From: evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch)
Subject: Re: On Exaggeration
Organization: Somewhere just far enough out of Toronto
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 13:54:50 GMT

In article <9694@s3.ireq.hydro.qc.ca>
	beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard) writes:

>In article <11389@std-2> audetf@Software.Mitel.COM (Francois Audet) writes:

>>I found an interesting letter in the newspaper on the allege
>>antisemitism in Quebec.

After all that's been said, by me, by Richler, by others, Francois still
maintains that antisemitism in Quebec is only "alleged". That attitude
speaks volumes all by itself.

>>It says that in 1832, the jews in Canada were not allowed to have
>>cimetaries or synagogues. In 1832, the deputies of the Patriote party
>>(under Louis-Joseph Papineau) voted the first Charter of Rights, that
>>got these rights (synagogues & cimetaries) for the jews.

There is no doubt that there were many Quebecois who were sympathetic to
the Jews (and other minorities), and many who still are. That does not
invalidate the accusations which have been raised.

>>The letter also said "Au surplus, le Quebec serait le seul pays au
>>monde, a part Israel, ou la communaute juive a le droit et les fonds
>>publics pour gerer ses ecoles et ses services sociaux."

This statement is full of crap. Until you can offer some evidence that
its conclusions are correct, I'll offer some first hand experience to the
contrary.

(Was the letter written by a Jew? Or by someone else who looks from
afar about how well the Jews have been treated? You must bristle when
you read from Anglos who say that Quebecois have been treated fairly.
Certainly only the Quebecois can describe how well the Quebecois have
been treated. Why, then, do you accept the word of non-Jews who
describe how Jews have been treated while disputing the experiences of
the Jews themselves?)

I attended the Talmud Torah school in Laval (it had other branches
around Montreal). Not only did we not get any government funds to run
the school, but that the Education Ministry was constantly putting
administrative obstacles in the way.

In any event, the school where I attended for my first seven years is no
longer, now just an empty building for sale in the middle of a residential
neighbourhood. Any reference that the building was ever used to teach
thousands of Jewish children has been obscured by graffiti.

The reality of the suitation is that many Jews have just packed up and
moved away from Quebec. The Montreal Jewish community is a fraction of
what it used to be, and can no longer support this network of schools.

No matter what plattitudes you can offer about how well we're
treated, the reality is that Jews moved away because they were made
unwelcome in the place of their birth. Few of my childhood friends have
stayed there, despite having learned good working French and having dealt
with Quebecois society with due respect.

In Ontario there is a Heritage Language Program which in which the
province pays a substantial subsidy to cultural groups teaching a
language other than French or English. On Sundays my synagogue shares
space in a high school with the local Bengali group, and both of us
receive provincial funding and free rent in the school.

What is the equivalent Quebec program of which the letter writer is so proud?

As for cemetaries, yes there's a Jewish one in Montreal where many of my
family are buried. You can't miss it, it's the one off Decarie with all
the overturned headstones.

>Je me rappelle d'un reportage televise sur les Juifs au Quebec.
>Au tout debut (apres 1760 parce qu'avant, on n'admettait que les
>catholiques), les Juifs devaient aller se marier aux Etats-Unis
>et y faire enregistrer (ou baptiser?) leurs enfants a cause justement
>de cette absence de synagogue.  Il y a eu un livre sur le sujet.

Jewish children are not baptized, though there is a semi-religious,
semi-medical ceremony for newborn boys ;-).

It is a fact that for a very long time, that birth certificates in
Quebec were known as baptism certificates, and could only be issued by
churches (there was no such thing as a "secular" bith certificate).
I am told this is causing headaches for passport and other officials,
since most church baptism certificates are incredibly easy to forge.
It seemed quite odd to see my father's "baptism" certificate issued by a
synagogue.

-- 
 Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd., located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
         evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!utzoo!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
              If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?