Skylar: Hi. Thank you for taking time out of your day, so I can interview you. What is your experience being a Jew in Canada and being a Jew in Toronto? How large is the Jewish community there?

Rabbi Bodzin: The Jewish community is the largest Jewish community in Canada. And since October 7, antisemitism has been on the rise to unbelievable proportions, it's out of control. Last week, for example, there was this Jewish travel expo on buying property in Israel, and at a mass a very large orthodox synagogue in town. And they had 100 Pro Palestinian protesters come out. It was just terrible. Thankfully, we are actually encouraged by Federation to counter protest, which has never happened before. So there were 400 peaceful protesters. Later that evening, here in this synagogue (we are the largest synagogue in North America, even bigger than Park Avenue), we had 1800 people here for an event called “Believe all Women”. It took five months for our foreign minister to say anything. She's actually in Israel right now. But it took five months. So we have no faith in her. I wrote an article a couple of months ago that was in the national newspaper, about believing women got no response from her, and it didn't get to any of the larger agencies. So I don't know what happened. I know that today or yesterday it was announced that Canada is going to give a million dollars to help out. But it's a really, really late apology. There have been protests pretty much all the time, locking lots of major thoroughfares in major, and major boulevards. I know here in the synagogue, we now have three levels of security to get in, which is really scary. We always had 24 hour security, but now we have someone who sweeps the parking lot and the perimeter and literally walks around and we're a huge campus. And our bags are checked now. And this is all post October 7. So it's pretty bad here. So what I'm trying to say. Yeah, so are you aware of any of this?

Skylar: My really good friend goes to McGill. And I've gotten a few texts from her. That's just like, wow.

Rabbi Bodzin: Montreal is out of control as well.

Skylar: So I was aware that it was pretty bad in Canada. And my other good friend who goes to Heschel was also at McGill for a Model UN trip. And he was sending me pictures of some of some of the signs that he saw.

Rabbi Bodzin: Yeah, it's pretty bad. On Purim, I'm going to be participating in a first ever Canadian Women Against Antisemitism rally that is happening on Purim purposely, you know, women use your voices to be like Vashti and to be like Esther. There's been a lot of rallies like two days after October 7, there was one outdoors, it's coldish here. There was one in December in Ottawa, and Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa Jews went too. We actually had another one here in early November. We had hostage families come, but the Prime Minister's was less than impressive. He was here in this building for an “Off The Record” meeting. And he was just like when we asked first of all, Canada's now funding UNRWA again, there was a brief pause. And we asked him about that, and he skirted the issue. We asked him when he's gonna go to Israel, he's like, when it fits in with his schedule, which was a more than disappointing answer. He's our only world leader. I mean, I understand our foreign minister is there now, five months later, but he's the only leader that has not been to Israel. And it's disappointing on so many levels. The truth is, Canada has a five to one ratio of Muslims to Jews.

Skylar: I did not know that.

Rabbi Bodzin: Right, and why would you, right? I didn't know that either. Until I learned that it's a numbers game.

Skylar: Am I allowed to, when I'm writing this up, to say that your Prime Minister was there even though it was off the record meeting?

Rabbi Bodzin: Yes. Because we couldn't even tell people what they were invited for. First there was a meeting with the Prime Minister, myself and my colleague, the other Rabbi Bodzin: here, and then it was with 40 leaders. And like, none of us wanted to take a selfie. Think about it. It’s almost like feeling like you don't want to be in a picture with Trump, right? It's that same feeling. And then his social media team posted it. It was a publicity stunt to appease us. And it did the opposite of that.

Skylar: And have you been directly affected by antisemitism, ever in your life? Or, really, because of October 7th?

Rabbi Bodzin: So I've been getting on social media. Like I posted something about something and it's like, I'm, I'm taking out a mission in a couple of weeks, just under two weeks. And I posted the graphic for it, and someone wrote, you know, “genocide trip,” but I just blocked those people. I don't have patience for that. But it actually is something you know, like it actually is real when that happens. So anything directed to me has been through social media. On the other hand, our police have been, depending on who you ask, really helpful, especially in our area where there's this huge, massive Jewish community here. You can count mezuzahs as really easily you can, you can even count sukkahs in backyards. They're not Orthodox, but they're just people who like, you know, conservative and reformed Jews who liked the idea of a sukkah and freezing in October. But we have upgraded the police presence. So if I live two doors away, if I work from my home office, which is in the front of the house, and I look outside the door, I will see at least four or five police cruisers. Police cruisers, now when they're on their break, they sit in our parking lot. And there is now a position called liaison to the Jewish community within the police. And that officer is here frequently because we're the largest synagogue and we also operate a day school, we have a day school in the building. But we know we're on a first name basis. I personally, two, three weeks ago, I don't know, I have no concept of time, was working with the police. They're creating an educational video on antisemitism for all of the officers and the TPS and the Toronto Police. So it should be ready soon. But the idea that it will probably go through Ontario, which is the province which is kind of like a state.

Skylar: I'm a big hockey fan, so I have a separate question that's not there. Were they playing Hava Nagila at a Maple Leafs game?

Rabbi Bodzin: Always, they have always played it since I was a baby. Yeah, since I started going. I mean, I don't go to games now because it's cost prohibitive. I go when someone gives me a ticket, but they always have played Hava Nagilla. Oh, here's the crazy thing. So at a hockey game, or maybe it was a Raptors game. They played at the same place I can't help remember right now. There were people wearing “Bring our Hostages Back Home” sweatshirts, and they were asked to leave or take them off. That it was political. But this shouldn't be a political statement. It's not political.

Skylar: Wow.

Rabbi Bodzin: I mean, you know, I wear this every day. It's not political. I'm not going to go that close. Because then you'll see how old I actually am. My filter will go off. But it says Am Yisrael Chai. Like that's it, you know, like, I have no other land. There's nothing to do with politics. It's about getting our hostages home.

Skylar: Wow, that's crazy. Okay. And what strategies do you use to combat antisemitism? And have you shifted those strategies since October 7th?

Rabbi Bodzin: So first of all, I've become, I used to be like center left. Now, I'm just a little bit left of center. We need to dismantle Hamas, period. And I never used to speak that sharply. But with the amount of people I know immediately and the number of people I know who are one degree of separation from people who have died already. I know it's not answering your question. But it's a shift in my mindset. I walk around being proud to be a Jewish person. I was told that I must use my social media, because even though I think I'm in the echo chamber bubble, there are people who are in my echo chamber bubble, and people who are looking at me are not in an echo chamber bubble. So I've seen my stuff go out there. Not that I've ever not been Jewish or proud of it, but I really make a bigger deal about it now, which is an odd thing for a Rabbi Bodzin: to say. But I use that platform. Now, I've also become much more involved politically, with our political leaders at all levels. There's a grassroots initiative through our UJA Federation, to reach out to the Provincial Parliament and to have meetings with those folks. I can't do them all, especially the ones in person because It's not around the corner but I'm sort of high on the request list to be involved because the questions you're asking me are not hard because I live this. Another thing I'm doing is just trying to get to Israel as often as I can. You know, I went in December very, very briefly. We went to Kvar Aza and it was impossible. It was still pretty early. And so this group that I'm taking out, I said, “I can't go back there. It's too hard for my psyche.” But then I'm gonna go back with my family in August I have a little girl she's nine and we're gonna do the ice cream, beach, Tel Aviv, Shook version of Israel because there's my husband also works in the Jewish community and we don't really talk about anything else except for what's happening and you know, sick people in our family like that's it. We need to come back to the everyday have ice cream in Israel. And you know, the other version of story of the country because we've lost that right now. A member at my synagogue makes personalized everything. And so she made in October a bunch of hats with Israeli flags on them just like it's again, nice, great to add, like a little flag here. And I'll only wear that to Jewish community sponsored. But first of all, it's not hat season anymore, but I'll only wear those to Jewish sponsored events. I'm a little scared, which is a lot for me to say. I won't wear it, not that I take a subway, but I wouldn't wear it on the subway, even though I do live in the bubble; I'm only going to wear it to official events. It comes up in semachot and bar mitzvahs. We're not ignoring it. It comes up in weddings actually really nicely smash the glass and, you know, we still need to have joy. But it's that brides and grooms don't want to ignore it. Either departments or families like it's really present. The number of b’nei mitzvah moms and dads who have cried at their kids, giving a speech to their kid. Saying, I'm really, really happy for you. And it's breaking my heart what's happening there and holding both at one time.

Skylar: Yeah. I also realized I didn't tell the project that we're doing. So even before October 7 happened I'd say about last year, two years ago, a year and a half ago. Three of my friends and I created the Teens Combating Antisemitism Task Force at Park Avenue. I would say we're like 15 teens that come together. I guess once a month, the first year, a lot of it was talking in education, and educating ourselves about the history of antisemitism, Jewish history, all of that kind of stuff. What is Zionism, anti-Zionism, which we'll learn right now, but different conversation. Anyways, so we were like, alright, we need to do something now. Because we learned all this stuff and even then the number of antisemitic hate crimes were rising and being in the city and like we see stuff. We gotta do something. So we decided that we want to record different Jewish leaders from around the world around the world about what their experience is like being Jewish, just to have it written down and published onto a website so that other people can view it and that it's, like set in stone and it's not hidden and so voices are heard. So that's why we're interviewing you.

Rabbi Bodzin: How did you get my name?

Skylar: I kid you not. I went on Google. I was watching Islander leafs games like no way. They did that. My dad's like, yeah, they have a huge Jewish community in Canada and Toronto. Like, okay, I definitely want to reach out to someone there. Went to your synagogues website. I was like, also really want to interview a woman Rabbi Bodzin. Let's cold call slash cold email you.

Rabbi Bodzin: Well done for you! I think that's great that you're doing this. I would say if I could give the elevator pitch. It's really bad right now in Toronto. And, I live in a protected bubble. I live two doors away from the shul, in a very Jewish neighborhood with all the resources around us. It's really bad at the universities for the students. It's really bad for our faculty, our demographic is similar to Park Avenue. So we have a lot of people on faculty, senior positions, it's really bad for them. Like, I didn't expect that I'd be hearing how bad it is. For some reason some of the schools have picked up Palestine to be their issue. And so for the Jewish faculty who are on the executives of the unions, I've had a lot of people crying in my office over that. People who they thought were colleagues and friends for so long have just heard completely. Which might not be what you expected to hear. Unless you're hearing that from other regions as well.

Skylar: From you, it's actually been the worst that I've heard. I interviewed a Rabbi Bodzin: from Rome. He,was more because the Jewish community is much smaller there. And also, like, with the Pope, it was like, you have that too. So like less in everyday life, more like, general feeling and all that type of stuff.

Rabbi Bodzin: The Jewish community at the organized level, is doing a lot and the Jewish community at the grassroots level is doing a lot as well. It's really difficult to be a student right now in the Toronto District School Board, which is the public, the large school board, but my kids are in day school, so I don't see it, I don't hear it, but from what I understand, there's been like walkouts and teachings and teachers putting things on social media and then having to, you know, go not get fired because no one really cares if it's pro Palestine. The synagogue where I was born, Mount Sinai Hospital, which obviously is the Jewish Hospital, was created that way, about a month ago. Less, I don't know, again, I have no concept of time. A pro Palestinian demonstrator, and they all wear keffiyehs and masks, so you don't see who they are. That's important to know, like, we don't know who, climbed up and tried to put a homeless flag on the Jewish Hospital. So I was with the board chair, I was visiting him in Florida last week, I saw your Rabbi Bodzin: the next day. Got to see my snowbirds. And he said that internally, it's really, really hard also, because it's a teaching hospital. So they have a lot of people who come for two years on fellowship, and there are people from Muslim lands as well who come there. And so that's really hard, an area that we probably wouldn't think about.

Skylar: Is there anything that you would like to add that we haven't talked about? Or touched on?

Rabbi Bodzin: Am I making this sound terrible? Am I making this sound terrible for you? I live a very amazing Jewish life.

Skylar: But no, this is the truth. This is what's going on. There's no, you didn't sugarcoat anything.

Rabbi Bodzin: I’m just saying, like, if you ever wanted a weekend away, you should still come to Toronto. There's a lot to do. I went to the theater last night. I mean, it's not Broadway. I lived in New York for 10 years. So it's not it's not Broadway. But there's a theater company that brings in like seven shows a year, usually once it's left Broadway on traveling. So Aladdin is in town right now. At the major, the largest theater, it was great, by the way, so fun. We had tickets for something two weeks, like on October 21. And we just didn't go to that. We're like, No, we can't do this. Now my husband and I are able to go, I was not the only person wearing one of these at the theater. I counted three or four. My husband wears a kippah all the time. And he was not the only kippah at the theater and there was nothing, nothing, so it's not in your face every day. I haven't taken this off since I got it. I don't work up in public for other reasons. Just you know, woman. But it was a completely fine experience for my husband to be second row center. So everyone saw us. Nothing happened. And it might have to do, I have no idea what it has to do with, but that also happened and I was surprised. I have said to him on occasion, when we've gone some places, maybe you don't want to wear a kippah. He said no to me.

Skylar: Is there any advice you'd like to give us or teens in general, either with this project, or I'm going to college next year? Just advice

Rabbi Bodzin: Oh god, you're going to American college campuses.

Skylar: Yeah, I'm going to GW. There was one really bad incident there but dealt with it more than other places.

Rabbi Bodzin: I would say find a safe space. Find a safe space, find your safe friends. And just continue to be proud to be Jewish. Find the professor. If there's a Hillel there, that's good. Find that safe community. What high school are you at?

Skylar: Columbia Prep. It's not a day school, but it's majority Jewish. So right as October 7th happened they were like, we stand with Israel. But I've not heard that from any other school.

Rabbi Bodzin: I would find out what the culture is like right now. And I would find a professor and a Hillel professional, or someone in counseling that is on your side, and that you can go to. Because as much as you can, you know, speak to your folks, you need someone who's on the inside to know what's going on. And that would be the advice I would give you. Find a trusted adult. To find a trusted adult on the inside.

Skylar: Thank you so much. And do you have any questions about our project or anything that we do?

Rabbi Bodzin: I am so delighted you're doing this. I'm so delighted that you cold emailed me. And I just wish you luck and I'm so glad to know that there are students, young leaders like you out there, and when it's complete it's gonna be a website. And when it’s complete you’ll send me the link?

Skylar: Yeah, there’s gonna be a link. Yeah, of course, it should be. We don't have a date. But we're getting really close.

Rabbi Bodzin: Kol HaKavod I'm really, really impressed that you're doing this, which is why I responded once I found out it was real, because you asked me sorts of things. All right. So I had a bris. I've had this, so lots of good things happening today for hope for the Jewish people. Thanks so much

Skylar: And thank you for what you're doing like all the Rabbi Bodzins and your role, it's really important and we do notice, so awesome. Thank you.

Rabbi Bodzin: Thanks Skylar. If you ever need to talk to a woman, Rabbi Bodzin, I'm here for you. You know how to reach me.