Antisemitism Against Jewish Summer Camps

In one of my previous Shammes articles, I lauded Jewish Camps, in particular, our Reform Camp George. It is a safe space, where our Jewish children openly and proudly identify as Jews. They can, without fear, wear garments of prayer, Jewish symbols and jewelry, talk about their Jewish experiences and holidays. Especially for Solel campers, this camping opportunity is invaluable since, for our kids, the opportunity to express their Jewish identity in their schools, neighborhoods, communities is, to say the least, limited, and sometimes dangerous.

And now, even Jewish camps are being challenged and threatened by Canadian anti-Israel groups who are attempting to remove the accreditation of our Jewish camps. So along with BDS, slur campaigns, a proliferation of misinformation, intense and hateful anti-Israel, and anti-Jewish marches, defacement and attacks on synagogues, our camps are the next target.

It feels overwhelming, unbelievable, frightening, but it is happening. Thank God, the Ontario Camping Association had the wisdom, the sense, to not be influenced by the hateful group wishing to take away, delegitimize this wonderful Jewish summer camp experience.

And that brings me to Purim, where the Haman tried and failed to delegitimize (actually kill) all the Jews and hence Judaism. Whether or not the story of Ester and King Ahasuerus and the wicked Haman is factual, it is true. It is the quintessential story of our Jewish experience. We are outnumbered, the powers in control see us as “different” and decide that the best way to deal with us is to kill us. And like the drunken king being advised by Haman, no one steps up to say NO. That is no one, until Esther, taking her life in her hands, pleas for us, her people. And we must remember, that those who claim all the hatred against Jews is fueled because of Israel (which has, like many countries, a lot to answer for) there was no Israel in the Purim story… nor during the Jewish expulsion from Spain, England, Portugal… nor during the Holocaust… Let’s call it what it is… antisemitism!

Purim, for all that, is a joyous, irreverent, fun filled holiday – because we survived, because Esther stood up and identified with us, her people. And that is our challenge and our opportunity. We have to stand up proudly as Jews. We can be critical of some Israeli policies, but we cannot deny our right, as all people, to have a homeland. So, when we shake our gregors (noisemakers) on Purim, when we drown out the hateful name of Haman, let us work to drowning out the hateful voices that still want us gone. Let’s celebrate who we are, eat our hamentashen, give gifts to our friends, and to those in need (mishloach manot) and rejoice! Chag Purim Sameach!

Filed under: Educator's Message

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