OP-ED: Toronto school trustee too afraid to face real journalists at anti-Semitism event

Sue-Ann Levy writes, "Progressive Jews pushing around and bullying Jews who go the extra mile to expose anti-Semitism at an event on anti-Semitism. You can't make this stuff up."

Source: Wikimedia Commons

By Sue-Ann Levy

Two weeks ago, I registered for an event called “Dealing with Anti-Semitism at the TDSB,” featuring Trustee Shelley Laskin and one of the board’s media spokespeople, Shari Schwartz-Maltz.

The Tuesday night event was held by Oraynu Congregation—a group of radical leftist self-loathing Jews. Its office manager, Roby Sadler, sent me no less than three emails confirming my attendance and asking me if I wanted to join and/or donate to the congregation.

When I arrived at the same time as Dave Menzies of Rebel News, Sadler checked us in and invited us to enjoy a cookie before finding our seats.

I noticed that many participants sported nametags and later realized that they were all congregants (or should I say disciples) of humanistic Rabbi Eva Goldfinger, who proudly declares she doesn’t believe in G-d.

We both sat down (without any cookies) and waited for the proceedings to start, until three women approached us and asked us to step outside.

One was Sadler, the other was the congregation’s president, Carol Elman, and another was moderating the proceedings.

When we asked why, they told us we were not welcome there, that we were not “authorized” media, and that the speakers did not feel “safe” with us there—that their humanistic congregation is a “safe space.”

Can you imagine being told we were not welcome at an event about anti-Semitism, where my only purpose was to write a story about the forum?

I felt like I was being subjected to the rabid anti-Semitism we’ve experienced here in Canada, only it was by other Jews, albeit self-loathing ones.

When we refused to budge—after all, we’d registered and didn’t show up unannounced—we were told we couldn’t record the proceedings or take notes, as if something secret was being conveyed.

We were also threatened that we’d be charged with trespassing, even though we’d been approved to attend.

At one point, Sandler said she’d tell everyone to go home because we were being unreasonable.

When a security guard was brought on the scene, Menzies and his cameraman left. I remained.

At that point, Goldfinger—who signed a petition two weeks after 10/7 calling for a ceasefire (even though the IDF had yet to go into Gaza)—turned up and became very aggressive.

She said that Laskin refused to speak if I remained—that it was either her or me.

I responded that Laskin could leave if she so chose, that she is paid by the board and is accountable to the public.

The man behind me—who had Robert Horowitz on his nametag—shouted at me to “Get the f—- out of there” and became so aggressive I thought he was going to punch me.

At the time—and in the midst of the bullying by many congregants along with the “humanistic rabbi” who pushed and shoved me while getting into my face—I thought Laskin didn’t want me there because I’ve repeatedly exposed her contributions to anti-Semitism on the board, her support of DEI (which led to the tragic death of Richard Bilkszto), her support of anti-Palestinian racism (which doesn’t exist), and her tone deafness when it comes to the many anti-Semitic incidents that have occurred in TDSB schools since 10/7.

This was all documented in a recently released federal report on Jew hatred in Ontario schools, particularly in the TDSB.

I thought, rightly or wrongly, that Laskin was just being the bully she regularly is in board meetings, where I’ve observed her repeatedly trying to silence Conservative Trustee Weidong Pei.

But upon sober second thought, I realized that Laskin, one of the board’s 22 trustees, recently put under provincial supervision, was not supposed to be there representing the board in any way!

She was ordered to give up her board laptop and phone two weeks ago and is banned from representing the board in any way at parent or outside meetings.

That is why, I’m betting, she was so upset that Menzies and I turned up.

That is why she refused to come and speak to us herself.

She was caught.

Sadly, it would seem she used the useful idiots at Oraynu to make us the bad guys, and because we are Conservative media, they gladly complied—aggressively and most willingly.

In fact, the useful idiots confirmed their bias after I posted my experience on a private Jewish website.

An attendee, likely a disciple of Goldfinger’s who was too cowardly to say his or her name, said the following in response:

Sue-Ann Levy, I’m sorry to break it to you, but Juno News and Rebel News are not serious news outlets. They’re extremist sites that manufacture outrage and target people for harassment.

That’s reason enough for someone not to want you at an event.

So there you have it.

Progressive Jews pushing around and bullying Jews who go the extra mile to expose anti-Semitism at an event on anti-Semitism.

Laskin getting said Jews to do her dirty work, even though she was not supposed to be there.

You can’t make this stuff up.

The world has gone truly nuts.