Addressing the Fallout: Antisemitism in the Shadow of Conflict

Today’s offering is not about the war in Israel and Gaza directly but about the fall-out of it, namely the rise in antisemitism globally. Consider this recent Time Magazine article titled “The New Antisemitism” written by Noah Felman, which explores “How an ancient hatred has reinvented itself in the modern world.”

The United Kingdom has reported thousands of antisemitic incidents following October 7, making 2023 the worst year for UK antisemitism since 1984. Reuters published this article at the end of October 2023 addressing how the rise in antisemitism is affecting counties across the globe (this is an outdated piece as we know that many more incidents have occurred since October 31).

Here in Toronto, the chief of police recently stated that hate crimes are up 93% from 2023, noting that crimes spiked in October and November and began to rise last month once again. Two days ago he stated that “of the 84 hate crimes so far in 2024, 56 per cent are antisemitic. Last month saw the highest number of antisemitic occurrences in the last three years.” 

The city of Vaughan is proposing legislation that would limit where protestors can gather and stand (not within 100 metres of such places as religious institutions, schools, childcare centres, and hospitals). While such bylaws have not come to Toronto, we may see this kind of proposal in the future.

Incidents of antisemitism in our neigbourhoods are scary. How should we react to them? How do we report them? Know that the DJC leadership is here for you should you need to talk – anytime. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

To learn more about the history of antisemitism and how it is manifesting today, please check out these online resources:

• Project Shema – Addressing Antisemitism: A Guide for Allies

• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Antisemitism Explained

• Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies – extensive Antisemitism Education resources

• Facing History and Ourselves – Antisemitism Resource Collection

• AJC –  Everything You Need to Know About Antisemitism

• UN Watch – Antisemitism

• Canadian Museum for Human Rights – The Stain of Antisemitism in Canada

• US Gov’t – Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt)

• The ADL – Antisemitism Uncovered

Please let me know what you think about today’s offering: rabbiglickman@djctoronto.com. I look forward to the conversation.

This is our ongoing blog series to introduce the DJC community to podcasts, books, websites, and other media offerings that may expand our understandings of the current war in particular and Israel/Palestine more broadly. I hope you listen/watch/read these recommendations with curiosity, openness, and empathy.