Mr. Speaker, some of my fondest childhood memories include Jewish holiday dinners around the table with relatives, laughing, eating traditional foods and sharing a sense of collective pride in knowing that we were honouring our ancestors and building a stronger community for the future. I can still hear my father's booming voice and see his contagious smile as he eagerly greeted family entering our home. Those gatherings meant as much to him as they do to me.
Sundown tonight will mark the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Although there will be cherished moments together this evening for Jews across our country, the joy of a new year will be accompanied by fear and anxiety, worsened by the increasing anti-Semitism that has found an emboldened place in our country. Despite the hate that they continue to face, Jews in Canada will, as we have for thousands of years, continue to persevere.
On the eve of this new year, I am proud to stand as a Jew in this chamber and wish the community a Shana Tova. May the upcoming year be filled with peace, joy and the prospect of a brighter future.