Racist incident prompts Jewish Center to extend invitation to South Surrey

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Parents and staff returning to Peace Arch Elementary School in White Rock after winter break were shocked to find dozens of swastikas – symbols inextricably linked to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust – painted bombed many exterior walls around the school.

The degradation – which also included slurs aimed at people of color – was quickly painted over, Surrey Schools Deputy Director of Communications Ritinder Matthew confirmed, adding the incident was reported to White Rock RCMP.

“Our district facilities team was immediately dispatched to clean up the graffiti, and we were able to have it removed before classes resumed on January 3,” she said.

But to know that such hatred is expressed — even in the so-called quiet and comfortable Semiahmoo Peninsula — is a sad realization that doesn’t fade away so easily, said White Rock community development and outreach representative Rebecca Tobias. South Surrey Jewish Community Center (some Peace Arch Elementary students also attend the center’s religious school).

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And that’s why the general public is invited, Tobias said, when the center hosts its Strengthen Our Roots fundraising gala on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m.

The gala’s activities have been expanded this year to make it part of the United Nations’ World Interfaith Harmony Week – and in conjunction with this, the JCC is featuring keynote speaker Karen James, a resident of South Surrey, who will offer his personal eyewitness experience, as a Canadian Jewish Olympian, at the 1972 Munich Olympics, an event forever marked by the “Munich Massacre” in which 11 Israeli athletes lost their lives at the hands of terrorists.

Tobias told Peace Arch News that the verbal insults and attacks in graffiti against people from all walks of life – the Peace Arch Elementary incident and the anti-Chinese-Canadian graffiti at and around Bayridge Elementary the last year are recent examples – have made herself and other members of the JCC fully aware that hatred and racism do not strike a single religion or ethnicity.

“That’s why we wanted and asked for permission to incorporate our event into Interfaith Harmony Week,” she said, adding that she believed people of goodwill were overwhelmingly in the Semiahmoo Peninsula community.

“How do we move forward? The only way to counter hate is to get to know each other, to prove that different communities can work together, serve and learn from each other,” she said. declared.

“Current anti-Semitism – and the broader phenomenon of ‘anti-otherness’ that we see in so many places – is fueled by a fear of the unknown, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and economic conditions.”

An independent, not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization, the JCC is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, serving the Jewish community in the Surrey, White Rock, Delta and Fraser Valley areas.

The upcoming event specifically marks the annual celebration of Tu B’Shevat (the Tree of Life). As the JCC website notes, it’s a time to “honor our roots, remember our branches that connect us, and celebrate our leaves – the future of our tree of life.”

The event includes a dinner program, a performance by award-winning Yiddish singer Tania Grinberg, and a media presentation sharing the oral histories of founding members of the Jewish Community Center reflecting milestones and memories of the community’s pioneering beginnings.

Having Karen James as the keynote speaker was a natural fit, Tobias said – James is actually the owner of the building where the JCC has taken up residence.

“She very generously gave us the space, and we’ve been here since 1994,” Tobias said. “As far as I know, she never spoke publicly about her personal experiences in Munich in 1972.”

The swimmer, who represented Canada in the women’s 200m individual medley, was among the general population of athletes traumatized when Palestinian terrorists targeted the Israeli Olympic team in their quarters of the Olympic Village.

Two Israeli athletes were killed instantly; nine others were held hostage as terrorists negotiated the release of more than 200 Palestinians who were held in Israel.

Tragically, the nine hostages were killed, along with five of their captors and a West German policeman, in a failed rescue attempt.

“I remember watching those Olympics on TV when I was 10,” Tobias said. “It was a very exciting time, when gymnasts like Olga Korbut were encouraging figures for young women. And then to see the Olympics twisted by such a tragedy…”

Has anti-Semitism – and other hate crimes – recently increased in White Rock and South Surrey?

Anecdotal evidence suggests so, Tobias said.

Surrey Police Service contacted the JCC last August, she said, during a special meeting between the organization’s governing members, including JCC chairwoman Helen Mann and the head of the SPS , Norm Lipinsky.

“(The meeting) was initiated by Surrey Police to inform us of how they were concerned about the rise of antisemitism and wanted to inform the Jewish community that Surrey Police may be called upon to make themselves available to mount guard at the gate during major holidays and for all JCC events, to keep us safe,” she said.

“They came to ensure our safety at several subsequent events and were called upon to be present at our Tu B’Shevat event.”

And while the const. Chantal Sears of White Rock RCMP said she hasn’t seen a particular spike in reported racist acts in White Rock over the past two years, the Peace Arch Elementary incident is significant, due to of the extent of the graffiti.

“(The attacker) scarred many walls all around the property,” she said. “We have no suspects at this stage, but we are interested in hearing from anyone who may have information.

“We have zero tolerance for this.

“Compared to other communities, White Rock is a pretty respectful place, and we don’t see a lot of this kind of activity – but when it does happen, we take it very seriously,” she said. .

“We are extremely disappointed that this heinous act has occurred at our school, and we acknowledge and apologize for the hurt and harm such an incident may cause our students and our community,” Matthew said.

“The school will continue to have discussions with students about racism and the impact words and actions can have on others, and we will engage students in productive and thoughtful ways in response to this incident,” a- she added.

“The school plans to work with its PAC and our district’s Safe Schools department to also explore increased safety measures at the site.”

The White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Center is located at 32, 3033 King George Blvd.

To register to participate in the Strengthen Our Roots/Tu B’Shevat event, visit: https://www.wrssjcc.org/event-5073770

anti-Semitismracism

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