The Jewish Federation of Ottawa, as represented by Vice Chair Danya Vered, CEO Adam Silver, Advocacy Specialist David Sachs, VP of Communications Pauline Colwin, and Communications Specialist Ethan Rode, met with five of the Liberal candidates running in the upcoming provincial election last Tuesday to discuss Jewish Ottawa's concerns and how a potential Liberal government might address them.

John Fraser (Ottawa South), Thomas Simpson (Ottawa Centre), Stephen Blais (Orleans), Tyler Watt (Nepean), and Brandon Bay (Carleton) provided insight into these concerns and helped to paint a picture of how they would represent Ottawa, and particularly the Jewish community, if elected.

The first topic pertained to strengthening community security and safety, which has been a major concern among many not just in Ottawa's Jewish community, but in the city at large.

Tyler Watt of Nepean spoke to this by arguing for the implementation of "bubble legislation," which prohibits protests from taking place in a certain area to protect access to services as well as vulnerable populations.

"I don't want to see various levels of government punting this legislation," said Watt. "At the provincial level, it is our responsibility to implement this legislation across Ontario."

Sharing his support, John Fraser of Ottawa South agreed adding, "there are limits to free speech."

Fraser, who has been the sitting MPP for Ottawa South for over a decade, connected being at a synagogue to other experiences such as attending schools and houses of worship as a vulnerable experience. "I regularly attend mass," he said. "I am always conscious of the fact that my back is to the door, which I don't do anywhere else." 

This speaks to the very tangible fear that Jews have been facing as instances of antisemitic hate crimes have skyrocketed in recent years, particularly since October 7.

For justice to be carried out against perpetrators of this violence, however, law enforcement agencies must have a uniform blueprint to help clearly identify antisemitism.

The province of Ontario, as well as the federal government, have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism the official criteria for identifying antisemitic hate crimes, but it has not often been implemented when addressing reports.

"If we're going to be serious and say, 'this is the definition we're working with,' then we have to make sure that people understand what that means," said Thomas Simpson of Ottawa Centre. "Whether it's in K-12 education, post-secondary education, or in other spheres such as healthcare, we must make sure that everyone understands what antisemitism is so that there isn't debate as to what does or doesn't qualify."

"I think people are tired of governments who are only making symbolic statements," said Stephen Blais of Orleans. "Since Ontario has adopted this definition, then it must be used to direct school boards, police agencies, and other organizations as to how to go about addressing and recognizing antisemitism when it arises, including what funding gets allocated or removed."

As Jews were disproportionately represented in hate crime figures including in the most recently released data, safety concerns are paramount for the community, and the need to see action by elected officials is top of mind for Jewish constituents.

The conversation surrounding safety and security naturally lead to a discussion about how the province could better quell the massive rise in antisemitic incidents being seen by Jewish students and faculty in post-secondary institutions, with a question posed regarding including Jews in diversity and equity programs, as well as addressing campus safety.

"If it's not acceptable outside the walls, then it's not acceptable inside the walls," said Fraser. "Quite frankly, when addressing hate broadly at campuses, we have to get to the root of it. A lot of it is what people are being fed through social media."

Brandon Bay of Carleton reflected on his own experience in university when discussing how he would broach the subject if elected.

"I was involved in student government, during which there was a protest scheduled about increasing tuition costs," he said. "During that protest, the organizers invited the students that were participating to another protest about Palestine. This is where radicalization starts."

Bay emphasized the importance of starting these conversations earlier in schools, so that children grow up learning what antisemitism looks like and how to properly call it out by the time they are adults.

"You would see fewer people joining movements like this and less kids being radicalized if we educated them on how antisemitism is disguised and the misinformation pertaining to the Jewish people," he said.

Bay, whose wife is Jewish, has deep concerns about the education system and how to address issues of bias in the classroom. 

As the public education system in Ontario comes under more scrutiny broadly, one of the ways that Simpson argues to help remedy bullying and unrest among peers is through changing the curriculum as it pertains to antisemitism, with a heavier focus tying in the issues Jews are facing today with historical examples of antisemitism.

"We need to bring experiences of learning about others into the curriculum. We must start from a place of unity," said Simpson. "We need to start as young as possible, too. Their parents may have grown up with certain views that are expressed in the home, but at least in school they will be taught that respect and tolerance need to be part of our pluralistic society."

To learn more about the candidates from the Ontario Liberal Party, click here.