March For Jerusalem

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The March For Jerusalem, a community solidarity and fundraising event organized by Federation CJA which also doubled as the launch for the organization’s ALL IN campaign, was a massive success, raising more than $1 million and attracting 25,000 people to the five-km march and festival at Hampstead Park. The figures above are from Federation CJA.

People came from all parts of Montreal and off the island as well, from Toronto, Vaudreuil-Dorion and other locales. Among the participants was Ted Bolgar, who is turning 100 this week.

Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi marvelled at the event, noting to The Suburban that the town was a tourist destination for a day and had more people on hand than Hampstead’s entire population.

The march, led by a float with upbeat music and a DJ, wended its way through Hampstead, Snowdon and Côte St. Luc — no one was deterred by the cool, windy weather. There were no anti-Israel incidents of note. The group Bring Them Home Montreal, which marches to demand the release of hostages held by Hamas each Sunday, were represented with more than 100 people. Signs along the route described what the funds raised in the campaign are used for.

Benjamin Redekop, a member of Christians For Israel, told The Suburban, “we stand with Israel, we stand with Jerusalem and God’s chosen people — they’re the apple of His eye. It’s devastating what’s going on in Israel right now.”

English Montreal School Board chair Joe Ortona also took part in the march.

“I wanted to show support for the Jewish community and everything that they’re going through,” he told The Suburban. “It’s important to have a good presence and a non-Jewish presence.”

At the park, decorated with numerous balloon and including a massive stage where notables and singers appeared, the crowds were massive. There were also food and other booths. On hand were Israeli Consul-General Paul Hirschson, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, Mount Royal Conservative candidate Neil Oberman, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Snowdon councillor Sonny Moroz, members of Hampstead and CSL council, and many others.

Speakers alternated with performers on stage. Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2024, Eden Golan, sparked the biggest reaction — after her rousing performance, youngsters crowded around her trailer at Hampstead Park. Others on hand on stage and at the event included Jonny Daniels, former chief of staff to Members of Knesset; singer Jordyn Sugar and Arab peace activist and Israel supporter Loay Alshareef, amongst many others.

Steve Sebag, board chair of Federation CJA, said, “we march for victims of terror! We march for hostages and their families! We march for courageous soldiers! We march for a country that yearns for peace! We march for students and the Montreal Jewish community!”

Former Justice Minister and Mount Royal MP Irwin Cotler said the gathering was an “incredible inspiring moment in the spirit of justice, justice, justice shall you pursue!

“It comes at an appropriate historical moment because we are meeting on the eve of the anniversary of Oct. 7, a remembrance of horrors too terrible to be believed but not too terrible to have happened!”

American singer, actress and social media activist Montana Tucker, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, said she constantly thinks of the hostages being held by Hamas, and the pain felt by their families. She led a moment of silence.

“We, the Jewish people, are a story of survival and resilience!” she said to cheers. “Being Jewish isn’t just about heritage, it’s about a deep, unshakable connection to each other! It’s about standing together across continents in moments like this!

ALL IN campaign chair Heather Adelson was extremely pleased with the success of the event.

“Today was the most incredible day of my life!” she told The Suburban. “I’ve seen what’s happened in Montreal [since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack], very sad, and what you see today is a community standing up, all in, coming together, and that’s how we make a difference, Jews and non-Jewish people coming together.” n