For the past six weeks, thousands of high school students from around Toronto have gone on a special field trip back in time. They’ve attended an immersive outdoor play about antisemitism in 1933 Toronto, when growing racial tensions between local Nazi supporters and Jewish immigrants boiled over at a baseball game at Willowvale Park, now known now as Christie Pits.
The ensuing street brawls lasted for six hours, wounding dozens of people and prompting the mayor of the day to clamp down on hate symbols by banning the display of swastikas.
The creators of the new play hope that by showcasing the age-old hatred of Jews and immigrants, they’ll also challenge students to recognize modern instances of hate and take action when they see it. Will the play succeed?
The CJN Daily’s Ellin Bessner took in a recent performance of The Riot at Christie Pits. On today’s show, you’ll hear from some students who watched it, teachers who accompanied them, the play’s creator Sam Rosenthal of the Hogtown Collective, and his 88-year-old father Joseph who grew up nearby.
What we talked about
- Read Alex Rose’s story on the Riot at Christie Pits live, interactive play in The CJN
- Hear our interview with Jamie Michaels about his graphic novel on the Christie Pits riot on The CJN Daily, and watch it on our YouTube channel
- Take the audio tour of the Christie Pits Riot, by the Hogtown Collective.
Credits
The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.
