As students return to university campuses this week, Jewish organizations throughout Canada say they are preparing to take action against the antisemitism that marked last academic year.
Ariel Burle, a fourth-year commerce student at University of Guelph and a member of his campus Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) chapter, said the fraternity is prepared to show up for the Jewish community.
“A couple times throughout the winter semester we were doing vigils,” he said, referring to the previous school year. During these demonstrations, members of the fraternity stood on campus wearing shirts that say “I Stand with Israel” while holding up images of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas.
“When there’s (an Israel advocacy or Jewish) event going on, we show up. If not all 40 of us, at least 30.”
All AEPi pledge classes throughout Canada and beyond are required to take an antisemitism training course, which details ways to combat rising levels of hate on university campuses.
Tactics include calling on student organizations to identify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, monitoring rhetoric in student newspapers and on social media and ensuring that faculty members do not discriminate against students based on their Jewish or Zionist identities.
Last February, Burle and his fraternity encountered antisemitic hostility firsthand, when three mezuzahs were ripped off door frames and holes were punched into walls during a public event held at Guelph’s AEPi house, he said.
Burle added that this was a rare case, and such hostility is not a regular occurrence experienced by Jewish students on his campus. Still, the incident signaled that the problem is there, and something must be done, he explained.
Burle, who is also an executive board member of Chabad Guelph and the Israel advocacy lead for Hillel Guelph, mentioned educational resources that are available for all Jewish students through an online platform called Antisemitism Response Centre (ARC), launched by AEPi International and the Anti-Defamation League in the summer of 2023 (prior to Oct. 7).
The online service is a one-stop-shop for reporting and tracking antisemitic incidents on university campuses as well as providing essential resources—whether they be educational, legal or emotional, explained Rob Derdiger, the CEO of AEPi International.
“Sometimes a student needs legal resources, sometimes they need somebody to talk to and everything in between,” Derdiger told The CJN, adding that such resources can be specifically catered to Canadian students.
He also said that incidents reported on ARC are added to the Anti-Defamation League database, and could be used to pressure university administrators to make changes that can help protect students throughout North America.
In July, following a wave of pro-Palestine encampments on campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada, administrators at New York University amended its hate speech policy, specifically stating that the word ‘Zionist’ does not serve as a “cheat code” to intimidate or harass Jewish students. Other university administrations in North America have not publicly announced they would be following NYU’s lead.
Scott Goldstein, director of university relations for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) believes pressure must be added to university administrations in Canada to “clearly communicate and enforce their standards and policies governing the campus community.”
Two weeks ago, CIJA sent a letter detailing a unified framework to Canadian campus administrators. The document includes guidelines for enforcing standards during campus protest and demonstrations, addressing incident reports effectively and reaffirming faculty responsibilities to protect students.
“We truly believe that when a university addresses the needs of its campus community, for example, the Jewish campus community, it’s addressing the needs of all of their students, faculty and staff,” Goldstein told The CJN.
“It’s not just about the Jewish students,” he said. “It’s about making campus better for everybody.”
Goldstein added that he is specifically concerned about Oct. 7, saying university administrators “might not be prepared” to protect student groups who aim to commemorate victims.
“We made sure to highlight that for them (in the letter) so that they can be prepared to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all,” he said.
Jay Solomon, the chief advancement officer of Hillel Ontario says it’s “no longer sustainable to do things the way we did things on Oct. 6.”
Hillel Ontario is increasing their staffing. “We’re putting specially trained advocacy professionals on each of our campuses for the first time ever,” he said.
Along with “stepping up security measures” at all Hillel houses in the province, Solomon mentioned the organization is promoting education around antisemitism in university curriculum, and “working to elect candidates to student government positions.”
Look for more detailed daily coverage of post-secondary school and campus life this fall from Local Journalism Initiative reporter Mitchell Consky, who can be reached at [email protected].
