The Jewish community in the northern Thornhill suburb of Toronto had some high-power support Thursday night in Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was on hand to help toast the newly expanded Ernest Manson Lubavitch Centre at its dedication ceremony. Taking the podium to offer his congratulations to the Jewish community and its leaders, Harper also forcefully condemned anti-Semitism, which he termed a “moral evil” and global threat.
“Among all the peoples of the world, perhaps none have been tried as often, and as greatly, and certainly, none have persevered as resolutely and as successfully as the Jewish people,” stated Harper. “Sadly, this perseverance is once again being tested by … a rising global tide of anti-Semitism.”
Drawing several standing ovations – as well as a round of laughter for a humorous story about a politician delivering a 45-minute speech to an audience of one – Harper’s speech traced the rapid growth of Chabad-Lubavitch activities in the area. He pointed to the renovated headquarters of Chabad at Flamingo as symbolic of the movement’s tireless dedication in celebrating “the faith, the commitment to community and the love of learning that lays at the core of Judaism.”
Speaking after Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, the expanded center’s co-director, Harper credited the “vision and leadership” of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, under whose guidance and teachings, “thousands of Lubavitch centers like this have opened their doors around the world.
“Through education and outreach programs,” continued Harper, “these centers are strengthening the bonds of faith within the Jewish community everywhere. In so doing, they signify the enduring spirit of the Jewish people.”
Calling the expansion the “culmination of a long journey,” the prime minister noted that Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, co-director of Thornhill’s Chabad-Lubavitch Community Center, had in the late 1980s partnered with local developer Ernest Manson to create a Jewish hub in the northern reaches of the town. Harper said that the naming of the building was a fitting tribute to the businessman, who “sadly, did not live to see [the] dream come to fruition.”
“The Ernest Manson Lubavitch Centre will serve as a spiritual, educational and social hub for this community, and, of course, a tribute to this great benefactor,” said the prime minister, who earlier this month, spoke at a gathering of 100 Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries from around Canada.
Comprising 22,000 square feet of usable space, the Chabad at Flamingo expansion represents a 100 percent addition to the synagogue and community center.
“Chabad at Flamingo’s incredible success story is already legendary,” Kaplan wrote in a letter to community members at the beginning of the capital campaign. “In only seven short years, we have become the fastest growing Synagogue Centre in the Greater Toronto Area and an integral part of the community.”
Home and Abroad
The ceremony included the participation of local MP Peter Kent, Canada’s Minister of State of Foreign Affairs.
Kent, who has spoken out against the increase of anti-Semitism on college campuses, was mentioned by Harper as one of his government’s “several outstanding leaders” in the fight against anti-Semitism.
Invoking a theme that has become a frequent refrain in his speeches to the community, Harper spoke forcefully about his defense of the global Jewish community.
“The bottom line is this,” said the prime minister, who was presented with a leather-bound prayer book at the ceremony, “whether at home or abroad … my government will remain a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism, an unyielding defender of religious freedom, and a staunch ally of the state of Israel.
“I wish you all well in your service to the community,” he concluded. “And I wish you well in your efforts to spread the wisdom of the Torah, the wisdom of your faith.”
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