Our community is facing threats I never thought possible growing up in Canada.
Many of us wake up each day wondering whether another Jewish-owned business has had its windows smashed.
Whether another synagogue has been shot at.
Whether another school or community centre has evacuated due to a bomb threat.
Whether a friend or family member has been harassed or assaulted.
And the worst fear of all – has there been an attack in our community like those that have taken far too many lives in the UK, US, and Australia.
Every day, the team at CIJA and our exceptionally dedicated volunteers wake up ready to fight for our community.
We are fighting for our community at the highest levels, advocating directly to the Prime Minister, his cabinet, MPs and other government officials.
But we aren’t alone. Your voices are essential.
Tens of thousands of you have spoken out alongside CIJA and Jewish Federations across Canada calling for enhanced government resources to support community security.
Today, our collective advocacy delivered a significant step forward.
The federal government just announced it is more than doubling funding for the Canada Community Security Program (CCSP) to $135M over 5 years.
This essential program supports life-saving security measures, from personnel to technology, that protect our community spaces and people.
To understand how far we’ve come: before October 7, annual funding for this entire program peaked at less than $10M. In the year to come, $45M will be available inclusive of the emergency funding announced in March.
This outcome is a direct reflection of what happens when our community comes together calling for action.
It's a significant step forward, but not the finish line.
We cannot accept a future where we are forced to build higher walls while the hate and violence targeting us continues to grow.
There is more work for us to do, but for now I want to say thank you to everyone who had a meeting, made a phone call, sent an email, or spoke up.
Today, your voices were heard.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Noah Shack
CEO
