Opinion: A clarion call for Canadians to stand against Jew hatred

In the Jewish tradition, the 10 days between the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and the observance of Yom Kippur are known as the “Ten Days of Repentance” or the “Days of Awe.” Jewish tradition teaches that the Book of Life is written on Rosh Hashanah, but it is only on Yom Kippur that it is sealed. We are taught that our actions matter and can ultimately alter the decree.

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This is indeed a sacred time of judgment. The question is who is being judged?

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These are difficult, uncertain and painful times. Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl taught us that, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.”

For three years, this country’s Jewish community has been hoping that Canadians will stand up and refuse to accept the continued, virulent and persistent vilification of Jews, thinly disguised as anger at the current Israeli government or anti-Zionism. Canadians have a choice to make.

Too often, it is only when Jews are targeted that people have the audacity to explain away hatred. Why is it that anti-Zionism is tolerated when Zionism — the Jewish right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland — forms the core identity of the vast majority of Jews?

Would any other religion, race or ethnic group be subject to questions about their lived experiences and what hate feels like to them? A foundational principal in anti-racism work is: nothing about us without us. Except when it comes to the Jews, apparently.

When political rhetoric becomes a vehicle for denying Jews the right to national self-determination, when Jewish students are targeted because of their connection to Israel or when tropes about Jewish power, conspiracy and collective guilt are repackaged as political activism, Canadians should have the courage to call it what it is: Jew hatred.

Two recent reports should serve as a wake-up call. Judge Mary Lou Benotto’s independent review at Toronto Metropolitan University examined serious incidents surrounding campus protests and concluded that the events were problematic and symptomatic of a deteriorating campus climate that requires remediation.

The federal government’s Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences report’s findings are also deeply disturbing, with 84 per cent of Jewish respondents saying antisemitism is a serious problem on campus and more than 95 per cent saying they experienced or witnessed at least one instance of antisemitism in the previous year.

And our universities are but a microcosm of trends within the broader Canadian society. In July, Statistics Canada data showed that Jews continued to be the most targeted religious group in the country in 2025, accounting for 71 per cent of all religion-motivated hate crimes, despite comprising less than one per cent of the population.

Even more concerning is that political leaders no longer universally condemn Jew hatred. When Edmonton Coun. Michael Janz wrote horrible and malicious lies about Israel, Mayor Andrew Knack failed to condemn him, instead saying: “Well, I would say anyone that’s not sharing accurate information, that’s not what we want to see.” His lack of condemnation is a green light for haters to declare open season on Canadian Jews.

Many years ago, human rights activist Natan Sharansky identified the three Ds of antisemitism — double standards, delegitimization and demonization — that help us understand Jew hatred pertaining to Israel.

It is a double standard when Israel’s conduct is singled out and not similarly condemned when practised by other democratic countries. Delegitimization is when Israel’s very existence is portrayed as illegitimate or Jews are denied the right to self-determination. Demonization is when Israel or Jews are portrayed using extreme, dehumanizing or conspiratorial language or imagery.

An example of how the three Ds manifest themselves can be seen at the United Nations. According to data from UN Watch, between 2015 and 2024, the UN General Assembly passed 173 resolutions against Israel, compared with 80 concerning all other countries combined.

While the UN has a long history of singling out Israel, these types of double standards have now migrated to Canada. It’s why, across the country, security was particularly robust at all Jewish institutions on Rosh Hashanah, and why rabbis devoted entire sermons to the topic of antisemitism.

It is hard to say what the tipping point will be as to when Canadian Jews will start looking for safer places to live. As leaders of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, we think about this a lot, but have not yet lost hope that the pendulum can swing and Canada can once again be a safe country for Jews to live in.

To bring us back to Victor Frankl, we choose to hope that you — our fellow Canadians — will stand up to Jew hatred. We choose to believe that you can influence political leaders and university administrations to take meaningful action against antisemitism.

At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, the shofar, akin to a trumpet, is blown. I urge all Canadians to hear it as a clarion call to action. Hear it as an urgent appeal to confront Jew hatred.

Jewish tradition teaches that, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” There is no singular way to combat the scourge of antisemitism, but Canada’s Jews need more from our fellow citizens. We need more people speaking out when they see the 3Ds actualized, in whatever form.

May the blast of the shofar be a wake up call for us all.

Hear the shofar, and act, before it’s too late.

National Post

Joel Diener and Lawrence Greenspon are co-chairs, and Andrea Freedman is a member, of the National Holocaust Monument Committee.

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