If you pass my synagogue today, you will see:

Our banner, which reads: Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.

A flag for the Canadiens and a flag for Victoire, Montreal’s men’s and women’s hockey teams, both in the playoffs this year.

A sign for the blood drive that we are hosting.

And yes, you will see a security guard. But the guard is not the whole story.

Our synagogue has a legacy of building bridges. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here in 1962. We welcomed Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s, and ten years ago, we sponsored two Syrian families, and helped them make homes in Montreal. We have a strong and proud history of interfaith dialogue with Christians and Muslims, and have stood together with other minorities against religious discrimination.

Since October 7, 2023, some of the bridges that we worked for years to build have grown dusty from disuse. Others have been burned to the ground. Some neighbours and friends have made the effort to show up, and for this we cherish them. Too many others have not.

I may once have worn rose-coloured glasses........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)