Jew-Hatred Flourishing in Canada's Schools

A new “study” confirms reality since October 7

As many of you know, I’m Canadian. For more than 50 years Toronto was my home. I went to public schools, university, law school, worked and raised my kids there. I remain very attached to the city but am deeply disturbed to see what it has become, particularly since October 7.

A big story last week – which received attention internationally - was the release of a survey of antisemitic incidents in the public school system in Ontario, the province in which Toronto is located. I wrote about this last Friday in the UK Jewish Chronicle. We’ve set out the first few paragraphs below. Please click the link to read the full article on the Jewish Chronicle site. (The survey was limited to Ontario because it has the largest Jewish population in the country. But we know - from stats and testimony - that this trend is widespread nationally.)

Canada is home to the fourth largest Jewish community in the world – just under 400,000 – after Israel, the U.S. and France. Since October 7 it has become a constant target of the well-organized and financed “Free Palestine” movement.

Jewish schools have been fire-bombed. Repeatedly. Synagogues have been vandalized. Repeatedly. Israeli and Jewish-owned business have been vandalized, patrons harassed and threatened. And Jewish people have been targeted and harassed while quietly going about their lives, repeatedly.

Law enforcement? What’s that?

Political leadership at all levels look away – with few exceptions. Most notable (in the good guy camp) are the federal leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

I am in close contact with many Canadians – Jewish and not – who see these enormous red flags for what they are. But as in the past, too many people are looking away, pretending that it will pass.

It will not pass.

Read and weep.

Last week’s newly released survey on antisemitism in Ontario schools is horrifying – but not remotely surprising.

Commissioned by the Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, it involved 599 Jewish parents who reported 781 antisemitic incidents that took place from October 2023 to January 2025.

Over 40 per cent reported Nazi salutes or comments about Hitler "finishing the job". Almost 60 per cent referred to Israel or the Israel-Hamas war. In over 20 per cent of cases, the offences involved violence or vandalism. In nearly 35 per cent, the harassment occurred face to face. Nearly one in six antisemitic incidents were initiated or approved by a teacher or involved a school-sanctioned activity. Almost half of all cases reported to schools weren’t even investigated.

A six-year-old child in Ottawa was told by her teacher that she is “half human because one of her parents is Jewish.” One assumes that the teacher remains in the classroom.