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York Regional Police Investigating Hateful Graffiti Discovered on Highway
After the antisemitic phrase "Hitler was right!" was found spray-painted on a concrete barrier on Highway 400 near Vaughan Mills mall on Friday, York Regional Police quickly began an investigation. Since reporting on the incident, FSWC has been in ongoing communication with police - who have canvassed the area thoroughly and continue to search for suspects. The graffiti is being treated as a hate crime.
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Germany Opens Memorial to Israeli Athletes Killed at Munich Olympics
German and Israeli leaders joined relatives of victims today at the opening of "The Munich 1972 Massacre Memorial" - a memorial dedicated to remembering the Israeli athletes and German police officer who were killed during an attack by a Palestinian militant group at the Munich Olympics 45 years ago. Relatives of the victims have long demanded the IOC for a minute's silence at the Opening Ceremonies of Olympics Games, only to be turned down.
Jordan and Canada Discuss Better Ties, Mideast Peace
During a meeting in Ottawa last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan discussed topics such as trade exchange, development and women's rights, fighting global terrorism, supporting refugees, and expressed a commitment to better ties. Securing peace in the Middle East was also a topic of discussion, and both leaders agreed on the importance of resuming talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
How an Ottawa Student's Campaign Helped Build Canada's National Holocaust Monument
On September 27, a ceremony will be held in Ottawa as a monument is inaugurated to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Laura Grosman - the granddaughter of a Polish-born Holocaust survivor - was 18 years old when she discovered that Canada was the only Allied power to not have a Holocaust memorial in its capital. She then worked on gaining support for a bill that called for the establishment of a national Holocaust memorial.
Tim Uppal, who was a Conservative MP at the time, agreed to sponsor what became known as Bill C-442 - which passed and became law in 2011. Uppal made a formal announcementand participated in discussions about the National Holocaust Monument during a media conference at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, which was attended by federal and provincial politicians, Holocaust survivors, Rabbis, and representatives of several Jewish community organizations.
Israeli App Helps Visually Impaired Navigate Malls, Universities, Hospitals
A new app that was developed in Israel is helping individuals who are visually impaired to have the ability to navigate malls, universities and hospitals. Called RightHear, the app mimics a venue's directory board, orienting the visitor and letting them know what's nearby. So far 200 venues have been made accessible, 90 per cent of which are in Israel and the rest in the United States.
Hamas Chief Rejects ICRC Demand to Visit Israelis Detained in Gaza
During a meeting on Tuesday with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made a request to learn the fate of and visit the missing Israelis believed to be held by Hamas - a request that Sinwar rejected. The meeting was part of a three-day visit by the ICRC chief, who is also meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and officials in Gaza.
From the Arab World
During a pre-Rosh Hashana toast in theForeign Ministry today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saidthat Israel's cooperation with Arab states has never been better -even greater than when Jerusalem signed agreements with Egypt and Jordan. Hewent on to express optimism about Israel's standing the world, stating thecountry's alliance with the US is "stronger than ever" and there arestrong ties with Europe.
Accordingto The Economist, no more than 20 Jews are thought to still live in Egypt - andnow an association of 20 active members is working on preserving the country's Jewish heritage. Based in one ofthe 12 surviving synagogues in Cairo, the group is looking to turn thesynagogues into cultural centres while also protecting other sites such as thecity's Jewish cemetery. However, some American Jewish
Send a Rosh HaShanah Tribute Card to a Loved One!
FSWC's Tribute Cards are an easy and thoughtful way to honour someone special. By ordering a Tribute Card from FSWC, you will be letting your loved ones know that a donation has been made in their name to fight for human rights by countering racism and antisemitism. Start the New Year right by making the world a better place!
FSWC Wants to Hear from You
Passionate about an issue in the news or your community? Does it align with FSWC's mandate? Then we want to hear from you! FSWC is inviting you to submit reflections on issues that matter to you and the community. While we won't be publishing anything just yet, we will be taking all submissions into consideration for future projects.
Submit reflections to aborisovsky@fswc.ca.
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