GAJE exists to try to help make Jewish education affordable or more affordable to young Jewish families. That has been our purpose for more than a decade, since the inception of the group.
As readers of this weekly update know, this space is usually dedicated to developments in GAJE’s lawsuit for educational funding fairness against the Government of Ontario or developments in the world of Jewish education.
Sometimes, when circumstances warrant, we depart from writing about the above two subjects, although in truth, all the subjects discussed in this weekly update are inter-related.
This week, circumstances warrant.
In particular, we refer to the pre-Yom Kippur statement delivered by the leader of the federal NDP, Avi Lewis. In the days since its release, great deal has been written, across various media, about Lewis’ preachy, smug and supercilious statement. We shall not repeat the conclusions articulately expressed by many commentators about the gap between what Lewis said and in his denial of what his language actually meant.
Of course, an extra dark element of relevance and breath-stopping gasp attached to Lewis’ words in light of the foiled attack, Sunday night, against the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville and the arrest earlier by the Durham Regional Police, of a 19-year-old for allegedly making online threats to carry out a mass shooting at a synagogue in the Durham Region. But Lewis’ words may be weighed without regard to the two violence-intending events.
Speaking ostensibly – but not really – to the Jewish people, Lewis said: “This year I’m reflecting on the fact that we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name”.
His target audience for these targeted 23 words were his hard-core political partisans and the world of the haters who believe every malign statement about Jews and Israel. Lewis perpetuated the abject lie about a genocide. And he occasioned more delight in the abstruse, cloudy minds of Jew-haters by confirming for them that it is the Jews who are committing genocide. His audience must believe him because he did not say these words as a political leader – who most people believe or disbelieve – but rather as a Jew, that is, a man qualified, as well as entitled, to offer an authoritative opinion on the deplorable behaviour of fellow Jews.
Lewis’ statement was false, hypocritical, transparently politically expedient, morally disgusting and dangerous.
Many others noticed and said so as well.
The real purpose we mention Lewis’ statement, however, is to introduce the work of The Jewish Majority, an organization in the United Sates, that provides resources, information and training to help advocates from the vast mainstream of the Jewish grassroots educate the public about Jewish priorities.
The Jewish Majority was founded precisely for situations involving behaviours or statements such as the Lewis statement, namely, by a Jew, as a Jew, to an unknowing, broader, general public.
Jonathan Schulman, the organization’s executive director, explained how and why. “Jewish anti-Zionists have learned that organization and repetition can make a fringe position look mainstream. The Jewish community must learn the corresponding lesson: Numbers alone do not guarantee representation.
“We no longer have the luxury of silence or of hoping that someone else will speak for us.
A small number of Jews are elevated precisely because their views are useful to political movements whose larger objectives most Jews oppose. Their Jewish identity becomes a shield against scrutiny and a substitute for evidence of broader Jewish support.
“We help members of the Jewish community to articulate mainstream Jewish positions and represent their communities effectively in the press. Jewish leaders who want to use their grassroots voices in support of the community should contact us to learn more.”
The organization’s website is at: https://jewishmajority.org
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We cannot persuade – nor should we even try – all of the haters to stop hating. Rather, our efforts must be aimed at preventing the haters and the intimidators from taking over our streets and our institutions. We must refuse to be intimidated. We must enable fair-minded people of good will to hear the truth. And we must call on our authorities to enforce the laws against the wilful intimidators and their confederates.
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If you wish to contribute to GAJE’s lawsuit to achieve fairness in educational funding, please click here. Charitable receipts for donations for income tax purposes will be issued by Mizrachi Canada. Your donations will be used for the sole purpose of helping to underwrite the costs of the lawsuit. For further information, please contact Israel Mida at: imida1818@gmail.com Thank you, in advance, for considering doing so.
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Shabbat shalom
Chag Succot Samayach
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education
September 25, 2026
