Local News
What impact have the shootings in Toronto and the war with Iran had on Winnipeggers?
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted March 11) I suppose that many of you have been wondering where I’ve been the past couple of months. After all, I’ve barely been writing any articles – although I have been working behind the scenes, editing articles contributed to the Jewish Post by other writers.
But, I had been rather content to lay back and enjoy the sun in Mexico – where I’ve been the past six weeks, without bothering to write anything.
Then, on Monday, March 9, I received an email from someone in Toronto asking me whether I’d be interested in interviewing three members of Toronto’s Jewish community with an eye toward writing something about how recent attacks on Toronto synagogues had impacted that community.
I replied that I was somewhat interested in doing that, but I wanted to situate any story I might write in a larger context, i.e., how has Winnipeg’s Jewish community itself been impacted by what happened in Toronto – when three different synagogues had been shot at in the space of five days, beginning in late February with a shooting at a Reform synagogue and culminating with two attacks on two other synagogues on March 8. (As of the time of writing there have been no arrests reported in any of the incidents.)
The person in Toronto who sent me the email asking whether I’d be writing about what happened in Toronto did follow up with quotes from two of the individuals whom she had asked whether I’d be interested in interviewing. (I had asked her to do the legwork on conducting any interviews since I wasn’t sure how pertinent what the interviewees might have to say would be to this story).
Here is what one of the interviewees, Sylvan Adams, President of the World Jewish Congress Israel Chapter, had to say, in reaction to the shootings at the three synagogues: “The nearly daily shooting this week at the synagogues in Toronto is part of a pattern of violence against the Canadian Jewish community. This is entirely alarming and must be stopped, rather than the weak statements we’ve been hearing for far too long from our Prime Ministers, beginning with Trudeau, who never failed to equate Islamophobia after every antisemitic incident. More recently, we’ve heard empty words from Prime Minister Carney, who is simply going through the motions. This would not happen if attacks were against ANY other community. Moreover, these acts of violence should concern far more than the Jewish community alone. When Jewish houses of worship and other institutions come under attack, it is a warning sign for every democratic society. History has shown that what starts with the Jews never finishes with the Jews. These violent antisocial acts are an attack on our way of life. It is part of the war between western civilization and medieval barbarism.”
Whoo boy! Why don’t you come out and say what you really think about the Liberal government, Sylvan?
Now, as if that weren’t harsh enough – in terms of attacking the federal government for not doing enough to protect Canadian Jews, I received an email from an organization called Tafsik, about which this paper had reported when they held an event in Winnipeg last winter. The email was headlined: “The Police REFUSE To Protect The Jewish Community, So Who Should?”
It goes on to say that “For months, we have been told to rely on police and politicians. Yet the results speak for themselves. Police statements multiply; political promises abound. But Jewish institutions and synagogues remain exposed, Jewish businesses are attacked, Jewish schools shot at and Jewish families are left wondering who is actually responsible for their protection.”
What are the solutions Tafsik recommends: “There are roughly 100 synagogues in Toronto and Thornhill area. A practical and financially feasible security model could involve deploying approximately 35 off-duty police officers rotating between institutions on unpredictable schedules. Such a system would ensure a constant professional presence while preventing potential attackers from predicting which locations are protected at any given time.
“The cost would be approximately:
~$100 per hour per off-duty officer
~$2,400 per officer per day
~35 officers rotating year-round
Total annual cost: approximately $30.6 million.”
But, if that seems a little too expensive, Tafsik also recommends a second possibility: “Demand your advocacy organization, CIJA, to lobby the government to permit licensed Jewish security organizations, such as Magen Herut and Shomrim, to obtain firearm carrying permits for trained personnel. Allowing properly vetted and licensed guards to operate in this capacity could significantly reduce costs compared to relying on police officers for security, while still improving protection for Jewish institutions and businesses.”
Great – now we’ll have armed Jewish security guards protecting Jewish institutions. The problem is how does an armed security guard or even a policeman stop someone with a high-powered rife, who can fire from hundreds of metres away, from shooting at a synagogue? All the synagogues fired at had security cameras. Still no arrests though. Doesn’t that tell you that whoever wants to take a shot at a synagogue is taking careful steps to make sure they’re not caught on camera?
The person in Toronto who asked me whether I’d be interested in writing about the Toronto situation sent me one more quote though, this time from a Holocaust survivor by the name of Sol Nayman:
“My wife Queenie and I went to Shul on Shabbat morning. And we can’t go through the main door – we were told to take the side door. We didn’t know what was happening – we saw some boarding up, so we thought maybe there was an accident. And then during davening one of the members of our security team told us what had happened Friday night.
“It’s horrible. Just horrible, horrible, horrible. What we’ve been through, and we don’t know when it will end.
“It’s been all over the news. I’ve had call and emails from friends in Israel, and Scotland.
“And you know, it’s not the first time. I try to remind our people that Zachor appears in the Torah by over 200 times. So we remember. We remember Pharaoh. We remember Amalek. We remember Haman. We remember Hitler… and the Khomeinis and the others.
“But at the end of the day, we will be the ones who survive. And this year, I’ll be on the March of the Living, which will be, combined with other trips to Poland, my 11th journey. And, having turned a young 90, I will hope to keep on going as long as long as I can!”
I like that spirit of defiance, but when it comes to the allusions to past cases where individuals wanted to wipe out the Jews – well, I can understand the emotional reaction but hey, let’s keep it in perspective: A gunshot through a synagogue door or window doesn’t mean someone wants to wipe out the Jews.
Okay – tensions are high in Toronto. That much is clear from everything you’ve read thus far. But, what about Winnipeg? I’ve been wondering.
Are members of the Jewish community in Winnipeg as much on edge as Jews in Toronto apparently are?
On Monday, the federal government announced that it was providing an additional $10 million to enhance security for Jewish institutions across Canada: “The federal government is earmarking $10 million to help Jewish communities bolster security at their gathering places after two Toronto-area synagogues were struck with gunfire.
“The money dispensed through the federal Canada Community Security Program is meant to help protect Jewish places of worship, schools, child care centres, overnight camps and other institutions.
“The program offers organizations at risk of hate-motivated crimes money for security equipment and hardware, such as protective barriers and window and door reinforcements.”
The Saturday, March 7 Free Press also reported that “Winnipeg police said they are increasing patrols around synagogues and Jewish community spaces in an effort to provide ‘reassurance’ to the local community.
“ ‘We haven’t received any similar types of associated threats, WPS Const. Dani McKinnon said Saturday. We’ve taken these types of precautions many times before, because we do have a large community we want to support. And this type of message resonates across Canada.’
But, haven’t we heard quite a few times before that the WPS is heightening patrols around Jewish institutions – especially since October 7, 2023? Does that mean they decrease patrols at some point – perhaps when things seem to be a little calmer?
The article went on to quote vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan Gustavo Zentner, who said Saturday “Canada’s leaders ‘must be absolutely clear that it is outrageous for Canadian communities to face violence because of events happening abroad.’
“ ‘No more ‘thoughts and prayers’ — we need to see urgent action,” Zentner told the Free Press. ‘All levels of government must move immediately to address the escalating security demands of communities targeted by this wave of violence. Resources should flow quickly and distributed directly to communities most at risk.’
What more “resources” woulld want to see Gustavo did not say. But the Jewish Federation did hire a new community security director, William Sagel, earlier this year. In an article written about Sagel, Myron Love quoted Sagel as saying he wanted to emulate the model of security adopted by the Toronto and Montreal Jewish communities. suggesting that the Jewish community in Winnipeg “can learn from the national network and security networks already established in Montreal and Toronto to provide security and peace of mind for community members.” (I’m not so sure how that observation jives with what just happened in Toronto though.)
In the same Free Press article of March 7, Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman added his own two cents, observing that “Attacks like those in Toronto are deeply troubling.
“ ‘Incidents like these are meant to intimidate the Jewish community and make people feel unsafe in their places of worship. Canadians should be alarmed that synagogues in this country are once again being targeted with gunfire.
“ ‘We are in regular contact with our security partners and with the Winnipeg Police Service. While we do not comment on specific security measures, the safety of our community remains our highest priority, and we are continually refining our policies, procedures, and infrastructure. We appreciate WPS increasing patrols and their ongoing efforts to help protect synagogues and Jewish community institutions across our city.’ “
But, there was another question that loomed in my mind: How are average Winnipeg Jews reacting in terms of their day to day behaviour?
To answer that question I sent inquiries to representatives of a number of different organizations, including the Jewish Federation, CIJA, Shaarey Zedek and Etz Chaim congregations, and the Chabad-Lubavitch.
I asked each of them what they’ve been hearing from members of the Jewish community? Are people more frightened now – especially with what happened in Toronto – along with what’s going on in the Middle East? Has synagogue attendance been affected in any perceivable manner? I wondered. Perhaps it’s even gone up – as synagogue goers want to show solidarity with other members of the community?
We did receive a response from a spokesperson for the Jewish Federation in answer to my question: What is the mood among Jewish Winnipeggers at the moment:
” From what we’re seeing across the community, people are certainly aware of what’s happening elsewhere and there is concern – understandably so. But we are not seeing people withdraw from Jewish life or avoid community spaces.
“In fact, attendance at programs and services has remained strong. As you noted with the Purim celebration at Chabad, people continue to show up. In some cases, people are attending out of a sense of determination to not to let those who seek to intimidate us, or deter Jewish life, dictate whether or how we gather.
“At the same time, there is a heightened sense of vigilance. Many organizations are improving their procedures and security measures, and our Community Security Director, William Sagel, is working with them to refine policies, strengthen infrastructure, and coordinate with security and law enforcement (where appropriate).
“So the mood we’re seeing is both awareness and resolve. People appreciate that security is being taken seriously and understand the precautions, but they are not allowing incidents elsewhere to deter them from showing up and participating in Jewish life here in Winnipeg.
Rabbi Avrohom Altein of Chabad also responded to my questions, writing in an email: “Generally, we have had growing numbers of people for events. Purim – we had 230 people at our Purim Seudah and many at each Megillah Reading. We do have security at large events and the police stopped by today to say that they will do regular checking.
“But the world is open today, so news of what happens elsewhere does affect people all over.
“We try to encourage Jews to support each other and strengthen their connection to Mitzvos because that is our true identity. When we try to hide who we are, we lose respect from others. And when we are proud and strong as Jews and support each other, we are safer and earn Hashem’s protection and brochos.”
I responded to Rabbi Altein that I had attended a number of Chabad events in Puerto Vallarta. One of them was called “Shabbat 400” – where 400 Jews gathered together one Friday evening. That event was organized by local Chabad Rabbi Shneur Hecht – along with his dynamic wife, Mushkie.
During the event Rabbi Hecht told attendees that it had been very difficult to find a venue willing to host an event of that size – because of security concerns. There was security at the event – and it went off without a hitch, but it was an indication that the threat of violence against Jews is of worldwide concern. (Ironically, only a week later, violence did break out in Puerto Vallarta, but that had nothing to do with Jews – it was the Jalisco cartel reacting to the killing of their leader, El Mencho.)
The local Chabad does have a couple of police stationed outside when events are occurring there, but what struck me was that the name “Chabad” is displayed prominently outside the building, which is located on a main thoroughfare in Puerto Vallarta. I would have thought the sign would be somewhat more discreet. It does present a juicy target for anyone who wants to send a message by attacking Jews.
We also spoke with Rabbi Carnie Rose, spiritual leader of Shaarey Zedek Congregation. We asked him what the mood was among Shaarey Zedek members – in light of the recent triple shootings in Toronto and what is, at the time of writing, the war raging in the Middle East.
During the interview Rabbi Rose highlighted the Jewish community’s dual experience of concern over resurgent antisemitism and war, balanced by strong interfaith support and enhanced security measures. The community’s determination not to be intimidated by threats of violence reflects resilience, he suggested, while proactive engagement through, for example, school outreach and tangible safety steps, such as increased police collaboration fosters hope for “a better tomorrow,” he said.
Rabbi Rose suggested that congregation members are “concerned and worried,” but not surprised. They view large centres like Toronto as distant, but acknowledged the gravity of antisemitism, noting that it has become less muted recently. Rabbi Rose expressed sadness but not shock, stating, “There are folks out there who don’t like us, and they’re gonna take their… shots.”
Despite antisemitism, Rabbi Rose indicated that he was “profoundly heartened” by support that the congregation has received from varied – and disparate elements of the community. He cited as examples: “Older ladies” visiting the synagogue to show support; members of the Islamic community offering to “make a circle around the synagogue to protect people”; and schools requesting talks on Judaism to address questions like “why do people not like the Jewish people?”
Insofar as how congregants have been reacting to the war with Iran, Rabbi Rose observed that there are people both in and outside the Jewish community who are unhappy with the war, but the community stood in solidarity with monarchists at a recent rally (with Jewish flags). Rabbi Rose himself said that he believes Israel should not withdraw prematurely from the fighting, as “gains would dissipate quickly.”
We asked Rabbi Rose whether there have been enhanced security measures taken at the synagogue recently. He noted an increased police presence, saying that visible security has intensified, including police patrol cars greeting attendees after a large funeral (unprecedented in Rabbi Rose’s eight to nine months in the role, he observed).
He added that there has been a large police presence at events with 250+ people, citing as examples a public school teacher training session on antisemitism that included a synagogue tour and mini-Judaism course, also recent Purim gatherings.
Rabbi Rose described collaboration with Winnipeg Police Service as “excellent, and he expressed a “deep debt of gratitude.”
Local News
Hundreds rally against opening of Nakba exhibit at Human Rights Museum
By NOAH STRAUSS Around 300 people gathered outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Friday during the grand opening of the museum’s newest exhibit, “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present.” (Ed. note: The CBC report on the protest said there were “100” people at the rally. I know there were more than 100, but I’m not sure there were 300 either.) The exhibit, which had a limited number of tickets available for opening night, sold out. The Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba had originally planned a rally in support of the exhibit’s opening, but it was cancelled just days before the event.
The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the displacement of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians during the 1947–1949 war surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel. The exhibit has drawn criticism from members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community and others who argue that it does not acknowledge the displacement and persecution of Jewish communities in many Arab and Muslim-majority countries following Israel’s independence and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Historians estimate that between 850,000 and 950,000 Jews left or were expelled from Arab and Muslim-majority countries during the decades surrounding Israel’s establishment. In countries including Iraq, Egypt, and Yemen, many had their property confiscated, while others left because of persecution or increasing hostility.
Supporters of the Jewish community came from all faiths and backgrounds. The Jewish Post spoke with Lisa Lewis, a longtime supporter of the Jewish community.
“I think there is a crisis of antisemitism happening right now,” Lewis said.
She was one of many non-Jewish community members who attended the rally. Lewis said she has been an active ally since the 2000s, helping Argentine immigrants come to Canada. Following the October 7 attacks on Israel, she said she has become a more vocal supporter of the Jewish community. During the rally, she wore a Magen David necklace.
Lewis also criticized the museum’s approach to the exhibit.
“The Jewish community organizations that represent the majority of the Jewish community weren’t consulted on something like this,” she said.
Cindy Clubb, another ally of the Jewish community who attended the rally, also voiced her concerns.
“I grew up with prominent businesspeople and members of the academic and medical communities. I don’t know what we would do without our Jewish cooperation. So I’m up here to support them, and I think all of Winnipeg should be out here,” Clubb said.
One protester, who identified herself as Michelle, said, “We are against the Nakba exhibit. It’s all lies.”
Gustavo Zentner, Vice President of CIJA Manitoba and Saskatchewan, said, “We are calling on Minister Miller to hold the museum leadership accountable. The Minister of Canadian Heritage needs to ensure that national institutions are not weaponized against Canadians to serve a one-sided political agenda. These concerns were expressed not only by the Jewish community, but by many concerned Canadians. At its core, this is a Canadian issue.”
Zentner did not participate in the community rally. He went on to say, “We are proud of the many community members, allies, and organizers who gathered at the museum before Shabbat began to demonstrate their concerns.”
The museum defended its decision to present the exhibit. CEO Isha Khan said that “human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient.” She added that the museum “belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
The exhibit is scheduled to remain on display until November 2028.
Local News
Interviews with the curator of the Nakba exhibit and the CEO of the Human Rights Museum
By BERNIE BELLAN On June 26, I was invited to attend the Canadian Museum for Human Right to see the Nakba exhibit prior to its being opened to the public. While I was there I was given the opportunity to interview the curator for the exhibit, Isabelle Masson, along with CMHR CEO Isha Khan. What follows are the transcripts of those interviews (edited only to remove pause words like “uh” and phrases that were repeated). The first interview was with Isabelle Masson:
Jewish Post: Several representatives of Winnipeg Jewish community organization say that they weren’t fairly consulted on this exhibit. How do you respond to that?
Masson: We came to this project with an awareness that Palestinian voices are often marginalized, even silenced, and an awareness that Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism have an impact on whose voice is heard and whose suffering is recognized. And so we intentionally chose to centre Palestinian voices with this exhibition.
JP: But to the point that many Jewish representatives of organizations and people within the community at large feel that the Jewish community should have been consulted on an issue that had such a direct impact on the Jewish community – did you not feel an obligation to consult with the Jewish community?
Masson: I think the best person to talk further about this issue is our CEO, Isha.
JP: In terms of the exhibit itself, I must say it really stresses the suffering that Palestinians have endured. But, in looking at other refugee situations around the world, the Palestinian situation seems to me to be unique in that there has never been an effort to resettle Palestinians within the countries to which they were forced to flee.
Do you not think that separates their situation (from other refugee situations) and, in some ways, it has made their situation worse than it could have been?
Masson: Well, the exhibit not only centres that experience of forced displacement and disposition as a longstanding experience across five generation that you know is tied to human rights violations that are ongoing today, but it also I want to point out, you know, foregrounds beauty, foregrounds resilience, foregrounds the maintenance of identity and belonging across time and across that experience. So there’s also these elements about this exhibition because it was also about humanizing Palestinians – about people with families with stories, with creativity – and coming back to some of the videos what interviewees say, right, we hope that Palestinians can be seen as fully human and hope that they can see Palestinians as having human rights and this this story today in this gallery is is a story about human rights.
JP: If I can focus on one particular aspect of the exhibit that I read this morning when I was sent the preview, it referred to what happened between the years 2000 and 2005 as a Palestinian uprising. But the Israeli term would be the Intifada which for them meant large-scale attacks – terrorist bombings by some Palestinians. Did you not think it necessary to include that in a larger context?
Masson: Well, we use uprising because it’s the most more accessible term in the exhibition and we, you know, we’re focusing really here on an artwork by artists – Palestinian American artist Reggie Cook and with an artwork that was trying to translate the experience of of occupation into what is created. So that’s the context in which we talk about that.
JP: But to ignore what happened during the uprising seems to me to leave out a major part of the context.
Masson: I don’t think that we are ignoring that. This exhibit is not about the full story of what has happened in Palestine, in Israel. It’s not, you know, the scope of this small exhibition. This small exhibition has a scope and the scope was really to create an opportunity and a place for Canadians to be able to encounter Palestinian Canadians and hear their voices.
JP: Given the current mood in the Middle East and the ongoing tensions between Israel and various other actors, the concern among many in the Jewish community that this is going to lead to a heightening of antisemitism and an exhibit like this seems that it’s not going to do much to improve relations between Jews and Palestinians when it focuses on only one side of the story. How do you respond to that?
Masson: Well, this is only one exhibit of of many, of many stories that we have.
Following is my interview with Isha Khan. Khan began by explaining that she is “the CEO at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and I’ve been here as CEO of the museum since August of 2020. So almost six years.”
JP: So let’s get right down to discussing (the exhibit). I spoke to the curator. I asked a lot of questions about the exhibit itself. I’m more interested in asking (you) about the general context and the atmosphere in the community. The accusation has been made repeatedly by various leaders of Jewish organizations that you have not been willing to consult on this exhibit. How do you respond to that?
Khan: I think the word consult can mean many things. We have a community engagement practice. So for us that means that depending on the scope of the exhibit and this exhibit is about Palestinian Canadians and their experiences, the impacts of the human rights impacts, of forced displacement, which means we engage with that community as we share their stories. Many folks in the Jewish community will say we haven’t consulted with them and yet we have met with leaders of Jewish organizations from across Canada, main uh, major federations, foundations, local Jewish organization representatives many times to talk about this exhibit, to explain what its scope is, what it’s about, what it’s intended to do, and most importantly, what it isn’t. And unfortunately there continues to be misconceptions about what it is. So we hope people will come and see it.
JP: I think the fear in the community – and I think it’s well founded is that this will foment an increase in antisemitism. Can you understand that concern?
Khan: Absolutely. I personally and any member of our team who’s talked to folks about this has said that we unequivocally share the concern about antisemitism in Canada today. That is part of our mandate. And we will continue to do that work and we can also share these stories of Palestinian Canadians – you know, telling the story of one community’s human rights violation in no way should negate or minimize the experience of another community. That’s what this museum was designed to do….designed to build understanding of shared humanity and that’s what we believe we’re doing responsibly.
JP: Just before I began this interview, I was taken (down to the fourth floor; the Nakba exhibit is on the fifth floor) to see the gallery of other human rights violations. I’m not sure what it’s called. (It’s where there is a ) recitation of various human rights violations, including what happened in 1947 and 1948 (in Palestine). They offer passing reference to the displacement of both Jewish and Palestinian refugees. Would you consider ever having an exhibit about the displacement of Jewish refugees from Arab lands in 1948 and subsequent years?
Khan: We would absolutely consider it and in fact have shared with leaders of the Jewish organizations months ago that yes, these are important stories that need to be told (and) invited them to work constructively with us on developing that content. Unfortunately we didn’t really receive much response.
JP: How long is this exhibit supposed to be on for?
Khan: So this exhibit right now we’re saying is a minimum of two years. That’s because it is an exhibit in a standing gallery and so it also depends on our updating of our other galleries and, you know, exhibits take a bit of time. This one is four years in the making and so we’ve just committed that it’ll be a minimum of two years and we’ll see where things go.
JP: There are a lot of other refugee situations in the world – (for instance) South Sudan, and just this morning I was saying to Isabelle that I received an email about the situation for people from Burundi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I didn’t realize that was a problem. I know that the Congo has had ongoing problems with displacement of populations. It it seems to me it’s not an unlimited number of stories like this you could tell, but there are a lot of others. How do you decide which ones take priority?
Khan: We’re often asked the question of how we decide, and it comes back to how this museum is designed. Each gallery is intended to tell a different story. It has an objective. So this exhibit, Palestine Uprooted, is in our Rights Today gallery. It’s to talk about global human rights issues. And we know that people want to better understand human rights of Palestinians. There’s no question. It’s being talked about, debated, discussed all over the world. And so we’re being responsive there to that need. And we know that Palestinian experiences were under represented in our galleries and have heard that for years. To your point though that there are other stories – the design of this museum is that you ought to be able to feel something, understand something about the forced displacement of one community and apply it to another. So now this story stands along the forced displacement of the Rwanda people, indigenous peoples, Ukrainian people, the Igbo people. You’ve named a number of others that we do need to develop content on over time, but it’s done depending on what gallery it is, what we are trying to invoke…because we’ll never be the encyclopedia of all human rights atrocities in the world. That’s actually why we’re called the Canadian Museum for Human Rights rather than the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
We’re here to to develop an understanding through the stories that will impact people.
JP: Okay. I want to ask a politically loaded question.
Khan: Okay.
JP: The Jewish population of Canada is at best 450,000. In that range, Jews don’t have the political impact that they used to. At most, there are 12 to 16 ridings where the Jewish vote can make a difference. The Muslim population has grown substantially. It has a much larger political impact. Did that factor in to this exhibit being mounted in any way?
Khan: Absolutely not.
JP: So, I’ll ask the question that I asked the curator of the exhibit. Where did the impetus for this come from? Did it come from Palestinian Canadians?
Khan: This exhibit came from a recognition, our decision. I hold responsibility ultimately for the decisions made by my team. It was made based on the recognition that Palestinian experiences were under represented in this museum. We absolutely heard from the Palestinian community organizations in Canada and had heard for many years that their stories were underrepresented. Ultimately, the decision was ours. And as we look at this gallery and updating our content, this is ‘rights today’ – global human rights. We know that the world is talking about Palestinian human rights and the stories of Palestinian Canadians naturally belong in our collective memory alongside many other stories that are told here.
JP: There was one particular aspect on one of the panels when I was sent a preview this morning and it referred to the Palestinian uprising from 2000 to 2005 which led to a lot of Israeli deaths that we generally refer to as the Intifada. There’s no mention of Israeli deaths on that panel. Would you agree that might have been an oversight?
Khan: I mean I know that there the factual point is absolutely accurate. The decisions on the curation of the exhibit are not ones that I make, but certainly if that is a concern that we will look at.
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR now open – here’s what it looks like
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26)The following press release was sent to me early Friday morning June 26 (Photos supplied by Annie Kierans, CMHR) Nothing that follows has been edited. I leave it to you to form your own opinion:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
