As a rabbi, I have officiated at hundreds of weddings.

Every couple arrives at the chuppah, the Jewish wedding canopy, in love. They look at one another with excitement and hope. They imagine a future stretching out before them. They cannot imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

Love gets them to the wedding day. Love alone does not keep them married.

What carries a couple through decades together is trust, commitment and faithfulness. The willingness to bind your future to another person’s future. To take responsibility for their well-being. To care about their fears as if they were your own.

The deepest question in any marriage is not, “Do you love me?” It is, “When I am vulnerable, will you still be there?”

Lately, I have found myself thinking about that question as a Canadian Jew.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent address on antisemitism resonated with many Jewish Canadians because he did something every struggling relationship requires before healing can begin. He acknowledged the breach. He acknowledged that something between us has been broken.

For generations, Jewish Canadians have lived as faithful partners in the Canadian covenant. We did not simply seek refuge in this country. We helped build it. We brought traditions of learning, charity, justice, community responsibility and civic engagement. We founded institutions, strengthened neighbourhoods, supported hospitals and universities, served in public office, contributed to the arts, sciences and professions, and invested ourselves in the Canadian project........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)