Ontario Classrooms Must Be Safe for Jewish Students

I am the proud grandson of Holocaust survivors. My Zeide (z”l) and Bubbe instilled in me a deep understanding of where unchecked antisemitism can lead. And now, as someone who wants to raise a family here in Ontario, I’m deeply troubled by what Jewish students are facing in our public schools. 

A new federal report confirms that antisemitism is a systemic problem in Ontario’s public education system. Jewish children are being harassed, excluded and dehumanized—sometimes by their classmates, sometimes by their teachers. Shockingly, a six-year-old student was called “half-human” by her teacher because one of her parents is Jewish. 

Every student—no matter their background or religion— has the right to be safe at school. 

That’s why CIJA has called on the Government of Ontario to implement real, tangible reforms. 

If nothing changes and school boards fail in their mandate to deliver safe schools, the Minister must stay true to his commitment and step in.

But we need your help to deliver a strong message to government to adopt an actionable strategy: 

• Enforce school board accountability and appoint provincial supervisors where needed. 

• Expedite the rollout of Ontario’s delayed Holocaust education curriculum. 

• Mandate adoption and implementation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism in every school board. 

• Provide guidance to reduce divisive geopolitics in classrooms.  

• Establish a standardized hate incident reporting system.

• Hold school staff accountable when they promote or ignore hate. 
  

We are at a pivotal moment. The government must do all that it can to ensure Ontario’s schools are safe, inclusive, and equitable for all — including Jewish students.  

Join me—take action today and send a message to the Ontario Government. 

Sincerely, 

Josh Landau 
Director, Government Relations, Ontario