Dear Mayor and Members of Victoria City Council,

We are writing in follow-up to the remarks delivered by Ms. Sadie Jackson at the City Council meeting on January 8. Ms. Jackson, a local non-Jewish community member, courageously raised serious concerns regarding public safety in Victoria and what she described as a sustained neglect of the safety and well-being of the local Jewish community.

We wish to formally state that the Jewish community in Victoria shares Ms. Jackson’s concerns and is deeply troubled by the current situation. We are disappointed by the City’s ongoing failure to adequately respond to and prevent the hostile environment that has developed in our city.

The City of Victoria has publicly committed to inclusivity, stating its intention to “remove barriers for all peoples so that everyone can access and fully participate in city services, spaces, and programs.” However, this commitment has not been upheld in practice for Jewish residents, students, organizations, and businesses.

As Ms. Jackson stated, over the past several years, there have been repeated and well-documented incidents that directly contradict this commitment, including:

• The repeated desecration of Victoria’s historic synagogue.
• Jewish students on local campuses experiencing harassment and physical assault.
• Political demonstrations in the downtown core that include intimidation, threats, and incitement toward the Jewish community, while also disrupting businesses, residential life, and emergency access.
• Jewish community organizations, including Chabad and Hillel, facing threats, protests, and ongoing harassment related solely to their identity and communal activities. 
  
  While police presence has become a regular necessity at Jewish events in order to ensure basic safety, there has been little to no meaningful follow-through in terms of enforcement or prosecution related to harassment, assault, incitement, hate speech, or graffiti. The absence of consequences has allowed these behaviors to continue unchecked.

As a result, Jewish residents increasingly fear walking freely and safely in their own city.
A hostile environment has been allowed to grow, in which open expressions of antisemitism and discrimination are becoming normalized and, in some cases, openly endorsed by local organizations and businesses.
This situation did not arise in isolation. It is the result of prolonged inaction and a lack of leadership. When hate, intimidation, and exclusion are not meaningfully addressed, they become accepted.

We therefore call on the Mayor and City Council to take immediate and concrete action, including but not limited to:

Publicly reaffirming that antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish residents will not be tolerated in any form.
Ensuring that existing laws and bylaws related to harassment, hate speech, vandalism, and public safety are actively enforced.
Working with law enforcement, community leaders, and affected organizations to develop preventative strategies rather than relying solely on reactive policing.
Providing transparency and accountability regarding how the City intends to fulfill its stated inclusivity commitments for the Jewish community.
Establishing a clear follow-up process with timelines to address these concerns and report progress back to the public.
The Jewish community is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal protection, accountability, and the fulfillment of commitments already made by this City. We want to live, work, study, worship, and gather in Victoria without fear.

We urge you to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and to take decisive steps to restore safety, trust, and true inclusivity in our city.

Sincerely,

Victoria's Jewish community & concerned citizens