Toronto Uber Alles?

For Canadian Jews, especially those in Toronto, O Canada’s “The True North strong and free” is less a line from the national anthem than a close cousin to Arbeit Macht Frei, the Nazi slogan on the entrance gates to the concentration camps. The Queen City has rapidly eclipsed other worthy candidates for the most antisemitic metropolis on the continent.

Ubiquitous signs saying “No Jews or dogs allowed” commonly appeared at beaches, parks, resorts and other recreation facilities”. (Levit, Toronto Star) regularly appeared dating back decades.
No group has been hurt more by Toronto’s pervasive Jewhatred than students and teachers. Temerty Faculty of Medicine U of T’s medical school is rife with anti-Semitism, apparently an old tradition emanating from its entrance quota for Jews. The university’s Student Union tried to block kosher food from being sold on campus because customers might be Israel supporters. Jewish, in other words. The Toronto District School Board has experienced a rash of ominous incidents in their buildings. Students disturbing class by offering a Nazi salute to a Jewish teacher. The list of bigoted acts can go on and on. In educational facilities or city streets, or any venue such vitriol can find ground to attack. In a city with a large Jewish population, Toronto’s antiSemitism seems more popular than Hockey Night in Canada.  

The municipal government has initiated A “Toronto for All” program to fight prejudice, including Jewhatred, despite the dispersion of focus such a title connotes when Jews have been the main target. There has been a somewhat milquetoast Working Group on Antisemitism at the University of Toronto for several years. TDSB claims it will enrich Holocaust learning to promote understanding and respect for Jewish classmates, teachers and others in the community.

Time will tell if these measures prove effective. If the culture doesn’t believe, refuses to change, attacks Jews for religious or political aims, all the enlightenment will not let willfully blind eyes see.

 Normally, TGBL awards stingers for bad behavior. We’ll use an alternative opprobrium for this one—and future issues. We’ll be watching Ontario’s capital for progress in the safety of Jewish and pro-democratic Israel individuals in the K-college level, as well as Toronto holding guilty parties accountable. For now, judgment at Toronto hass been passed::

Heute geben wir Toronto zwei Hakenkreuze. (Today we give Toronto two swastikas.)