Caroline Bassoon-Zaltman reflects on her childhood in Iraq, where her family faced increasing hostility as Jews. At just five years old, she witnessed the doors to freedom close as her community became trapped in a country that had once been home for generations. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948, a moment meant to symbolize safety for Jews, instead led to widespread persecution across the Middle East and North Africa.

In Iraq, Jews were stripped of their rights and labeled as enemies. Bassoon-Zaltman’s family was among those who could no longer leave the country, becoming hostages to a regime that viewed them with suspicion.

"That was more than 60 years ago, yet this trauma has recently been rekindled," she said, referring to the controversy surrounding the Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. She expressed concern that the exhibit presents a political agenda that overlooks the experiences of Jews who were violently uprooted from their homes.

Bassoon-Zaltman recounted the gradual escalation of hostility her family faced in Iraq. It began with small humiliations, such as her father losing his job due to his Jewish identity. The situation worsened as friends were arrested on fabricated charges, and some families found the bodies of loved ones left at their doorsteps.

"Each morning, I woke up unsure of what the day might bring," she recalled. This atmosphere of fear and uncertainty is what she sees reflected in Canada today.

In recent months, she has observed mobs outside synagogues and daycares in Toronto, harassment of Jewish students on university campuses, and attacks on Jews in public spaces. She noted a failure by governments and institutions to protect Jewish communities from violence and harassment.

"When hate goes unchecked long enough, it moves from the margins into mainstream spaces," she warned. Bassoon-Zaltman emphasized the importance of museums as public educators and expressed concern that the narratives presented can shape societal attitudes toward Jewish history.

She believes that excluding the stories of Jews displaced from the Middle East and North Africa sends a harmful message about whose suffering is recognized.

"Erasing it does not build understanding," she stated. Bassoon-Zaltman urged Canada to confront rising antisemitism and to tell the full story of Jewish experiences, even when it complicates political narratives.

"We cannot let these old hatreds take root again," she said. "I have lived through that once. I cannot bear the thought of watching Canada drift down that same dangerous path."

Bassoon-Zaltman’s reflections serve as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging all histories to prevent the resurgence of hatred and discrimination in society.