Canada’s prime minister called Jewish leaders to discuss the federal election date, which falls on Sukkot.
Stephen Harper and Canadian Jewish Congress Co-President Rabbi Reuven Bulka in a phone call Sept. 4 discussed the government’s decision to hold the federal election on Oct. 14, coinciding with the Jewish observance.
“We were very pleased the prime minister chose to contact us directly to talk about this issue, which demonstrated a sincere understanding of our community,” Bulka said. “It was clear from the conversation that the prime minister remains very sensitive to these matters, and he explained in detail why he chose this date.
“We know Prime Minister Harper is a man of faith and understand the challenges he must have faced in determining a date for the election. We understand that there will be numerous advance polls at which all Canadians may vote, and that during the course of the writ period, citizens may vote at any Elections Canada office. We will be sharing this information with members of our community to ensure they can participate as fully as possible in the election process.”
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