Sharlene Weitzman, a 59-year-old forensic social worker, was among those who gathered at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Yom Kippur when a gunman attacked. She and her family survived with the help of Belleville Police Service officers; the shooter died while others were unharmed. Weitzman spoke to National Post about the incident, emphasizing that it is part of a broader issue of antisemitism globally rather than an isolated event. She urged Canadians to recognize and address the hatred directed at Jews both in Canada and internationally.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Sharlene Weitzman was among the small group of Jews who’d gathered Sunday evening at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ont., to worship on the faith’s holiest day, Yom Kippur, when a gunman arrived and opened fire.
asserted
gunman → gather → fire
The 59-year-old forensic social worker told her courageous story to National Post this week not to be a “spokesperson” for the tragedy that left the suspected shooter dead, a Belleville Police Service officer in hospital, and Canada’s Jewish population again questioning their safety.
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population → tell → safety
She spoke candidly because she refused “to miss the opportunity to bear witness” to the crisis of Jew hatred in Canada and around the world.
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she → speak → world
“Stop telling us Jews that we’re overreacting.
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we → tell → ?
Stop telling us it’s not antisemitism, ‘It’s not all about you.
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It → tell → you
If people hate you, there’s a reason,’” she said.
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she → hate → you
“But I’m not Benjamin Netanyahu.
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I → ’m → ?
I’m not the leader of the government.
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I → ’m → government
I’m not Mark Carney.
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I → ’m → ?
I’m just a Jewish mom trying to raise my family in the community that we’ve been in for 25, 30 years.
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we → ’m → years
Weitzman had more she wanted to say, with the following statement:
Thank you to Hashem and to both officers of the Belleville Police Service who saved my family’s lives this past Sunday, Yom Kippur 5787.
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who → want → lives
Having experienced this traumatic event together, I believe they have a new understanding of the life-and-death challenges not only the police but Jews face daily.
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police → experience → challenges
We pray for his family.
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We → pray → family
They have suffered great loss.
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They → suffer → loss
I am speaking today to bear witness to Jew Hatred around the world.
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I → speak → world
Your silence is harming us.
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silence → harm → us
The massacre that began the current war.
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that → begin → war
Innocent people die.
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people → die → ?
There is a war on Jews around the globe; it is dangerous and ugly, and innocent people are dying.
It is not, however, an accident.
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It → be → globe
Warren Kinsella’s recent award-winning book, The Hidden Hand, devastatingly traces the information war against Jews that has been waged across the world.
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that → win → world
The information war is working when Canadians are incited to kill Canadians because of their faith and connection to Israel.
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Canadians → work → Israel
Hatred grows in silence.
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Hatred → grow → silence
Speaking out against it is an integral part of our Canadian social contract.
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Speaking → speak → contract
We can rebuild the Canada I grew up in better, bolder, more modern and safer.
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I → rebuild → ?
A year ago, my son was in a safe room in Eilat, Israel, facing Houthi missile attacks.
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son → face → attacks
This year he faced being shot at with a high-calibre shotgun.
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he → face → shotgun
What mother wants to ask that question?
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mother → want → question
Jew hatred is not confined to a war over the land of Israel.
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hatred → confine → Israel
What happened in Belleville is not about a centuries-old struggle in the Middle East.
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happened → happen → East
This is about Jew hatred rearing its ugly head.
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hatred → rear → head
This cycle has repeated throughout history each time humankind faced a major revolution.
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humankind → repeat → revolution
People become fearful, and the Jews become a target.
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Jews → become → ?
Fear promotes hatred.
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Fear → promote → hatred
We need leaders who incite safety, not hatred.
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who → need → safety
We need leaders who show up and who not only protect our economies from threats to our sovereignty but ensure we are alive to bear the fruits of that sovereignty.
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we → need → sovereignty
Finally, my family, my little tribe, send our prayers to the congregation of the Sons of Jacob synagogue.
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family → send → synagogue
We survived with you to live another day.
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We → survive → day
After the shooting, our community joined hands and prayed.
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community → join → hands
We prayed for life, peace, safety and the forgiveness of those we have harmed this past year.
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we → pray → those
We sang and prayed for each of us to walk the path to become our G-d made best selves in the year ahead.
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each → sing → year
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
