A Social Issues Commission (SIC) Instagram post explaining what Yom Kippur is has elicited varied responses from the Queen’s community.
An Instagram post made by the SIC on Oct. 11—a commission under the AMS—about the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur sparked criticism on both Instagram and Reddit, with some s claiming it omitted key details and misrepresented the holiday.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism and a day of atonement. It occurs annually on day 10 of Tishrei, the first month in the Hebrew calendar.
Although the post is still up on the SIC’s Instagram , the initial post was edited to remove slide three. The slide titled “Resources and s” received criticism regarding the listed resources. The slide included Alt Jews Katarokwi, an anti-Zionist Jewish group in Kingston. Other resources included Queen’s Hillel, a community-oriented organization that s Jewish students, and Faith and Spiritual Life at Queen’s, a school-offered space for prayer and reflection.
The current post provides an overview of Yom Kippur, explaining its significance and outlining how to observe it in Katarokwi. It highlights key traditions associated with the holiday and offers suggestions on how to participate this year, including taking time to learn about the meaning and customs of Yom Kippur, showing to Jewish friends and neighbours, and engaging in personal reflection.
In a statement to The Journal, Phoebe Starnino, CompSci ’27, and Queen’s Hillel’s vice-president (external relations), echoed similar concerns to the commentators, stating the SIC’s post overlooks key observances of Yom Kippur such as the prohibition of bathing, wearing leather, sexual relations, perfumes, and cosmetics.
“None of these are mentioned in the post, while ‘giving charity’ and ‘interfaith dialogue’ were included, both acts which, though irable, are not traditions universally associated with Yom Kippur,” Starnino wrote.
Starnino noted the inclusion of Alt Jews Katarokwi was misguided, considering the omission to include Chabad Kingston—a welcoming off-campus centre for Jewish students and community to engage with their cultural roots through weekly Shabbat dinners, among other services—along with the omission of other Jewish groups such as Iyr HaMelech, Kingston’s Reform Jewish Congregation.
The SIC’s original post stated Queen’s Hillel s “Jewish students with Yom Kippur services, Shabbat dinners, and cultural programs, fostering Jewish Identity and dialogue.” According to Starnino, none of the listed organizations provided Yom Kippur services this year.
“This felt, to many of our community, like a clear attempt to tokenize anti-Zionist Jews and imply they are a large population within our community. As the SIC must be aware, tokenism is dangerous for marginalized communities and the AMS should be conscious of the way it may add to an already hostile campus climate for Jewish students,” Starnino wrote.
Starnino noted Hillel Queen’s, an organization that has been part of the AMS for over 80 years, serves as a significant resource for Jewish students, with over 1,000 students participating in their programming last year, 800 of which were Jewish students. Given their longstanding presence, Starnino suggested the AMS should have consulted Hillel Queen’s on matters affecting the Jewish community. She highlighted the AMS is fortunate to have access to organizations representing various cultures, which they should rely on for guidance to ensure respectful representation.
“In the future, the AMS should consider reaching out to us for consultation on materials that impact our community. We cannot expect the AMS to be experts in every culture and religion, which is why the AMS is lucky to have ratified organizations representing a number of cultures on campus—we should certainly expect the AMS to reach out to these organizations when appropriate, to ensure that they are accurately and respectfully representing these cultures,” Starnino said.
The Journal requested a statement from the AMS, asking what the research process for the post involved, why certain Jewish organizations were not mentioned, and why the “Resources and s” slide was removed, but the AMS chose not to comment citing ongoing internal discussions.
In a statement to The Journal, Alt Jews Katarokwi outlined the ideals they stand for as an organization.
“Alt Jews Katarokwi is a cultural and activist collective of self-identified anti-Zionist Jewish people in the Kingston/Katarokwi area, looking for community, connection, and spiritual practice rooted in our shared values of justice, inter-cultural and Palestinian solidarity, and Tikkun Olam (the Jewish mandate of repairing the world),” they wrote in a statement.
The organization also expressed their views on the SIC’s post, adding they didn’t feel the post was misguided. They said the SIC’s emphasis on Yom Kippur as a time for atonement, as well as a period for refocusing on justice, wholeness, and community-building for the year ahead, aligns closely with Jewish values.
Alt Jews Katarokwi also added they believe the post “speaks to the interpretive and personal nature of Judaism,” which is also exemplified by the “Alt” in their name, adding varied interpretations of Judaism can lead to disagreements.
“But Judaism is varied, like I said, and there will always be debate, disagreement, and differing interpretations. This doesn’t make the post wrong—it just makes it one of many ways to mark Yom Kippur in a diverse Jewish community, and one that we feel makes sense, given the SIC’s mandate,” they wrote.
The SIC’s mandate states they exist to to facilitate dialogue, education, and engagement on all matters related to equity, identity, and anti-oppression.
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