Letter to Alexander Brown, Chair of the TDSB Board of Trustees
December 7, 2021
Trustee Alexander Brown
Chair, Board of Trustees
Toronto District School Board
5050 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2N 5N8
Toronto, ON M2N 5N8
Re: Censure Recommendation – Trustee Alexandra Lulka
Dear Mr. Brown,
Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am is a community synagogue located within Ward 5 of the Toronto District School Board trustee boundaries. We are writing to express our outrage that our trustee, Alexandra Lulka, has been recommended for censure by the TDSB Integrity Commissioner.
This recommendation appears to be based on the need to find equivalencies when an egregious act by one party is challenged by another. There is no need to find an equivalency here. The comments highlighted by Ms. Lulka were anti-Semitic in nature. In fact, several of these comments were made by groups or individuals on Canada’s anti-terrorism list. To suggest that highlighting these comments while not offering positive connotation about the merits of the report is shameful. This issue needs to be dropped and redressed immediately. Failure to do so amounts to silencing Trustees from speaking out as advocates for the students in their community.
Our synagogue stands firmly committed against all forms of hatred, including anti-Muslim and Islamophobic actions and comments. In fact, we have joined with the Toronto-area Muslim community in addressing terror incidents that have been directed toward their community. We also recognize that the number of anti-Semitic incidents has grown sharply in recent years. We hope the TDSB will do its part in shaping its students in directions of tolerance and understanding to build a stronger community for all of us.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require additional information or clarification.
Sincerely yours,
Philip Scheim, Rabbi Emeritus
Andy Pascoe, President
Allan Sheps, Chair, Social Action
Corinne Berman, Co-Chair, Anti-Racism
Mon, April 29 2024 21 Nisan 5784