A local Rabbi is calling for stronger vetting processes for parliament following a shocking incident just over a week ago.
Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota resigned in disgrace after inviting a 98-year-old WWII Ukrainian soldier who fought with a Nazi unit into Parliament during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, introducing him as a “Canadian hero.”
Yaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation in what has been called a national embarrassment.
Anthony Rota
Rabbi Chanan Chernitsky, Director of Chabad of Newfoundland, says the reaction of the local Jewish community was one of absolute shock, and he believes stricter vetting measures should be put in place to ensure a similar incident is avoided in the future.
He says to repent in Judaism steps include showing remorse for the past and deciding not to sin again, adding that, while Rota’s apology was a good step, larger steps need to be taken on an institutional scale.
The event has left a mark on the local Jewish community, many of whom have family who suffered through the Holocaust, with Rabbi Chernitsky sharing that, while global steps have been taken in combatting hatred and tolerance, the fact that something like this could happen in Canada in 2023 at the highest level of government is deeply concerning.
He urges everyone, regardless of race of creed, to rise against hatred in all its forms.
He says that ridding the body of hatred is crucial, and that while issues like these “start with the Jews, it never ends with the Jews.”
