Full Transcript for Belleville Synagogue Shooting: "YOU ARE GOING TO DIE FOR THE JEWS" | Sons of Jacob | Ep 39

00:05:41.120 If the current situation is allowed to continue, if the rhetoric of hate is not stopped at the source, violence is likely to follow. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:43.360 History has shown this countless times. 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:49.360 Homicidal maniacs will wake up one morning and say to themselves, someone has got to do something. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.000 Fuck it, I'll get it done myself. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:56.639 The more the hatred is stoked, the more people are going to act on it. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:02.959 This is true in Gaza, it is true in Iran, as it is true in Paris, as it is true in Pittsburgh. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.519 Parisian Jews have been murdered for being Jewish. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:12.720 Pittsburgh Synagogue, Tree of Life, was attacked, where 11 Jews were murdered by gun-toting terrorists. 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:14.959 There have been more than 45,000. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.720 I go on, it's a prediction that was meant to happen. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:20.000 It was going to happen. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:21.040 We've been warning about it. 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:31.360 The Belleville attack is not only a stark reminder of the state of Jews in Canada, but as Erwin Cuddler has described, it is the canaria in the coal mine of Canadian society. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:33.439 This is not an attack on Jews. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.000 It is an attack on Canada, and all that is good. 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:47.920 And I am here today to make a plea to our civilization, come together and rally behind the Belleville Jewish community, to rally behind all Jewish Canadians, to rally behind the moral fabric of Canada, rally behind decency. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:54.079 It is time that our leaders and the media stop stoking the tropes of anti-Semitism that bring us here today. 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:59.199 It is time that they stop the insanity of the double standards being applied to Jews in Canada. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:02.240 It is time to be accountable and take responsibility. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:07.519 It seems that we are at minutes to midnight for the Jews in Canada, but I believe we can change that. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.639 And I believe that there is a positive message. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:19.759 Just like the people of Ninvah heeded to Jonah's warnings to repent, a scripture we read in the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur. 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:25.199 So too, hopefully, will Canada see the Belleville attack as a warning and heed to it. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:28.720 Today I have with me Shia DeLuca is in the house. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:34.560 He is a TV personality, a friend, a former lone soldier, and he has come under attack as a Jew himself. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:43.199 He, like myself and my son, are on a list hunting Jews in Canada who support or have served in the IDF. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:51.360 And despite our pleas and warning that this website is an incitement to violence against Jews, it is allowed to continue to exist online. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:53.120 Terrible. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.519 With me today is Norm Wedham. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:04.399 He is the president of the Sons of Jacob Congregation in Belleville, Doug Lobell, Eva Lobell, Jeff Levinson, all members of the Sons of Jacob Congregation. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:09.519 I am Israel Ellis, and this is The Unfiltered View. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:11.839 Thank you for watching and waking up. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:14.800 Subscribe, like, share, join the conversation. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:16.000 You don't have to agree with me. 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.720 And grab my book on Amazon, The Wake Up Call. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:21.839 Shy, Norm, Doug, Eva, Jeff. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:24.319 Welcome and thank you for joining us today. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.160 Let's get right to it. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.480 Why don't we start with you, Norm? 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:32.480 You were there on Yom Kippur on the eve of Yom Kippur. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:34.480 Uh, why don't you walk us through it? 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.159 Tell us, take us inside. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:37.919 Tell us, tell us what happened there. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:38.639 Okay. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.840 Uh I arrived about uh 6 45 p.m. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.000 Uh and uh I had parked the car and I was walking down. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.200 I saw the uh police officer in the unmarked vehicle. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:53.120 So I went over and introduced myself and said hello and thanked him for coming. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:55.840 And then I proceeded into the building. 00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:00.000 Um and then uh fast forward to about a few minutes after seven. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:04.879 So we're trying to uh at this point I'm trying to usher everyone into the sanctuary. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:09.279 Uh because uh we're already a bit late and we want to start uh the services. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:14.080 So uh at that point again, I'm trying to uh trying to usher everyone in. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:18.559 And that's when when we heard the first volley of shots, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.720 Uh and we all kind of looked at one another. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:28.879 I mean, it sounded like shots, but I'm thinking to myself, it can't be possibly be shots because I have a cop stationed outside. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:30.480 It must be something else. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.200 And again, we're kind of in the uh what was that? 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:38.399 We're all kind of looking at one another, and then there was a second volley of shots fired, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.960 And then I thought, okay, I have to go see what's going on. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:43.759 So I I headed into the into the lobby. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:46.399 I was actually going to head outside the building. 00:09:46.639 -->

00:09:53.519 Once I got into the lobby, there was a couple of us there, and uh we heard the third volley of shots, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:57.279 And at that point the sound was very distinct, loud, clear. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.519 I thought, okay, that shot's being fired. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:02.399 So we kind of ran back into the sanctuary. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:14.240 For some strange reason, instinctively, I grabbed the doors behind me that lead into the auditorium to close them, because uh all all all I was thinking was I do not want to become a visual target here. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:19.279 So at least if I close the doors, then he whoever it is can't see into the building. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:23.759 And at that point, once inside the building, then I yelled for everyone to get on the floor. 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:25.200 We have an active shooter. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.399 And everyone uh immediately hit the ground. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.240 Uh and at that point I kind of lose track of time at that point. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:35.679 I I believe there were several more volleys of shots being fired. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:42.559 Also, in those particular volleys of shots is when the uh when our stained glass windows were shot out. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:47.679 Uh we counted about 24 uh holes in the windows. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:53.759 And I've since learned that the shooter he was using a sawed-off shotgun using buckshot. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:58.639 And I've learned that buckshot contains nine pellets inside each shell. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:06.960 So he had to hit the windows at least three times then, or fired at least three times in order to uh to uh put that many holes in into them. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:13.200 Uh and this continued on for of course it seemed like hours it continued on, but it really wasn't. 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:14.399 It was only minutes. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:20.559 Uh and then uh again there was you know several more volleys of shots being fired, and then it stopped. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.399 It went dead silent, and we're you know, we're all thinking, Oh, is it over? 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:25.519 Like what's going on? 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:45.519 So at this point again, we waited a few more minutes, and myself and I think there were a few others that uh got up with me, and we went uh through the doors back into the into the lobby, and we approached the front doors of the building, which are glass doors, and then I could see that the the street was just lined with police vehicles at that point. 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:47.360 So I thought, okay, this is good. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:12:00.639 And I looked down at the the one end of the street where the cop had been stationed, and I could see that he was sitting down on the ground, leaning up against a tree, and and there were uh two other cops that were uh attending to him. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:14.159 And then at

that point, they're uh, you know, they see us kind of poking our heads through, looking out, and they're waving us to get back inside because at that point they did not know if there was a second shooter or multiple shooters or what. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.960 So again, we got ushered back inside. 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:25.679 And I do remember again, I don't remember the the time frame, but I remember sneaking out again into the lobby at one point and uh looking around to see what was going on. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:30.639 The uh injured police officer had been taken away by ambulance at that point. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:41.039 A second ambulance had arrived, and they were loading the uh the stretcher with uh with uh it appeared to be the shooter at that time, was being taken in the second ambulance. 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:49.279 And again, you know, went back inside and there was uh uh I don't know how much time uh passed at that point. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:59.919 Uh we had uh we had the SWAT team come in and they wanted to search our building to make sure no one was hiding anywhere that had gotten in that wasn't supposed to be there, so they did that. 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:06.080 Uh and then and then we had uh police they left and we had a police officer come and stay with us for that point. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.240 And at this point, too, um, we're kind of in the lockdown mode. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:14.559 We're you know, uh in standby, we can't do anything, we can't get go out. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:21.279 And at that point, our rabbi, Rabbi O Dad Peels from uh and we had brought him in from Israel to lead services. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:26.480 So he kind of gathered everyone and we we we uh we couldn't go back into the sanctuary. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:41.919 Uh we went in, we were in the auditorium, and we kind of put the tables and chairs together, and he kind of wanted everyone to sit down and he started doing uh the hymns and songs, and uh we started doing the uh uh the cold nidray uh prayers as well. 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:43.919 So and I think that really helped a lot. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:54.720 Kind of calm people and um and then it was uh yeah, and it was uh I don't know again, don't know how long eventually the police came and they had uh brought in a city bus. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:04.000 There was 25 of us, so they brought in a city bus to transport us all to the uh to the police station so we could give interviews uh to the detectives. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:07.039 And your and your rabbi, your rabbi was from Israel. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:10.320 He came from Israel to be part of this. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:12.559 Yes, this is the second time we've had him. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.919 He's excellent, he's fantastic, well liked by the congregation. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.840 He just fits fits in so well with the congregation. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.320 That's just that's just an unbelievable story. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:32.960 Yeah, and something that could have that could have just it could have ended in such tragedy and and and there must be tremendous, tremendous trauma. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.200 Doug, were you you were there that night? 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.799 Were you were you as well there? 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:37.600 Yes, I was. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:38.960 How are you guys doing? 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:41.519 Uh well, you know, it's it's day by day. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:52.639 I think you know the first week last week was very, very tough, and it felt like this week's starting to get back to normal until yesterday when all the trauma kind of resurfaced again. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:57.840 Uh if you've heard about all the anti-Semitic flyers that were posted in the East End of Belleville. 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:04.399 Yeah, so I mean these seem to be sort of Nazi anti-right type uh sorry, right uh alt-right type of posters. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:11.600 Basically, you know, Jewish conspiracies about Jews and COVID and and and Jews about uh the abortions that were responsible for abortions and all that. 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:21.279 So definitely a lot of right wing type of uh stuff, but again, right or left, it's it's it's right-wing stuff, but it's all been initiated by those on the left as well, right? 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.639 So uh there's a lot to say about that. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:40.720 I mean, I mean you expect you're you know, in Shy, we're expecting it to come from the left because that's what's happened since October 7th, 2023, where we've had this, you know, bizarre progressive relationship with the left, the jihadists. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.559 This is where we're expecting it to come from. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:44.720 And yet this came completely from the right. 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:59.440 And this just shows you that we're stuck in the middle, that we're not safe in the right, we're not safe in the left, that any type of any type of license to anti-Semitism is going to lead to some type of action by some extremists on either side. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.200 You know, it's interesting. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:24.159 I was watching a panel yesterday, uh, a university panel with professors who were speaking and talking about how she one specifically was talking about how she remembers growing up, uh learning in university, learning in school about anti-Semitism looking a very specific way, looking behind the uh the symbol of a swastika. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.080 It had a very specific look to it. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.759 It was Nazism, it had a specific ideology to it. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:39.519 And university students today, in our in our generation, in this generation, went into university thinking that's what this anti-Semitism is, that's what anti-Semitism is. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:44.480 This is what it looks like, only to be bombarded with a new kind of anti-Semitism.

00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:45.759 So you're very right. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:51.840 Now the Jewish community is dealing with from here and from here, and we're stuck in the middle. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:59.519 And it's this kind of juggling act trying to figure out how the two, you know, there's that force tooth theory, right? 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:09.759 Where the two uh meet, the two extremes meet at at that point in the middle, where the extreme right and the extreme left meet at that point in the middle was his anti-Semitism. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.559 And now the question is, how do we deal with it? 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:15.119 Eva, you were there that night. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.240 How are you feeling? 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:16.960 How are you doing? 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:21.359 It's kind of like Doug was saying, it goes hour by hour, I think. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:24.799 Uh I thought yesterday, I was very proud of myself. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.839 I had a great, not yesterday, the day before, I had a great day. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.799 And I'm like, you know what? 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:29.599 I'm strong. 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:31.039 I think I'm bouncing back. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:32.880 I'm back at work as of Monday. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:34.559 I'm refocusing. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:39.359 And then in the morning, um I got this text. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:44.400 This lady who sent me this flyer, uh, she's our dog breeder. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:46.880 She doesn't tell people she's Jewish. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:54.079 She grew up in New York, she's a bit older, so she's from the generation is, you know, don't tell too many people, right? 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:56.880 And so I don't think many people knew it. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.759 And at that point, she didn't know yet that it was everywhere. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:01.440 She thought it was targeted. 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:04.160 That just got me like the whole day. 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.559 My hands were physically shaking, and I just couldn't stop shaking again. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.880 And uh Eva, what what were you thinking? 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:11.440 What were you thinking? 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:15.119 You're on the floor in the synagogue, you're hearing the shots being fired. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.559 What is going through your mind at that moment? 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:27.200 Oh, my my perspective was that um there was something on the roof or something kicking at first, just once. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.920 And then the next thing we knew there were shots, and somebody screamed uh shots. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.119 And as soon as they said that, I knew exactly what was going on. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.720 Like I wasn't surprised. 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:40.160 I was actually pretty calm. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:52.160 Everybody was running everywhere, and then I was trying to figure out where I should go, what would be the

best thing, and then somebody was gonna go to the basement, and I was about to go, and then Doug is like, don't go because there's no way out. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.559 We should try maybe the kitchen. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:10.000 So Doug was lying down between the kitchen and like that area, and I didn't lie down, I stayed standing because I I knew he was gonna come through the doors, and I knew I'm gonna have to move fast. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:16.240 And I felt like if I lie down, I'm not gonna have, you know, like it'll take too long to get up. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:21.359 And because I wasn't near the front, I didn't feel like he would shoot at me. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:23.039 So most people were lying down. 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:32.240 I was standing, and then I went in the kitchen and grabbed the knife, which after the fact I realized it was just um, it was a knife, but it was like a bread knife. 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:37.920 So I wouldn't have gone very far, but at least I did something to make myself feel better. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:40.640 You were ready to defend. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.519 Sorry, she was ready to she was that's it. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:45.680 But I think listen, sit it. 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:58.319 Yeah, like for me, like I think the biggest thing is that I was so calm, and everybody else was like crying and all that stuff, and I kept thinking, like, I know exactly what's happening. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:08.319 Like, I didn't have a doubt on what was happening, and I see now looking back and talking to a lot of people, like non-Jewish people who have reached out, is that they're shocked. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:11.119 And I think the Jewish community is not shocked. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:14.000 We've been warning about this, we've been begging people. 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:26.480 And we think I know for myself, I've been sharing things on Facebook, and I've been very careful not to overshare to get people tired, but I'm sure most of my non-Jewish friends were like, okay, like get over it. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:31.680 And I don't blame them because the mainstream media wasn't letting them know what was going on. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:34.480 We knew it, but they didn't know it. 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:36.480 So for them, this happened out of the blue. 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:39.200 For us, it didn't happen out of the blue. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:43.839 And I do want to say, because Norm said that the rabbi asked us all to sit. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:48.799 And what I thought was actually even nicer is that he didn't ask us to sit. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.880 He sat down himself and started very gently singing. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:21:00.640 And as everybody was crying and making all these noise, everybody he just slowly attracted all of us to sit down and calm as that. 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:03.759 It's incredible that you were actually expecting this. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.960 That that all of us at the back of our minds are expecting it. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:11.680 Jeff, you've been a member in the Belleville Jewish community for quite some time. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:12.880 This is real. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:14.400 This is real. 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:16.000 What what are you what are you thinking? 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:17.359 It's unbelievable. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:24.480 I um had an uncle and an aunt that were very involved in the synagogue for many years, and both were Holocaust survivors, unfortunately, not with us. 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:27.839 So the Sons of Jacob has a really close place in my heart. 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:29.519 Of course, I'm really hurting. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:35.200 I wasn't there in Col Nidre, but my friends in Concords were there, and I'm it pains me for them. 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:40.799 Then I had an incident not too long ago that I totally out of context. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:47.680 I went to go into a store with my wife, and I came, I was parked on a little plaza, not in Belville, but in a town close by. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:59.200 I came out of the store and he s he was driving away and he started yelling expletives at my wife and I, F Israel and F U two U did. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.039 And I had a little Israeli flag on the back of my car. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:05.599 And I go back to the car, and this was all kind of surreal. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:08.160 Of course, not to the same magnitude as the shooting. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:14.079 But um he had like wiped some sort of gum all over my Israeli flag and spat on my windows. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:19.839 And you know, you get a little dust film in the back of your car, and he wrote F Israel on the back of my car. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:24.000 And it was the first real incident that I'd had, and I've been here for about a decade. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:27.359 But, you know, I tried to get in touch with the police and I taught them. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.839 Unfortunately, I couldn't get a license plate number. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.240 But they kind of downplayed it a little bit. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:43.759 And my fear is that if incidents like this happen and he's empowered to do it, I'm not implying that he was the shooter, but you know, it was it was a license. 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.559 It's it's a license, it demoralizes you, it demoralizes the people. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:55.279 And the Jewish community of Belleville is a close community, but is also integrated into the community. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:57.279 Shy, we've seen this all the time. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:02.799 We're seeing this anti-Zionist rhetoric leading to anti-Semitic actions. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:07.039 It is, listen, it's a pandemic that is happening globally. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:12.880 It's not only happening here in Canada, though I have to say Canada is absolutely one of the worst-hit countries. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:14.480

Um, I travel the world. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:19.839 I'm all over the world speaking at universities, at colleges, at organizations across the world. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:30.319 And I've been to some bad, some places where it's really bad, including East London, including in Paris, including in Belgium, including, and I've been to some of those places, and it's bad. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:33.599 And I can tell you, Canada is right there. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:37.279 The door is open and we are standing right there. 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:54.640 And I cannot, for the life of me, for the life of me, figure out with all of the knowledge that we have, with all of the experience that we've been seeing in the past three years, with all of the examples that we've had, you know, he was on our uh on our own flesh. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:56.000 We've seen it. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:59.920 Why this country is not doing more. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.160 It baffles me to be on. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:14.720 I think it personally, so my sister lives in France, and anti-Semitism is not that much worse than it was before October uh 7th in France. 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:27.920 I think the difference is that for us, it's a huge difference because Canadian, like in France, they have laws like they can't wear keepas or or head coverings in public schools, right? 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:32.160 Like they they were kind of like coming up with all kinds of laws, legislation. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:36.960 In Canada, the culture is very welcoming. 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:44.880 It has always been come to this country, bring your culture, bring your food, bring your music, and let's share everything, leave your troubles behind. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:47.119 And that's exactly how it used to be. 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:58.960 And suddenly things started changing, but the Canadian culture has always been so welcoming that the little push they were doing, they're like, okay, just a little, just a little. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:03.759 And next thing you know, it's completely different country. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:10.240 And when October 7th happened, the first thing that happened is when they started saying from the river to the sea. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:18.079 And even like everybody said that it's racism and that shouldn't be used, and blah, blah, blah, and they stopped using it. 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:20.960 And then suddenly it came back gently, gently. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:24.319 And now we're at the point, they don't even say Zionist, they say Jews. 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:35.680 My take on all this, and what I've been doing since the whole shooting is I'm trying to focus on my healing, and the little energy I have, I'm trying to focus on the silent majority. 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:38.319 There is a silent majority that's been quiet. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:47.119 They don't dare to speak up because one, it's not part of the culture, but two, if they say something, they'll be accused of being racist, right? 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.839 Like that's the way they silence all of us. 00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:51.839 Not all of us, but them, you know. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.599 Sorry, that's a that's a big that's a big problem that we've come across. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:59.759 It's it's you can't call it what it is because you're gonna get canceled for it. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:00.480 Exactly. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:04.559 So I'm a refugee and I'm a minority. 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:14.559 So I've been trying to focus on my non-Jewish friends and trying to explain to them that um just compare this whole thing to Russia. 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:19.200 Have you heard anybody say or attack Canadian Russians? 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:24.640 Not only Canadian Russians, but we call it the double or the Orthodox Christians. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:35.759 I said, this isn't about the Middle East, this is about the Jews, because a lot of us have I've been to Israel, but a lot like many Jews have never been to Israel. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:42.400 They don't are they don't ask us if we're Zionists or not, even though we know that the majority of us are, but nobody asked us that. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.720 And they're not going to the Israeli embassy or the Israeli cultural center. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:48.079 They're attacking Jews. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:52.799 So this is the one thing I try to like talk to them about. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:59.039 And the other thing I tell them is that I'm an immigrant and I'm pro-immigration. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:06.319 However, I'm against the immigration, the canid, the current immigration. 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:08.000 It's irresponsible. 00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:09.279 It's irresponsible immigration. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:13.839 We're not like we don't have we're getting in too many people without the resources. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:17.279 Let's let's let's let's not get too far off what happened. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:21.680 Norm, I understand that on Rosh Hoshana, there wasn't any security. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:22.319 Is that correct? 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:24.000 That you didn't have any security? 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:24.960 That is correct. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:31.519 So there wasn't any security on Rosh Hashanah, but on Yom Kippur, you decided to have security. 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:49.039 Can I ask you something, given the heightened level of the, you know, the fact that the province, the provincial government, the cities, the federal government have admitted that there was a heightened concern over an attack that would take place over the high holidays. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:52.079 And my understanding was that they were supposed to be behind us. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:57.519 Did the police offer you the protection or did you have to pay for it? 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:00.559 No, the police offered us the uh protection. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:04.640

And uh they were they were notified before Rosh Hashanah about it. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:14.160 I gave them the times and hours of the services, but um unfortunately that information didn't get to the right people, uh, and so we didn't have any coverage. 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.440 We had a security guard on for uh Rosh Hashanah. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:24.720 But uh, and then between Rosh Hashanah and uh Yom Kippur is when we called the police again and said, hey, this is what happened. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:29.119 Uh, you know, uh you know, you didn't provide us with any security. 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:33.200 And so uh I actually got a contact person this time, which was great. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:33.759 Wow. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:37.519 So uh so now, and of course they provided the uh the police. 00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:43.519 But it was interesting too because uh, you know, after the shooting, I had numerous reporters asking, Well, how did you know to have security? 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.160 What made you put a cop on duty that night? 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:47.680 I said it was just routine. 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:54.400 I said every single Jewish institution in North America on cold in Drake would have security. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.160 It was automatic, routine. 00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:59.599 And it's been going, and we've been doing this for like 50 years. 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:02.480 It's always, we always have security. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:04.880 It's just a way of life for the Jews. 00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:06.160 It's unbelievable. 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:08.240 But this is a way of life for the Jews, isn't it? 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:10.000 Yeah, Shy, what do you think? 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:15.920 I mean, to have police outside of our temples, of our places of worship. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:17.759 What's the world coming to, Shy? 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:19.599 What's this coming to for Canada? 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:20.559 You know what? 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:30.400 It's a really sad thing to see when uh Norm, when you said that uh some of the uh journalists were asking you, how did you know, or whoever was asking, how did you know to put uh security there that night. 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:54.000 If you come to Toronto, all it takes is coming to Toronto for one Friday night at any synagogue in Toronto, and you will see not only police, you will see police cruisers, you will see police command posts, you will see it almost looks like war is about to break out at any area where there's a city, where there's heavy, heavy, heavy security. 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:56.480 And this is something that's really become the norm. 00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:00.960 I mean, I don't remember a time, certainly since I've lived in Canada, that this has happened. 00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:03.359 And I see it across Europe as well. 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:05.359 I see it across the US as well. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:06.880 Uh the US is a little

bit different. 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:10.720 It's obviously because people have uh uh their their gun laws are quite different. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:21.200 But here in Canada, I mean, for somebody to ask, how did you know and not understand that this is something that Jews is the norm is the norm. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:23.839 The norm, it just baffles me. 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:34.079 Doug, Doug, do you think about what would have happened if we didn't have a police car sitting outside that that and and and I gotta tell you, and this is thoughts too, people are actually surprised. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:36.480 Belleville, Belleville, Ontario, what do they need? 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:37.920 A police car standing outside. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:40.960 It's a small town considered peaceful and loving. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:46.880 And Doug, has it run through your mind what would have happened if that police car was not there? 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:50.559 Uh so the answer to your question, Ollie, is uh no. 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:56.400 I know there is a what if, but there's a part of my brain that doesn't go beyond that, right? 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:07.440 There's a part of my day that doesn't process, that doesn't visualize what could have happened if there was no security guard there, if that security guard went down immediately and didn't fight off the shooter for about three minutes, right? 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:17.279 So uh, you know, there's just maybe that part of my brain is trying to protect me from those wars, but I cannot really move past visually talking about it. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:19.680 I know there's about it, but I can't entertain it. 00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:21.039 It's traumatic. 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:25.920 It's it's actually, you know, it's a it's a it's a bullet dodged, literally. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:33.039 And the reports coming out yesterday from the Air Dubai incident that happened. 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:40.000 I mean, uh an entire plane of people, a co-pilot trying to take down the plane as a terrorist. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:48.799 And just when I think about like what could have happened and what the outcome was, I think about the the miracles that happen every day. 00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:55.200 And, you know, we complain, we like to complain, but the fact is that we have to stop and say, wow. 00:31:55.359 --> 00:32:00.079 And and I think that, you know, it was a miracle that happened for you guys in Belleville. 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:02.240 It was an absolute miracle. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.400 I feel that especially it's not like it happened in Toronto. 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:35.519 It didn't happen in a major city, it happened in small town Belleville, a synagogue that's been around for over a hundred years, 120 years, and um, and that you guys as a community, and I know you, I know you because I've come and spoken there, and I've met all of you, and you've come to my book launch in Toronto, um, that you have worked so hard to um keep that community together, to keep it alive. 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:39.119 And the fact that this came, this news came out of Belleville. 00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:50.880 It was just shocking because you wouldn't have expected it to have happened there, and I'm so grateful that that nothing more happened because it could have been, it could, when I think about what could have been, I shudder. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:56.160 I was just gonna say I gave you a rundown of what was going on with us inside the building. 00:32:56.319 --> 00:32:59.119 I didn't tell you what was going on outside the building. 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:10.559 So the gunman outside the building drove eastward on the street in front of the building, and he stopped his vehicle directly in front of the cop. 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.960 He got out of his vehicle with his sawed-off shotgun. 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:17.200 He didn't even put the car in park. 00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:22.079 The car continued rolling down the street to the uh to the intersection. 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:31.759 Uh, he immediately fired into the windshield, and I was gonna say probably less than 50 feet, fired into the windshield of the unmarked police vehicle. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:34.960 He hit the officer that was in there, Officer Smith. 00:33:35.119 --> 00:33:43.440 Officer Smith obviously managed at that point to put out a call for help, and he got he got out of his vehicle. 00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:47.680 He was standing behind the door, and he engaged the shooter at that time. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:56.319 And the shooter was uh, and we know this because there was a couple that was out for a walk at the corner and they were filming the entire incident on their phone. 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:58.640 So the entire thing was filmed. 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:08.719 And at that point, he was firing numerous shots from his shotgun at the police officer, and at the same time, he yelled twice, you're going to die for the Jews. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:11.360 You're going to die for the Jews. 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:14.480 And engaging the officer at that time. 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:18.639 And when I watched the video, the I mean, this guy was in the military. 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:24.079 He was well trained, he knew how to stand up, shoot, dodge right down, move around. 00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:28.159 It was very difficult for officer Smith to engage him. 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:30.719 He obviously kept him occupied. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:39.360 It was over two minutes before the second officer arrived, and then the two of them together were able to engage the uh the shooter and take him down. 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:40.159 Unbelievable. 00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:43.440 He was expelled by the men by the military, by the way. 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:46.320 Yes, I do want to say five years. 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:54.239 I don't know if I told you guys, but I had a I have a friend who's a doctor

in Quinti West, where this guy is from. 00:34:54.639 --> 00:35:05.199 But six months before he was discharged, she got an anti-Semitic COVID conspiracy death threat about six months before. 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:12.559 And so she reported it to the police, but she's thinking it might be related because he was blaming the Jews for the COVID. 00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:15.599 Yeah, this this is this is uh unbelievable. 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:19.519 Does anyone uh know uh the uh constable Smith? 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:23.840 Did anyone know Constable Smith or McCoy from your community? 00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:25.440 We didn't know it personally. 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:33.599 Okay, and and and I understand I understand that the community has rallied behind the Smith family. 00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:35.599 That is correct. 00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:41.519 He does have a GoFundMe page set up, and I believe it's very close to one million dollars now. 00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:43.599 Wow, that's amazing. 00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:44.719 He was a hero. 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:52.880 He he stood his ground and and he he yeah, he protected, he protected the community, and I think that's that's incredible. 00:35:53.039 --> 00:36:13.519 So is you know, as as much as as as there's a lot of terrible things going on in the world, and we can talk about the allowance that has brought us here into the license of anti-Semitism and hate, there's also people out there that really support the Jewish community and support Canadians, because this isn't, Jeff, this isn't just about the Jewish community, is it? 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:15.440 It's it's it's more broader. 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:17.840 It's it's about the Canadian community. 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:19.920 Yeah, unfortunately it is. 00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:36.239 You know, we've had some um we also have a GoFundMe page for the synagogue that's done quite well, but we've taken some pretty some pretty negative hits too on social media saying that it was all contrived and it was an opportunity for us to make money. 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:40.239 And I mean, talking about putting another knife in your heart, right? 00:36:40.639 --> 00:36:41.679 We're seeing this all the time. 00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:54.559 Shy, we're seeing we're seeing the constant, you've you've had an incident where a restaurant, where you sued a restaurant for anti-Semitic uh behavior, and and I've I'm involved in some other human rights issues. 00:36:54.880 --> 00:37:30.480 Listen, we don't even need to go back that far, of course, you know, the famous food vendors case, but uh as as somebody who has been following the fly Dubai uh situation since the moment it happened until all day yesterday, already, literally minutes after it happened, already social media was just booming with conspiracy theories about how mysteriously the door for the cockpit they were able to get in, how mysterious why was there an Israeli with a boombox at the end while they were celebrating because there were videos of them clapping and celebrating after they had done neutralized uh the uh the co-pilot. 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:44.880 I mean, the the the conspiracy theories that are just waiting, they're waiting and ready and printed to go out for the moment something happens, for them to be able to be put out into the world and propagate this vile anti-Jewish rhetoric. 00:37:45.039 --> 00:37:47.679 It just baffles, baffles the mind. 00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:58.079 What baffles my mind is that reasonable people, intelligent people, um, somewhat intelligent anyways, maybe on paper, are willing to believe this. 00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:18.800 And um, not too long ago, I was uh at a conference on anti-Semitism a couple of a few weeks back, and um, I heard Erwin Cutler give the uh closing remarks, and he said something that just sent chills down my spine, and it was absolutely the best articulation of the root of anti-Semitism, and that is that it is within the DNA. 00:38:18.880 --> 00:38:22.880 It is what he did not say the DNA, but I often talk about the DNA. 00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:26.800 He says the foundation of the belief that Jews are the root of all evil. 00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:44.800 It is this, it is this blood libel, it is this, it is this trope that the Jews are responsible, the chosen people have been responsible, and people actually believe this, and it allows them to believe the bullshit and the lies that come out of it. 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:54.800 Let me tell you something, all the haters out there who are listening to this video and who are about to put your comments in, because I see your comments on my videos. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:56.480 Shame on you. 00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:58.239 Let me tell you something. 00:38:58.400 --> 00:39:01.599 This isn't about the Jews being destroyed. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:03.840 This is about all of us being destroyed. 00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:06.559 This is about the Canadian society being destroyed. 00:39:07.199 --> 00:39:12.320 Historically, there is no civilization that has survived the expulsion of Jews. 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:20.880 It starts with the Jewish people, the canary in the coal mine, as Erwin Kutwa likes to call it, but it doesn't end there. 00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:27.440 It ends with all of you, with every one of you, and it is in everyone's interest that this does not take place. 00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:33.599 Um, Jeff, do you think that it's a small minority of people, or do you think that there is a majority of people? 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:35.519 What's your feelings living in Belleville? 00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:39.440 I used to think it was a small minority, and now I'm second guessing myself. 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:49.280 I have a cousin of mine who grew up here and she'd be probably in her early 50s, and she said that it was a constant thing when she was young. 00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:55.920 Um, somebody I'm a little bit estranged from, so I can't really

confirm that, but I don't think there's anything particularly new about it. 00:39:56.079 --> 00:40:00.480 Maybe it was a little more subtle back then, but that again I even question, you know. 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:04.639 So Norm, how's the outpouring for the community been? 00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:08.159 How has the Belleville community in general been? 00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:17.280 Have you received have you received messages from any of the other local churches or even the mosques and the other what what what what have you received? 00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:30.719 What what kind of numerous flowers support, uh hundreds of emails from uh church organizations offering their uh their facilities for services that came right after the shooting. 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:39.519 Uh yes, we did have a visitor from the mosque show up with a plant in that and express solidarity with us, uh, which was very nice. 00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:43.119 Uh I think on on the whole the community's been very good. 00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:49.360 But now getting back to these posters, I mean there were four posters altogether that were circulated. 00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:53.760 And now uh what goes through my mind at this point is was this local? 00:40:54.239 --> 00:41:00.639 Was it outside the community, maybe from some other city, that these people came in and joined up with the locals? 00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:01.280 I don't know. 00:41:01.440 --> 00:41:07.840 Like this wasn't a single person that that uh uh you know put out all those flyers, and that's that's what my concern is. 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:12.400 That this was either a group or an organization that uh came and targeted us. 00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:31.599 I know that when I came to speak to your community, I know that one of the things that came up in our um in our circle was that there are these rallies that are happening um on Sundays um in Belleville, Ontario. 00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:34.400 And um I've experienced this in Collingwood. 00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:37.840 I've of course we've experienced it plenty in Toronto. 00:41:38.320 --> 00:41:42.960 These um groups that come there, I don't think they're native to Belleville. 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:46.800 I think they're shipped in and and and and I think they're paid for. 00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:52.000 They're actually people who are paid to come and to spread this hate. 00:41:52.159 --> 00:42:03.199 I would say that you know, we can talk about the Muslim Brotherhood and we can talk about other organizations, and and they do these protests unimpeded, no investigation. 00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:05.199 There has been no charges laid. 00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:08.480 These protests are nothing but an incitement of violence. 00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:12.960 And I don't care where it's coming from, we talked about the left, we talked about the right. 00:42:13.119 --> 00:42:21.360 The fact is, is this type of normalization of behavior, which is tolerated in Canada, it wouldn't be tolerated in Florida or any other place. 00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:29.199 But this type of of activity that is actually tolerated because they don't know what to do with it, maybe. 00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:38.639 The the apathy and the passivity with regards to this, it actually gives license to hate until someone goes ahead and does something like this. 00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:39.440 Yeah. 00:42:39.920 --> 00:42:43.039 But you got to think about also the fact that this happened. 00:42:43.199 --> 00:42:47.119 See, nowadays everybody has cameras in front of their house. 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:51.280 And like this flyer from my friend was put on her porch. 00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:56.079 So they went from house to house in front of those cameras. 00:42:56.239 --> 00:43:00.880 Like they were so gutsy a week after the shooting. 00:43:01.199 --> 00:43:05.519 So right away they showed up within 15 minutes of her calling them. 00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:07.360 They took it very seriously. 00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:09.360 Right away, they were on it. 00:43:10.400 --> 00:43:20.880 So we're not we're not talking about an isolated incident of Sean Ward, this guy being alone, isolated, coming up and deciding one day I'm gonna go ahead and shoot up the synagogue. 00:43:21.119 --> 00:43:30.239 But it sounds like he's connected to some type of group or organization that is operating, uh, maybe a microgroup that is operating in Beville. 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:31.280 Shy, what do you think? 00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:36.480 Do you think that he's part of a satellite group of something larger that's going on here? 00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:39.280 You know, I'll tell you something. 00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:52.480 I I find it really interesting that I would say, probably in the last six to eight months, my social media interaction that I get, as you guys may imagine, is sometimes I don't even read the comments. 00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:54.000 I just I steer away. 00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:57.679 But I pay very close attention to who sends me messages. 00:43:57.760 --> 00:44:02.400 So if it's a bot account or if it's account, With, you know, a few number of followers, I don't pay attention to it. 00:44:02.639 --> 00:44:23.840 In the last six to eight months, I will tell you, I I can't tell you how many times I've received hate messages from openly uh public, you know, profiles that have uh photos of people who are either former military, actively in the military, or former or active in the police force. 00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:33.920 And not only, and I I don't mean in Toronto or in or whether it's in the US, whether it's in Canada, whether it's in Europe, anywhere in the world, but are actively in militaries. 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:50.320 And it it it it just it is beyond comprehension because as somebody who served in the military, I know the kind of strenuous psychological tests that you go through before you can be accepted into or given a gun. 00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:53.119 I understand what

that what that is. 00:44:53.440 --> 00:45:01.440 How these people went from being able to pass that to where they are today and to be openly uh doing it. 00:45:01.760 --> 00:45:19.920 My thing is, is I really, really, really, really, really hope that the Canadian Armed Forces, because I am saying this now for the first time publicly here, this is not the first time that I have seen somebody from the Canadian Armed Forces past or present make comments like this. 00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:29.920 I have not, this is not the first time that I've seen somebody from the Canadian uh, you know, police forces make uh past or present comments like this. 00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:48.639 So I would really hope that these organizations are taking a hard look at themselves and saying, where where do we do better to figure out because we are handing over weapons to these people, we are giving people the opportunity to carry out these attacks. 00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:50.320 How do we know? 00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:52.239 How can we confirm? 00:45:52.559 --> 00:45:54.719 Do we have to check them every year? 00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:58.480 Do we have to uh reevaluate them every so often? 00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:01.599 Something is something is amiss. 00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:02.880 Something is amiss. 00:46:03.119 --> 00:46:06.239 Yeah, and unfortunately this happens and it's happened in the U.S. 00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:06.639 as well. 00:46:06.800 --> 00:46:10.400 We've we've seen this uh happen in in army bases. 00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:13.840 And uh it it is it is it is really difficult. 00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:28.000 But I think that the responsibility lies with the leadership and the subversiveness, the allowance of the subversiveness of anti-Semitism which happens inside of our public corporations, our government corporations, companies that deal with the public. 00:46:28.239 --> 00:46:29.760 We we need to confront it. 00:46:29.920 --> 00:46:35.519 I want to tell each one of you that we all need, and viewers out there, people say, well, what can we do about it? 00:46:35.679 --> 00:46:37.039 What can we do about this anti-Semitism? 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:38.800 Let me tell you what you can do about it. 00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:44.400 I'm I'm not an interviewer, I'm not a book writer, I'm I'm I'm a businessman. 00:46:44.559 --> 00:46:49.440 What did I do after October 7th, after October 8th, and saw the tsunami of anti-Semitism? 00:46:49.599 --> 00:46:50.000 That was it. 00:46:50.079 --> 00:46:50.800 For me, that was it. 00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:52.639 I saw, I saw the writing on the wall. 00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:55.599 I got out there and I started talking about it. 00:46:55.840 --> 00:47:07.440 If you feel, if you feel that someone has violated you, you can file human rights complaints, you can bring it to the attention, you can write articles, you can write to your MPs, you can't stop it. 00:47:07.679 --> 00:47:13.599 Okay, there is definitely, I I would like to think that, I would like to believe that there's a minority of indecency. 00:47:13.760 --> 00:47:14.800 I believe in Canada. 00:47:14.880 --> 00:47:15.679 I love Canada. 00:47:15.840 --> 00:47:19.519 Like Eva was saying, the culture in Canada is a welcoming culture. 00:47:19.679 --> 00:47:29.360 And I believe that Canada has a lot of goodness, but I believe that over the last 10 years or so, and maybe even longer, we've allowed a subversive element into Canada. 00:47:29.519 --> 00:47:38.960 We've allowed the opportunity, we've we've allowed people to leverage our goodwill and to use it against us, our freedom of speech. 00:47:39.119 --> 00:47:42.159 Um it's it's absolutely it's it's absolutely terrible. 00:47:42.239 --> 00:47:43.280 We have to do something about it. 00:47:43.440 --> 00:47:48.239 You know, the Talmud talks about a person who steals at night and person who steals during the day. 00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:50.880 We are living in a world where people are stealing at day. 00:47:50.960 --> 00:47:55.840 They're not afraid of who sees them because of this normalization, and that's what's got to stop. 00:47:56.159 --> 00:48:03.440 We have to stop the normalization, the allowance to uh to be able to openly be anti-Semitic. 00:48:03.679 --> 00:48:10.239 Um, Norm, uh, just you know, in ending, um, the community, uh, I can imagine the trauma. 00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:12.079 I can imagine how everyone is feeling. 00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.679 I want you to know that, you know, we are here to support you. 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:18.880 Eva, we're here to support you in your healing. 00:48:19.119 --> 00:48:22.159 Um we very much are thinking about you. 00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:24.400 There's a number of us who've been talking. 00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:27.440 Uh, I think uh, Norm, some people have been in touch with you. 00:48:27.599 --> 00:48:29.039 My office has been in touch with you. 00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:34.639 We'd like to do a weekend, a chapatone up there of solidarity. 00:48:34.719 --> 00:48:36.639 Um, I hope you'll allow us to come up. 00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:42.960 Um I think we're planning for December to come up and to do a solidary weekend with you. 00:48:43.039 --> 00:48:45.679 Uh, the people of Belleville, we feel for you. 00:48:45.840 --> 00:48:50.880 And we want to in uh you know, I want to invite you too to reach out to me, to reach out to my office. 00:48:51.039 --> 00:48:55.440 We, you know, if you if if if you need more support, uh we can organize it from here. 00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:57.119 We're here for your healing. 00:48:57.360 --> 00:48:59.519 Um and uh we're devastated. 00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:03.760 We're devastated by what could have been, but we're devastated that you have to deal with. 00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:04.800 And you know what, Shy? 00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:10.480 I'm devastated about those stained glass windows because I've been there and they're beautiful windows. 00:49:10.719 --> 00:49:14.719 And they've how long have those windows

survived, Norm? 00:49:15.679 --> 00:49:16.719 That's a good question. 00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:23.360 I am assuming that the windows were put in close to when the building was built, which is 1955. 00:49:23.519 --> 00:49:26.800 So Shy, those beautiful windows being shot up. 00:49:26.960 --> 00:49:29.679 What a freak, what a how criminal is that? 00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:32.239 I mean, what a shame. 00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:33.679 What an absolute shame. 00:49:33.840 --> 00:49:34.559 But you know what? 00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:36.320 I'll look at the silver lining. 00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:39.280 It's Friday today, Shabbat is about to enter. 00:49:39.519 --> 00:49:43.760 Windows can be replaced, windows can be fixed. 00:49:44.079 --> 00:49:45.039 Thank God. 00:49:45.760 --> 00:49:48.559 Thank God it wasn't worse than what it was. 00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:54.000 And you know, when we go into Shabbat today, my, you know, I would want to say to the people of Belleville, it's interesting. 00:49:54.079 --> 00:50:03.920 I don't have a direct connection, but my my closest cousin, her best friend is a next door neighbor to the officer that was shot, that was, uh, that was shot at the uh synagogue. 00:50:04.079 --> 00:50:11.840 And so when it happened, before anybody knew, she called me to tell me because uh her her neighbor was actually at the synagogue. 00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:22.239 And I I I just have to say that I I know that it in this in the midst of everything that seems so dark, it does. 00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:24.079 It seems like a very dark place. 00:50:24.239 --> 00:50:35.280 But at the end of the day, he will get better, the stained glass will be replaced, you guys will continue, the congregation will be stronger, we are here to support you. 00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:41.360 Other Jews across the country are here to support you, and together we will get through this. 00:50:41.760 --> 00:50:43.519 We're just closing right now. 00:50:43.760 --> 00:50:58.880 Jeff, Douglas, Norm, Eva, if you have something, a message to the world that you would like to say as a result of your experience, as a result of what you have experienced, what comes to mind? 00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:02.719 If you can just give us a brief, what would your message be to the world? 00:51:02.960 --> 00:51:04.480 Norm, let's start with you. 00:51:05.119 --> 00:51:12.400 Antisemitism is out of control at this point, and the government has to take action as simple as that. 00:51:12.639 --> 00:51:16.800 They can't sit back and just say their good words whenever there's an incident. 00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:18.800 We need action now. 00:51:19.360 --> 00:51:19.840 Eva. 00:51:20.960 --> 00:51:26.480 I would say that we know that the majority does not feel this way. 00:51:27.280 --> 00:51:30.639 So we need the silent majority to help us to speak up. 00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:32.960 We're such minorities. 00:51:33.199 --> 00:51:38.800 We need help, and we need the silent majority to help us to speak up to fight this. 00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:39.599 Yeah. 00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:42.000 Well, this hit home for me on two levels. 00:51:42.159 --> 00:51:49.280 I mean, obviously, my all my friends in the Jewish community, my daughter is also a police officer with the local police force. 00:51:49.519 --> 00:52:03.360 And I'm hoping as much as anything else, that this doesn't just become another social media story that is passing in two weeks, because this is gonna have reputable damage to the Jewish community, and we have to make sure that is not the case. 00:52:04.239 --> 00:52:05.920 Douglas, your message. 00:52:06.639 --> 00:52:10.960 My first message is basically continue to send prayers to Officer Jeff Smith. 00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:14.159 As we mentioned on this call, he's a hero, saved our lives. 00:52:14.480 --> 00:52:15.440 Like super top. 00:52:15.599 --> 00:52:22.079 And um yeah, call it out, call it anti-Semitism wherever you see it, name it, call it out, combat it, fight it. 00:52:22.400 --> 00:52:24.320 We can't do this by ourselves as Jewish people. 00:52:24.400 --> 00:52:27.119 We need help from so many other people to do this. 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:30.559 Um, Norm, I understand that there's a GoFundMe. 00:52:30.719 --> 00:52:34.320 You mentioned there's a GoFundMe for the synagogue and for Jeff Smith's family. 00:52:34.480 --> 00:52:35.599 Uh tell us more about that. 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:41.519 Well, as I said, the uh GoFundMe for Jeff, uh, I believe it's close to a million dollars. 00:52:42.159 --> 00:52:51.840 Uh and I uh the last report I had from uh the Belleville police was that um a couple days ago that he was up and around a bit and he was eating. 00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:54.719 Uh and so hopefully uh he'll continue. 00:52:55.679 --> 00:52:56.400 Yeah, he'll continue to get the game. 00:52:56.559 --> 00:52:58.000 And what about the shoal? 00:52:58.159 --> 00:52:59.360 What about the sons of Jacob? 00:52:59.519 --> 00:53:04.960 What kind of uh go where if I wanted to donate to the uh sons of Jacob, where would I do that? 00:53:05.280 --> 00:53:14.400 You can do it again through the GoFundMe page, or you can do directly to the synagogue through sonsofjacobelle at gmail.com. 00:53:14.559 --> 00:53:17.760 You can donate directly uh to the site there. 00:53:18.320 --> 00:53:34.800 You know, the Belleville Jewish community is an example of a lot of these outlier communities in Ontario uh in Canada that were developed at the turn of the century when a lot of people are coming in and and and and greenies were coming over and starting factories here in Canada. 00:53:35.039 --> 00:53:43.360 They carry rich heritage, unbelievable history, and um it's the the you know, I think it's important that people support that. 00:53:43.519 --> 00:53:48.000 Um, Shy, can you your last word, last word, Shy. 00:53:48.320 --> 00:53:48.800 Go ahead. 00:53:49.039 --> 00:53:52.400 Gum is a Yavo, this too, this too shall pass. 00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:54.000 But I

will say this. 00:53:54.320 --> 00:54:00.000 I want Canadians to pay special attention to media. 00:54:00.639 --> 00:54:12.239 The day after this happened, I was so very proud that two of your congregants were on the morning show, the show that I that I present on, were on the morning show talking about it the day after. 00:54:12.480 --> 00:54:16.320 And the rest of the media framed it very oddly. 00:54:16.559 --> 00:54:21.039 It was always framed very oddly until it was finally framed correctly. 00:54:21.199 --> 00:54:23.199 But we're seeing this happen everywhere. 00:54:23.440 --> 00:54:35.679 Yesterday, CBC came out with an article after the flybee-bye event that talked about a kerfuffle in the uh in the uh between two pilots and the plane had to make an emergency landing. 00:54:35.920 --> 00:54:45.760 I when I read that, when I read that, the I I I now I'm getting angry just saying it when I because when I read it, just made me even more angry. 00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:59.440 The way in which we are allowing media to to to kind of whitewash 100 manipulate, but whitewash specifically what happens to the Jewish community is something that we must pay attention to. 00:54:59.840 --> 00:55:11.760 And I would implore every person, every decent person, Jewish or non-Jewish, every time you see something like this in media, you speak up and you speak out. 00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:17.519 You write to the editor, you make the correction, because only that way will that change. 00:55:17.599 --> 00:55:19.599 And that's something that we need to change. 00:55:19.840 --> 00:55:24.079 And shy, people like Sean Ward, who we don't know anything about him. 00:55:24.159 --> 00:55:26.400 That that that information is coming out. 00:55:26.480 --> 00:55:30.559 I'd like to know more about his motivation and and and what brought him there. 00:55:30.800 --> 00:55:34.400 But people like that need to know that this is unacceptable behavior. 00:55:34.559 --> 00:55:53.360 Because I think that I think that in whether it's on the right or the left, there are people out there that they hear enough rhetoric, they hear enough of the false news, they hear enough of the double standards, enough of the normalization that demonizes the Jew, the anti-Semitism out there, and they think, oh, it's okay to do this. 00:55:53.519 --> 00:56:04.159 Well, it's not okay to do this, Sean Ward, and like people like you, vermin out there, who think that Jews are victims, that we're not going to fight back. 00:56:04.480 --> 00:56:05.599 It is not okay. 00:56:05.760 --> 00:56:11.119 It is not okay for the rhetoric, for the for the anti-Semitic rhetoric, for the double standards. 00:56:11.280 --> 00:56:15.360 It is not okay to for the community to speak out of both sides of their mouths. 00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:17.280 This is not okay. 00:56:17.920 --> 00:56:19.599 Let's be very clear. 00:56:19.920 --> 00:56:23.920 We are no longer Jews with trembling knees. 00:56:24.639 --> 00:56:25.280 I love that. 00:56:25.440 --> 00:56:26.239 That's great. 00:56:26.880 --> 00:56:27.679 Thank you, everybody. 00:56:27.840 --> 00:56:29.679 Thank you, thank you, everybody, for attending. 00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:31.039 Thank you, Belleville. 00:56:31.360 --> 00:56:34.559 And we are again, we are again, we pray for you. 00:56:34.719 --> 00:56:40.480 We are so glad that this that this did not end a different way. 00:56:40.719 --> 00:56:42.320 I am Israel Ellis. 00:56:42.559 --> 00:56:45.360 This is the Unfiltered View. 00:56:45.599 --> 00:56:54.719 This has been a special episode of production, talking to the Belleville community of what happened on the eve of Yom Kippur. 00:56:54.960 --> 00:56:59.039 We'd like you to share this, share this interview, like us, subscribe to us. 00:56:59.119 --> 00:57:00.480 You don't have to agree with everything. 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:01.599 Comment, engage. 00:57:01.679 --> 00:57:03.760 We're going to share your comments out there. 00:57:03.920 --> 00:57:07.840 I want to thank you, the audience, people who viewed this video. 00:57:08.000 --> 00:57:09.360 You could have tuned out. 00:57:09.519 --> 00:57:10.960 Thank you for tuning in. 00:57:11.119 --> 00:57:12.800 Let's make a difference.