93 years later, Christie Pits still has a lesson for Canada
On this day, ninety-three years ago, Toronto’s Christie Pits became the scene of one of the largest outbreaks of public violence in Canadian history.
Nazi sympathizers disrupted a baseball game, waving swastikas and shouting “Heil Hitler.” More than 10,000 people were caught up in the violence. But Jewish Canadians were not alone. Italian Canadians, who also faced discrimination, fought alongside.
In the National Post, our CEO Noah Shack reflects on the lessons of the Christie Pits Riot and why allyship matters more than ever. It is also a lesson about the importance of confronting the drivers of violence before it’s too late: authorities and elected leaders had ample warning, but the growing acceptance of a foreign extremist ideology allowed hatred to escalate.
Also in this newsletter: Find out how you can push back against the divisive BDS motion in front of Montreal City Council; learn how our community’s advocacy is shaping a tougher approach to hate crimes in Ontario; read about a new government-commissioned study linking anti-Israel activism to the disturbing rise of antisemitism on campuses; and get a sneak peek at a new book revealing the little-known account of how the Philippines helped save Jews during the Holocaust — saving more lives than Oskar Schindler.
The CIJA Team
On Aug. 16, 1933, our CEO Noah Shack’s grandfather was among the many Torontonians who gathered at Christie Pits for what should have been another summer evening of baseball.
Instead, young men unfurled a homemade Nazi swastika banner, shouted “Heil Hitler” and taunted Jewish spectators. Violence soon erupted.
But Jewish Canadians did not stand alone. Italian Canadians joined them in fighting back.
Ninety-three years later, Noah reflects in the National Post on the enduring lesson of Christie Pits: when extremists bring hate and import dangerous ideologies into our communities, all Canadians must stand together.
Read Noah’s op-ed, and visit two organizations mobilizing thousands of Canadians to stand against extremism and antisemitism.
In June, thousands of community members made their voices heard and helped prevent Projet Montréal’s divisive and inflammatory BDS motion from advancing at City Council.
Now, it’s back on the agenda. On Aug. 24, Montreal councillors will have a choice: put Montrealers first or support a divisive agenda that will further inflame tensions in our city.
This comes amid an already toxic climate, including arson attacks on synagogues, a Jewish effigy hung in our streets and violent assaults targeting community members.
We need your help. Send a message to Projet Montréal and all municipal elected officials: withdraw this declaration or reject it outright.
Following a hateful March 15 protest targeting Toronto’s Jewish community—with propaganda and signs evoking the Nazi era—CIJA joined UJA Federation, B’nai Brith Canada and thousands of Torontonians in demanding action.
Our community’s collective advocacy helped drive a stronger response. Toronto Police established a Counter-Terrorism Security Unit and launched Task Force Guardian, while issuing a directive to take a tougher approach to protests targeting Jewish communities.
Last weekend, police arrested and charged two more protesters, bringing the total to eight. Police also recently charged a prominent pro-Palestinian protest leader for alleged connections to Hamas.
And just a few days ago, the Ontario government announced a specialized Hate Crime Prosecutions Unit, following the successful passage of MPP Michelle Cooper’s Private Member’s Motion, which our community supported.
Earlier this month, the Government of Canada released a national study documenting antisemitism across Canadian universities.
Ninety-six per cent of Jewish students experienced or witnessed at least one antisemitic incident in the past year—including many involving professors and administrators.
It also found that anti-Israel activism and antizionism are driving much of the discrimination Jewish students face.
At the report’s release, Carleton University alum Alexa Barrett-Taller shared a powerful personal account. After a professor blamed Jews for the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attack and Alexa reported the incident, the professor later invited an individual accused of terrorism to speak to the class.
These findings demand action. That’s why CIJA joined the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and B’nai Brith Canada in calling on governments and university leaders to confront antisemitism on campus.
Last week, CIJA and the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre hosted a special conversation with Filipino Canadian author Mark Sy about his new book, The Manila Poker Club: Eisenhower, Quezon, and the Plan to Harbor Europe’s Jews in the Philippines.
The book shines a light on a remarkable and little-known chapter of history: a daring plan hatched over late-night poker games that ultimately enabled more than 1,300 European Jewish refugees to find safety in the Philippines—ultimately saving more Jewish lives than Oskar Schindler.
CIJA’s own David Decolongon, who comes from the Filipino community, moderated the conversation, drawing powerful connections between our two communities. This story is a powerful example of the Filipino value of kapwa, or our shared humanity, which led to this extraordinary story of allyship and saving Jewish lives.
