Federal Report Finds Nearly 800 Antisemitic Incidents Against Ontario Students

Recent reports from Canada and the UK reveal a troubling increase in antisemitic incidents, particularly since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023. In Ontario, a federally commissioned survey documented 781 antisemitic incidents in elementary and high schools, including disturbing acts such as Nazi salutes, Holocaust denial, and verbal hate, with some incidents involving teachers either initiating or approving such behavior. Jewish students reported being targeted with slurs and harassment, and many expressed feeling unsafe and undervalued in their classrooms. Meanwhile, a UK report, led by government advisors, highlighted a surge in antisemitism across various sectors including the NHS, and called for comprehensive antisemitism training and recognition of Judaism as both an ethnicity and a religion to better address discrimination. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and other organizations have urged institutions to take concrete steps to combat antisemitism, including the creation of a standardized training qualification and improved workplace policies. Additionally, Jewish organizations in the US have expressed concern over rising antisemitism within teachers' unions, calling on leadership to address this hostile climate decisively.