This week in Canadian Jewish Advocacy | June 09, 2024
This week, we spoke out against an egregious decision by a B.C. union to deny funding to the Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Association, explored manifestations of contemporary antisemitism with hundreds of Canadians, and invited you to join us in celebrating Pride month.
Read on to learn more.
CIJA
This week, the Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Association (HAEA) in British Columbia — formed in response to the Government of British Columbia’s decision in October to make Holocaust education a mandatory part of the B.C. curriculum — was advised by a branch of the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) that they will not be recognized as a BCTF Provincial Specialist Association (PSA) and would, therefore, be ineligible to receive union funding as a teaching resource. In response, CIJA and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver issued a joint statement. Read it here.
What is the difference between vile speech and hate speech? What is CIJA doing to counter rampant antisemitism on our screens and on our streets? What is the role of the Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism in the fight against Jew-hatred?
Join us Tuesday, June 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET, for the second of a four-part webinar series, Introduction to Digital Advocacy, designed to equip participants with the skills and resources to identify, monitor, and report antisemitic, anti-Israel, and violent content, and to identify misinformation, disinformation, and fake news across leading social media platforms.
We will hear from Dr. Mark Freiman, former Deputy Attorney General of Ontario, on what constitutes hate speech in Canada; and from Mackenzy Metcalfe, CIJA’s Director of Government and Alumni Affairs, for a briefing on CIJA’s work and how our Government Relations team is working to fight online hate and antisemitism in Canada. We will also hear from representatives of the Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Chief of Staff Rachel Chertkoff and Deputy Director Kevin Lunianga.
June is Pride Month. CIJA unequivocally supports members of the gender and sexually diverse community. We stand unwavering in our support for all members of the Queer and 2SLGBTQ+ community and pledge to maintain our commitment to supporting an inclusive, diverse, and equitable community that celebrates the exceptional contributions made by the Queer and Trans community.
During Pride month especially, let’s remember that Human Rights must constantly be championed. We deliberated intently for months on whether we would march after the Pride Toronto statement on Gaza and the failure to denounce antisemitism or to uplift and care for Jewish Torontonians with compassion, dignity, and love. In the end, we continue to engage in discourse and to advocate for our inclusion, and we have decided – boldly – that queer and transgender representation at Pride is simply too important to forego. Many of us have felt alone, without community, and have prayed for visibility, strived for representation, and have built this intersectional space with our bare hands.
We are unwavering in our support for our next generation and steadfast in our gratitude for those who paved the way before us. Please join us as we stand firmly planted in the truth that Queer people belong in the Jewish community and Jewish people belong in the Queer community.
Join CIJA and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto on Sunday, June 30 at 9PM ET for a queer, Jewish celebration of joy, togetherness, and pride. It will feature the queen of heavy music, Alissa Bank, who considers her drag a love letter to all the queer punks of the world, Gila Münster, the cross dressing, cross stitching Jewish American Princess and official Drag Queen Story Time of the Toronto Public Libraries, and Ms. Hadarling, Mizrahi burlesque artist who weaves her Middle Eastern and North African heritage through cultural infusion and a mesmerizing performance. Tickets are $18. Advance purchase only.
Community Calendar
June 9 | UJA Walk with Israel
June 12-13 | Shavuot (CIJA offices closed)
June 24 | Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (Quebec) (CIJA Quebec office closed)
June 30 | Pride Toronto Parade 2024
June 30 | UJA Genesis Pride Party
July 1 | Canada Day (CIJA offices closed)
CIJA in the News
Two Ottawa mothers express fear for their children’s safety amid rising antisemitism (Global News)
Third Jewish institution in Canada targeted in 'deliberate act of hate' in a week (National Post)
Antisemitism abroad: Vancouver synagogue set on fire (Israel National News)
Another Jewish school terrorized by gunshots (The Suburban)
Antisemitism is fuelling terrorism (Kingston This Week, + Postmedia Syndication)
Fire Set At Entrance To Vancouver Synagogue (Alberta Jewish News)
Mark Sandler: Antisemitism continues to infect Toronto Metropolitan University (National Post)
Community Careers
Associate Director, University Relations - Vancouver
Associate Director Advocacy, Public and Independent Schools - Vancouver
Hillel Director - Jewish Federation of Edmonton
Chief Executive Officer - Calgary Jewish Federation
Vice President/Director of Development - Ottawa
Stay In the Know!
Get all the latest information from our newsletter, "This Week in Canadian Jewish Advocacy."
