Rabbi Michael Dolgin explains how the Oscars commercial on antisemitism was made in Canada

As the rabbinic leader at Temple Sinai Congregation in Toronto, Rabbi Michael Dolgin has gotten used to speaking to a crowd. But now Dolgin and an all-Canadian cast are appearing in a new commercial about combating antisemitism that was filmed completely in Toronto in January, mainly in the Kensington Market. The ad was commissioned by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, set up in 2019 by Robert Kraft, the American Jewish billionaire philanthropist and owner of the New England Patriots.

The ripped-from-the-headlines story shows how an American teenager's bar mitzvah service was interrupted by a bomb threat in Massachusetts just days after Hamas's attack on Israel last October. The stranded Jewish worshippers had to evacuate the building, but found themselves quickly welcomed in by an Evangelical church across the road in Attleboro.

On today's episode of The CJN Daily, Rabbi Dolgin joins to describe why the role was actually created with him in mind—and what he hopes the ad will do, now that it is out online and will air at the Oscars telecast on March 10.

[Ed note: the interview was done when the cast was told their ad would be aired during the Super Bowl in February, however the organizers chose to use one with a former speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King.]

What we talked about

• Watch the new commercial
• Read more about the behind the scenes of the Canadian-filmed ad, in The CJN.
• Learn more about the Ernie’s Books project run by Liberation 75, which distributes free Holocaust books to Grade 6 students and their teachers

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here. Hear why The CJN is important to me.