G: What brought you to Montreal?
S: My Grandparents grew up in Montreal and my family would frequently visit Montreal so I knew the city and was comfortable there. I came to Study History at Concordia. After finishing my bachelor’s, I worked at the Miriam home for a few years and then decided to complete a Masters in Social Work. I’m currently doing so and am living in Snowdon.
G: What role did your Jewish identity and/or Judaism play in your life?
S: Growing up in Ottawa, the Jewish community was a bit different. I think it was more liberal. I attended a Conservative Synagogue there that is probably closer to a reform synagogue here in Montreal. I had a Batmitzvah and went to a hebrew afternoon school 3 times a week., which was sometimes a tough experience (Laughs)… Kids were tired; after a full day of school we wanted to play and snack but we were learning the Torah…
The Jewish community in Ottawa is not as close knit as in Montreal. There’s more cohesion here and the community is more diverse and grounded. In Ottawa, the community is newer. Many in the community are Montreal ex-pats.
My father’s mother tongue is Yiddish, which, in my mind, is a beautiful language. It’s comical, nuanced and expressive. I was always interested in Yiddish when growing up, so when I came to Montreal, the first thing I got involved in was the Yiddish theatre at the Segal Centre. I was really fortunate because the people in the Yiddish theatre community are the most extraordinarily welcoming people.. They helped me feel part of the community and through them I found a deep sense of belonging here. I’ve also settled in a neighborhood with a big Jewish community that’s more concentrated than the one in Ottawa, and it was easier for me to get engaged here.
G: Why choose to enter politics?
S: I’ve always been politically engaged and felt a connection to the oppression Jews encountered in Europe. I grew up with stories from my grandparents and the question of social justice was ingrained in me. I was taught to be very critical and, of course, in Jewish culture there’s a great emphasis on dialogue. That’s one of the things I love about Judaism and Jewish culture: at table everybody has their opinions and perspectives; people are arguing, it’s chaotic and it’s beautiful (laughing).
My Masters in Social Work further empowered me politically. To a certain extent, there are essentially 2 different kinds of social work practice: people who do so for clinical purposes, to work with individuals; and others who choose to work to alleviate systemic socio-political and economic barriers at a policy level in municipal, provincial, and federal politics. By working on the social structure level and by working on improving governmental policies we can enhance people’s well-being in a number of different ways and on a number of different levels, which is one of the reasons why I decided to run.
G: What are some of the issues people are talking about in your riding?
S: In Snowdon there’s a very vibrant Jewish community and when I go door knocking the charter has been a real issue. Despite the fact that the charter is not a municipal issue, it’s nonetheless important. I think that it’s disastrous. With the charter, if you don’t adapt and/or conform to what “Quebecers”, supposedly, look like, you’re somehow different, which is obviously problematic because we’re stifling people’s individuality and ability to express their beliefs, which are constitutionally protected. We live in Canada, in Quebec, which is diverse and multicultural. I don’t know if it will passed. There’s a lot of resistance, but it’s brought up a lot of emotions.
One of my primary concerns is about Social Housing and Affordable Housing. As someone who is young it’s something that I live with. And when I was canvassing I was shocked to hear about how many of the constituents, the older members of the community, were talking about how their children and grandchildren live in the suburbs. I think that’s really sad. My bubby lived in a senior resistance where I could visit her every single day. It was just so close, and I believe that keeping people on the island, so that they can stay close to their families is really important. We need young people on the island, we need to have affordable housing, we need to have our different generations interact with one another, discuss and learn.
Another one of my big concerns is making the environment more conducive to cyclists. I was lucky to go to Europe last year, where in I frequently she saw cyclists owning the road because the infrastructure was built with them in mind, for them. Here I feel that when you’re on a bike you feel like schmuck, like someone will run over you, but in Europe because the infrastructure is there for bikers you feel a priority and I’d like to see that more in Montreal. I don’t want to feel vulnerable. It’s especially problematic in the West End of the city, and in my borough. Many improvements have been made but there needs to be more.
G: Thank you for sharing your time.
My pleasure!
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