The results marked a significant political shift and were more than a political story. Many newly elected city councillors and school trustees supported all or part of the Vote Palestine or Parents 4 Palestine platforms, as the Canadian Jewish News reported. 

Before looking ahead, we must recognize those who stood with our community. We are grateful to outgoing Mayor Ken Sim and city councillors who took Jewish security concerns seriously and supported police vigilance during a period of rising antisemitism. His administration engaged with our community during difficult moments and showed that protecting vulnerable communities is a civic leadership responsibility.

City councils set budgets and bylaws. But school boards shape children. For eight hours a day, five days a week, our children sit in classrooms led by educators operating under policies set by their trustees. They are not yet old enough to evaluate competing narratives with critical distance. They are forming their identities, their sense of belonging, and their understanding of who they are in the world. That is the terrain that just changed.

Every one of the nine newly elected trustees was endorsed by Parents 4 Palestine. Every one committed to embedding Palestinian narratives into curriculum and adding “anti-Palestinian racism” as a named category in district policy. This creates a framework in which Jewish students raising concerns about antisemitism may find themselves on the wrong side of the policy designed to protect them.

We have not been absent from this fight. Extraordinary grassroots activists have fought every single day and raised the alarm inside the VSB for years. We see you. We are grateful for you. And we are mobilizing around you.

“The world is sustained only by the breath of schoolchildren.” (Talmud, Shabbat 119b). Our obligation could not be clearer.

On November 3rd, Federation is convening “For Our Future”, an Emergency Community Summit for professionals and leaders in the field to respond to this unprecedented and changing landscape in the VSB.

Our Unapologetic Response: Build
Yet amid the uncertainty, one truth remains unchanged: our strength has never depended solely on who occupies public office. It comes from the institutions, relationships, and community we build together.

When community members ask what these results mean for us, the answer is simple: Build.

Build stronger Jewish institutions. Build deeper community connections. Invest in schools, camps, leadership programs, synagogues, and spaces where Jewish life flourishes with confidence and pride.

Building community doesn't begin or end with elections, but voting is one important way we help shape the society in which our community lives and thrives.

Our hearts are with their families, loved ones, fellow service members, and all those mourning this devastating loss. We stand in solidarity with the members of the Canadian Armed Forces whose service and sacrifice help keep Canadians safe each and every day.

The Canadian Armed Forces will investigate this tragedy thoroughly. Causes will be identified, lessons learned, and changes made where necessary. We owe that to those who lost their lives.

To quote a WWII veteran mentor: “Soldiers are either fighting a war or training for war. If they are doing anything else, they are defrauding the public.” Training will continue. Training will remain dangerous. As we approach 11 November, let us keep in mind the hard work of our soldiers protecting Canada from enemy threats, as they have done these many years and into the future. Remembrance Day is for all members of the Canadian Armed Forces, those who are with us and those who went before, in peace as in war.

May the memories of Aidan Goulding, Hayden Lykkemark, Morgan Wong, and Shaun Farrell be for a blessing.