the Britannia branch (and it's not their first "pro-Palestinian" exhibit, if I remember correctly). There was another "adventure" in the Central Branch a couple months ago: https://mashakleiner.substack.com/i/149071814/varta-the-price-of-ukrainian-resistance

And thank you!

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Stephen Schecter's avatar

Absolutely right. Which shows there is no talking to antisemites, nor even lamenting obtuseness such as that you encountered. The best response is Israeli victory on the battlefield and the total defeat of Palestinians in the historic land of Israel. Let Canada coddle up to the Muslims and the friends of its depleted libraries contemplate indigenous identity.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Israeli victory cannot come soon enough! I am waiting for it and praying for it.

That said, while me and my kids live here in Canada, I will also be doing what I can to fix this country.

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Sandra's avatar

Oh for the love of Pete. Good for you for trying and "engaging them in dialogue," the oh-so-important process that supersedes actually trying to understand the world you're living in.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

It is possible that I misinterpret your comment,... but did you mean I should not be talking to people until you approve of my sufficient understanding of the world around me?

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Sandra's avatar

No, I’m on your side and making fun of those idiots. I can see how my comment is awkwardly written, though. My apologies!

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Sandra's avatar

By “you’re,” I meant their. If they bothered to educate themselves about history, they wouldn’t need to engage in the dreaded “dialogue” that goes nowhere.

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Gotcha. Sorry, for misunderstanding (I suppose I need some extra coffee immediately)))

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Sandra's avatar

Not at all! I’m glad you gave me a chance to explain. Whew! As bad as the US is, Canada seems horrifyingly worse. I can only imagine the stress over there.

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Robert's avatar

So, let me get this straight. A white guy and a lesbian-Chinese woman, neither of whom are indigenous to Canada, pulled together an offensive to Jews display in a public library in Canada, where the money had a British monarch on it and the people speak French? WTF, Canada! Between Bernie Sanders and now this, I have no idea where I'm going to be buying my maple syrup! What a-holes!

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Masha Kleiner's avatar

Arguably it is even more offensive to the First Nations people than to Jews, but these two refuse to see it. Oh well. But please, don't hold maple syrup responsible ))

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carrie's avatar

The Palis pull that same crap with the Native Americans in the U.S. The Palis seem to have a good grip on manipulation.

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Ira Seidenstein, PhD (Edu)'s avatar

You exceed my patience, tolerance, and desire to listen or engage with such situations 100 fold. Nice writing!!!! I agree with S. Schechter’s Comment. All glory to the success of what , you know the tune: “It’s beginning to look a lot like…” Hashem or some overarching Entity’s People Chosen for great leadership are graphically achieving on all global fronts. Something beautiful and amazing is rising like a phoenix. Watch this space and Tune in Daily to Torah.

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jerry kleiner's avatar

Kudos to you Masha for maintaining your cool, I certainly would have lost it. Unfortunately, Canada has gotten worse than the states in terms of hate crimes against Jews and in the rise of antisemitism in general. Without help from the government and a unified strategy by the large Jewish organizations, things will continue to get worse. That means Trudeau has to be thrown out of office and the large Jewish organization have to be overhauled and cleaned up and be held accountable and acceptable to the public.

On the political side we are looking at about a year and hoping for a large Conservative win. As far as the large Jewish Organization, they only listen to large donors and fat cats with influence so who knows if they will ever work truly work on behalf of the Jewish public.

papa j

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Daniel Howard James's avatar

Thanks for posting this. The Pan-Arabist flag used by Arabs in the Palestian territories and elsewhere was designed by British diplomat Mark Skyes, co-author of the Sykes-Picot agreement, not in the 1960's. A faction within the British establishment had supported Arab nationalism as a counterweight to the Ottoman Empire, which Winston Churchill had failed to defeat in his disastrous Dardenelles campaign in World War One (e.g. at Gallipoli). T.E. Lawrence was the best known British insurgent in the Arab Revolt, dramatised in the 1960's movie 'Lawrence of Arabia'. It was Churchill who had ordered the conversion of the British Navy from coal to oil power, making a strategic alliance with the Arabs essential, as Britain had Insufficient onshore oil of its own.

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Zevik's avatar

Well written article. My response to “For example, I’m a non-binary queer person, and I generally don’t feel safe in most places I go.” would have been different. I would have said, “Try Tel Aviv. It’s a famously gay friendly city.”

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Nadav (Ned) Steinman's avatar

I’m a Canadian citizen ashamed and disgusted of the country that housed my family for 5 generations. But no longer! Most of us now live in Israel, a few in the US. There will not be a 6th generation in Canada. It is an unrecognizable place where the freedom to live openly as a Jew will soon disappear. Canada is doomed.

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