Disclaimer: IJV is sharing this important letter, supported by many of our members. IJV Canada is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse any particular candidate or political party in the Hamilton Centre byelection.
We are members of the Jewish community in Ontario. We wholeheartedly, unreservedly support Sarah Jama in the upcoming Ontario provincial bi-election for Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre.
Sarah has been a powerful advocate for justice for all people for over a decade with a proven track record of building the capacity of communities to come together and advocate. She has worked tirelessly to change the conditions of injustice in the Hamilton area. Whether as co-founder and executive director of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario or as a co-founder of the Hamilton Encampment Support Network, Sarah has demonstrated advocacy and leadership. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Sarah was instrumental in creating mutual aid networks and centres crucial in helping hundreds of neighbours in Hamilton. She brings communities together to work towards building a better world – one where everyone can thrive free of ableism, racism (including anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-immigrant racism), sexism, xenophobia, poverty, homophobia, transphobia, climate injustice, and all forms of oppression.
Sarah’s very substantial track record in our communities demonstrates her deep understanding of the interconnectedness and intersectionality of all oppressions. She has the experience and expertise required to serve as an effective MPP and will bring all of her experiences to representing all of the people of Hamilton Centre in the Ontario Provincial Legislature. Her ability to build community and to envision a better future for all Hamiltonians is authentic. It derives from her lived experience as well as doing the hard work of advocacy on a variety of issues with a multiplicity of communities.
We wholeheartedly and without reservation support Sarah Jama as the next MPP for Hamilton Centre. We desperately need an MPP like Sarah, who is connected to communities and connects communities. She has our vote, our confidence, and our trust. If you care about justice for all people and about building a better Hamilton and a better world, vote Sarah Jama!
Signed by,
- Jess Abraham, MSW, Toronto
- Corey Balsam, national organizer, Independent Jewish Voices
- Leslee Balsam, member, IJV Ottawa
- Julia Barnett, health care worker, Toronto
- Anne Beer, Holocaust survivor, Windsor
- Jody Berland, professor, York University
- Rima Berns-McGown, former ONDP MPP, Beaches-East York
- Marilyn Birmingham, community activist, Kingston
- Abraham Blank, real estate sales rep, Toronto
- Sam Blatt, P.Eng. (ret), Toronto
- Elizabeth Block, singer-songwriter, Toronto
- Pamela Block, anthropology professor, London
- Aha Blume, educator, Hamilton Centre
- Lil Blume, writer, Hamilton Centre
- Elizabeth Brandeis, midwife, Hamilton Centre
- Karen Brill, BSW, M.Ed., Toronto
- Mark Robert Brill
- Sarah Broitman, IJV member, formerly of Hamilton, now Ottawa
- Jonathan Brown Gilbert, Jewish studies teacher, Toronto
- Deborah Cowen, prof geography and planning, U of Toronto
- Natalie Davis, historian, Toronto
- Dr Riki Dayan, MD, Hamilton Centre
- Charlie Diamond, retired, Toronto
- Gord Doctorow, EdD, Toronto
- Olivia Dooley, Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto grad,
- Alex Echakowitz, mental health and disability advocate, Thornhill
- Keturah Edwards, Hamilton Centre
- Rachel Epstein, Ph.D., Toronto
- Wolfe Erlichman, Kingston
- Jorge Filmus, professor, Toronto
- Dr Adrian Fine MD, FRCP, Professor of Medicine
- Chava Finkler, Ph.D., London
- Tami J. Freeman, associate professor of history, Brock University
- Jacob Haas, Hamilton Centre
- Sam Hersh, Ottawa
- Cheryl Gaster
- Zvi Gaster, CPA, Toronto-Danforth
- Alisa Gayle-Deutsch, musician, Toronto
- Sophie Geffros, Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas
- Zachary Goldkind, artist, Toronto
- Sue Goldstein, artist, Toronto
- Amy Gottlieb, IJV member, Toronto
- Jesse Grand, retired social worker, Egansville
- Eleanor Grant, retired, Waterloo
- Jesse Greener, professor
- Davita Guslits, student, London
- Matthew Gventer, ONDP member, Kingston
- Dave Hazzan, York University, Toronto
- Julia Horel, Treasurer of IJV Canada, Toronto
- Yaakov Iland, IJV member, Kitchener
- Ze’ev Ionis, retired team builder, born in Israel
- Eli Jany, Ph.D. candidate in Yiddish, Toronto
- Susan Jany, Oakville
- Jake Javanshir, retired businessman, Toronto
- David Kattenburg, Hamilton Centre
- Becky Katz, Artist, Hamilton Centre
- Laura Katz, campaign volunteer, Hamilton Centre
- Alex Kerner, Hamilton Centre
- Kevin Keystone, journalist, Toronto
- Martin Klein, professor emeritus, University – Rosedale
- Jamie Kneen, researcher, Ottawa
- Bernie Koenig, retired professor, London
- Harry Kopyto, retired lawyer, Toronto
- Molly Kraft, union organizer, Toronto
- Karen Kurtzrock, Ottawa
- Michael Kuttner, retired teacher, Toronto
- Michael Lambek, professor emeritus, Toronto
- Ronnie Joy Leah, Ph.D., OISE/U of Toronto
- Lynda Lemberg
- Ellen G. Levine, Toronto
- Charles Levkoe, professor, Thunder Bay
- Howard Leznoff, retired teacher, Markham
- Barbara Linds, Napanee
- Charlie Lior, Toronto
- Karen Lior, Toronto
- Anna Lippman, Ph.D. candidate, York University
- John Liss, lawyer, Toronto
- Dr. Rachel Loewith, physician, Hamilton Centre
- Ben Losman, member Morris Winchevsky community, Toronto
- Andrew Lyons, prof of anthropology emeritus, Wilfred Laurier University
- Harriet Lyons, prof of anthropology (ret), Waterloo
- Adra Magidson, Hamilton Centre
- Deborah Mandell, registered psychotherapist, Toronto
- Helga Mankovitz, Kingston
- Rabbi Anna Maranta, kohenet, Ottawa
- Peter Marmorek, teacher, Toronto
- Charles Maurer, writer, Toronto
- Scott Miller Berry, cultural worker, Toronto
- Rabbi David Mivasair, Hamilton Centre
- Alex Mlynek, writer and editor, Toronto
- Sheryl Nestel, independent scholar, Toronto
- Sydney Nestel, Toronto
- Geneviève Nevin
- Miriam Novick, Hamilton Centre
- Sylvia Powers, retired, Frontenac County
- Diana Ralph, Ph.D., Ottawa
- Sara Rans, chair Independent Jewish Voice Steering Committee
- Pat Rayman, psychotherapist, Toronto
- Judy Rebick, Canadian author, journalist
- Samuel Isaac Robinson, retired therapist, Hamilton Centre
- Dr. Bram Rochwerg, physician, Hamilton Centre
- Jill Rogin, asst professor, Windsor School of Law, Hamilton Centre
- Herman Rosenfeld, Socialist Project, Toronto
- SandraLaya Ruch, Kohenet, Toronto
- Debbie Samson, educator, Guelph
- Tara Schorr, Toronto
- Carol Schwartz, Ph.D., Toronto
- Karen Shenfeld, poet and filmmaker, Magnetawan
- William Shookoff, musician & educator, Toronto
- Mitchell Shore, Toronto
- Rachel Small, World Beyond War organizer, Toronto
- Raphael Solomon, Ph.D., Ottawa
- Susan Starkman, retired librarian, Toronto
- Ken Stone, retired teacher, activist, Hamilton Mountain
- Vannina Sztainbok, researcher and educator, Toronto
- Yoella Teplitsky, MD, Toronto
- Sara Traub, educator, Toronto
- Brenda Vellino, English professor, Ottawa
- Lorne Walters, born 1945, Hamilton
- Sandra T. Wayne, retired govt exec, bubbe to two bubbelehs, Toronto
- Lauren Weinberg, business owner, Waterloo
- Paul Weinberg, writer, Hamilton
- Michelle Weinroth, Ottawa
- Suzanne Weiss, author, activist, Holocaust survivor, Toronto.
- Jeffrey J. Wilkinson, Ph.D., Guelph
- Errol Young, photographer, Toronto
- Dan Zaitzow, educator, Hamilton Centre
- Anna Zalik, asso prof environmental and urban change, York University
- Edik Zwarenstein, retired engineer, Toronto
- Philip Zylberberg, retired lawyer, Sudbury