There is one expression that I will never use in the aftermath of the shooting at and around the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville on Sunday.
You will never hear me say “things are getting back to normal”.
That’s because they aren’t, because the world has changed for many of us and there is no going back.
This event has had a huge impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
I could see it on people’s faces as I attended the media event and spoke to people involved in the investigation and others like Sons of Jacob Congregation President Norm Weddum.
I could read it in the first-hand accounts from members of the congregation posted on social media. I can’t imagine being attacked because of who I am or how I express my faith. It is both sobering and heartbreaking.
The countless messages of support in the aftermath of the shooting, Ryan Williams providing a safe space for some from the synagogue to complete their Yom Kippur services, and the gathering at market square to show solidarity are all heartening, but they don’t erase the fear, the anxiety, and the sense that something has changed.
People who were at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue will never forget that night. People who live in that neighbourhood and who had to cross police tape just to get home are still feeling the impact.
We as a community are not okay.
I am not okay, and it’s all right to admit that and reach out for help.
Things are not getting back to normal, but the healing can begin and we can face the future together.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
