Holy weeks brings some good news - for once

The holiest time of the year is here.

Ramadan, Eid, Palm Sunday, Easter and Passover. Starting on Wednesday night, Passover celebrates the deliverance of Jews from oppression.

But for Jews, 2026 has not offered deliverance. Around the world, antisemitism remains a raging pandemic. One of the worst places in the world for Jews, right now, is Canada. As progressive writer Jesse Brown noted in The Atlantic this week, Canada has had more attacks on synangogues - shootings, firebombing - than any country in the world.

For Jews, it is a dark and dangerous time. But - in this holy month - it is important to know that there have been some important victories against hate. Here are five.

The JNF victory. (Full disclosure: I assist the Jewish National Fund on government and public relations, and was happy to see JNF achieve a big legal victory.)

JNF has been one of Canada’s oldest and most-respected charities, building parks and planting trees in Israel. In August 2024, however, JNF had its charitable status revoked by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in the middle of ongoing court proceedings. CRA refused to meet with JNF representatives, and has refused to talk. And it has hidden crucial documents from JNF and the public.

This week, the Federal Court of Appeal slammed CRA for that, saying that Minister Jean-Phillippe Champagne “has not complied” with earlier court orders. Justice David W. Stratas ordered Champagne and his officials to turn over key documents to JNF. If they do not, and are “later found to have participated in a cover-up, life-changing consequences—civil and criminal—will follow,” wrote Justice Stratas.

The flag victory. Toronto’s city hall raised the Palestinian flag for the first time in November 2025 - a problem, for many, because Palestine is a territory still governed by a listed terror group, Hamas. In May 2024, meanwhile, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow refused to attend the raising of Israel’s flag - calling it “divisive.” Taken together, those two events strongly suggested to Toronto’s 200,000 Jews that they are not welcome in their own city.

This week, a positive change: a majority of Toronto councillors voted to change their flag-raising policy. Now, the flags of Canada, Ontario and Toronto will (of course) be flown at city hall and city properties - along with the a few that do not belong to other countries. No more Hamas-adjacent flag-waving, however.

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