View as webpage

Dear John, 

This week, we worked with law enforcement to identify an organized propaganda campaign, called out unprofessional manipulation of data by an anti-Israel lobby group, and addressed an offensive policy at the Peel Regional School Board, which has now been rectified. For more on this and on our upcoming Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It conference, read on.  

The CIJA Team  

For the past few months, CIJA’s National Director of Community Security has liaised with local law enforcement and the RCMP nationally about the distribution by the Goyim Defense League of virulently antisemitic flyers in several cities across the country. This week, we were pleased to learn that the Peterborough Police arrested a local resident and are consulting with the ministry of the Attorney General regarding deeming the incidents as wilful promotion of hatred under the Criminal Code. We will be monitoring the case and updating the community on any developments.  

This month, the anti-Israel lobby group Canadians for Justice in Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) published survey results and a corresponding analysis and an opinion piece claiming that “most” respondents to their survey “agreed with the view that Israel is ‘a state with segregation similar to apartheid.’” Their data, however, show otherwise. Although “I don’t know” is a legitimate survey answer, CJPME’s analysis omitted those who answered, “I don’t know.”  

CIJA’s Director of Research Becca Wertman-Traub responded to this misrepresentation of facts in the Hill Times, countering the false narrative promoted by the organization and its opinion piece.  

It's a distortion of data that leaves us wondering: if CJPME is twisting their own survey results, what other facts are they manipulating?   

On learning that The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank had been removed from Peel District School Board (PDSB) libraries, CIJA contacted Ontario’s Ministry of Education and the PDSB to express concern, request clarity on library policies, and emphasize the importance of student access to historically important books. 

The Education Minister responded with his commitment to halt the book weeding process at PDSB to ensure important books were not carelessly removed. CIJA GTA VP Jaime Kirzner-Roberts also spoke with PDSB Director of Education Rashmi Swarup, who confirmed her earlier statement, and committed to inclusive policies and curricula, stating that antisemitism would not be tolerated. 

We are grateful that both the ministry and school board took Jewish community concern seriously and we will continue to hold them to account. 

If you have registered for Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It, we are excited to see you in just a few weeks! If you have not yet signed up, you should know that in addition to our incredible line-up of 30+ experts, thought-leaders, and influencers from across the globe, we will also hear from the Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre and Leader of the Bloc Québécois Yves-François Blanchet.  

We will also hear remarks from Ronald S. Lauder, President, World Jewish Congress; Robert Kraft, Founder, Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and Owner, New England Patriots; and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

And if you’re not yet a political junkie, you will be after sitting in on a live taping of Curse of Politics: The Herle Burly Political Panel.

Check it out the full line up here. 

CIJA in the News 

Community Calendar

September 24-25 | Yom Kippur 
September 29-October 6 | Sukkot
October 6-7 | Shemini Atzeret
October 7-8 | Simchat Torah
October 16-17 | Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It