Canada’s Jewish Community Faces Rising Anti-Semitism Since October 7
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, anti-Semitism has surged dramatically across Canada, leaving the country’s Jewish community — which makes up just 1% of the Canadian population — feeling increasingly isolated and vulnerable. Many within the community fear they are being left to confront this growing wave of hatred largely on their own.
Special Envoy Resigns in Frustration
Deborah Lyons, appointed by the Trudeau government as Canada’s special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating anti-Semitism shortly after the October 7 attacks, resigned in frustration three months before her term was set to expire in July 2024. Lyons told the Canadian Jewish News that she was exhausted from nearly two years of “waking up every day with a fight” and struggling to get Canadian business leaders, religious figures, and politicians to raise their voices in solidarity with the Jewish community.
She described feeling “desperate and desperate” as her efforts to rally support fell short. Lyons drew a pointed contrast, noting that governments “found it easier to hold summits to combat car thefts and tariffs” but could not cooperate when it came to combating hatred.
Open Letter Condemns Anti-Semitism
Against this troubling backdrop, an open letter published in the National Post and other Postmedia newspapers has offered a glimmer of hope. Signed by 80 prominent non-Jewish Canadians, the letter was described as coming from an ad hoc bipartisan group of business and community leaders united in their condemnation of anti-Semitism.
“We ask our colleagues to join us in condemning every act of anti-Semitism in this country,” the letter stated. “We urgently call for respect and upholding the equality of all Canadians. Hate and intolerance have no place in Canada’s workplaces, public spaces and anywhere.”
Notable Signatories
The letter’s signatories include senior executives from major Canadian organizations such as Postmedia, Telus, National Bank, Sunlife Financial, Rogers Communications, and Scotiabank, as well as University of Toronto academics, former prime minister Stephen Harper, and former Toronto mayor John Tory.
Calls for Concrete Action
The letter notably quotes Prime Minister Mark Carney’s June 1 speech at the Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, in which he condemned anti-Semitism and declared, “It requires all of us to raise our voices in disgust and defiance when we see the ugly face of anti-Semitism.” However, many Jewish leaders criticized that speech for its lack of new concrete measures to combat anti-Semitism.
Beyond rhetoric, the letter calls for constant and consistent enforcement of Canada’s existing anti-hate laws — something many Canadians say has been noticeably absent since the escalation of tensions on October 7, 2023. The signatories’ emphasis on enforcement reflects a broader concern that current legal protections are not being adequately applied to address the surge in anti-Semitic incidents across the country.
