This week, we spoke up in court about the impact of antisemitic crime on Quebec’s Jewish community, thanked the hundreds who attended our Spuds & Suds gathering at the Calgary Stampede, and confirmed more internationally renowned speakers for the Antisemtism: Face It, Fight It conference in October.  

Read on to learn more.  

The CIJA Team  

In January, Gabriel Sohier-Chaput was found guilty of “Wilful promotion of hatred” by the Court of Quebec in connection with an article he wrote for a neo-Nazi. The criminal charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The court also upheld longstanding precedent that recognizes the Holocaust as historical fact under Canadian Jurisprudence, reaffirming that, as the most documented genocide in the world, its facts are well known and there is no room for denying or distorting them – whether in the public, online, in the media, or in court. 

At a sentencing hearing this week, CIJA VP Eta Yudin delivered a community impact statement on behalf of Quebec’s Jewish community, following which the judge questioned the Crown’s recommended three-month sentence, concerned it did not reflect the seriousness of the crime and could trivialize promotion of hate. He delayed sentencing until September.  

It was a privilege to celebrate a rich part of Alberta’s culture and to host so many members of the Jewish community, our allies, and representatives from all parties at all levels of government at our annual Spuds & Suds Stampede Breakfast and then continue the celebration at other Stampede events throughout the week. 

SPUDS & SUDS ALBUM

Antisemitism is spreading in Canada and around the world, on the streets, online, and on campuses. This has dangerous, real-world consequences. Just watch your newsfeed or read the paper. We must confront this insidious and dangerous hatred now, before it becomes normalized. 

In just three months, hundreds of Jewish Canadians of all ages, and community allies  – including elected officials and ethnic and faith partners – will gather in Ottawa to learn from experts, including renowned author and scholar Gil Troy, human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky, and digital activists Hen Mazzig and Emily Schrader, about how we can take action, collectively and as individuals, against antisemtism.  

Will you be there?  

Check out our line of speakers and sign up today to Face It and to Fight It at www.fightit.ca.    

CIJA in the News 

Community Calendar

July 26-27 | Tisha B'Av
August 7 | Civic Holiday (CIJA offices in Ontario and BC are closed)
October 16-17 | Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It

Careers

Executive Director, Hamilton Jewish Family Services