Defining antisemitism

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” - International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)

"Jewish Canadians remain the most targeted religious minority for hate crimes." - Police Reported Crime Statistics in Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety, 2021.

Examples of antisemitism

Historical

Historic examples of antisemitism may include:

  • Blood Libel—the idea that Jewish people engaged in the planned murder of Christians
  • Depicting Jewish people as having horns and tails
  • Using the Jewish people as scapegoats for disasters (including plagues)
  • Forcing Jewish people to live in ghettos and wear specific symbols of demarcation (including stars, badges or pointed hats)
  • Expelling Jewish people from countries or areas

Modern

Modern examples are those that happened from the 1800s onwards. These can include:

  • Believing that Jewish people are an inferior race
  • Publishing and promoting the views of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
  • Projecting negative stereotypes on television and in the media
  • Perpetuating the belief that Jewish people are trying to take over the world or specific countries
  • Murdering Jewish people for their race or religion
  • Blaming the Jewish people for economic, social or political turmoil
  • Killing six million Jewish people during the Holocaust

Contemporary

Contemporary examples of antisemitism, those that have manifested since the Holocaust, can include:

  • Denying the existence of or accusing Jewish people of exaggerating or inventing the Holocaust.
  • Making dehumanizing or stereotypical allegations against Jewish people
  • Denying Jewish people the right to self-determination
  • Perpetuating the ideas of antisemitic conspiracy theories including that the Jewish people secretly run all banks, governments and media
  • Holding Jews accountable for the actions of the State of Israel

Online

Social media and the internet have created a place for antisemitic messages and conversations to thrive. Some examples of this are:

  • Using platforms to spread antisemitic beliefs or to recruit members to antisemitic organizations
  • Using coded wording or content to secretly spread antisemitic content or beliefs
  • Sharing QAnon content, a conspiracy group that believes in antisemitic conspiracy theories
  • Sharing antisemitic dog-whistles
  • Replying to videos made by Jewish people with hateful comments or stereotypes

What can we do about it?

Although combating antisemitism is not an easy fix, there are a few ways that we can all take action:

Call out antisemitism when you see it

When hate goes unchallenged, it allows people to think that they can get away with these words and actions.

Report the antisemitic action, not the antisemite

Many antisemites want to gain attention from their actions. We want to call attention to the action, not the person.

Document as much evidence as possible

If it is safe to do so, collect evidence that will help when reporting to the police. This includes descriptions of the perpetrators, video or photo evidence of the action and details of what was said or done.

Report online antisemitism

Report actions of antisemitism online to the social media platform.

  • On Facebook and many other platforms, this can be done by clicking the three dots at the top of the post and clicking report.

Educate yourself and others

  • Learn about antisemitism by visiting museums or reading the trusted resources below
  • Educate your kids and family members about antisemitism and how it affects the community
  • Share the facts and resources with others to stop misinformation

Reporting antisemitism

Reporting antisemitism is an important step in making Edmonton a safer place for everyone.

General reporting: 
If you experience or witness a hate crime or incident, please reach out to the Edmonton Police Service, the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee, and contact the Jewish Federation of Edmonton

Within schools:
Students, please tell your teacher AND your parents right away.

Parents/students should then email the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, and email or talk to the principal. The principal should be aware of all incidents, and Federation needs to track incidents.

If you are the victim of a hate-motivated incident, you can contact EPS Crime and Trauma-Informed Support Services for support. 

Who is affected by antisemitism?

Although antisemitism mainly affects the Jewish population through direct targeting, it is not a problem that only affects the Jewish community.

In 2021, about 1,300 Jews in Canada reported hate crimes. This is 10 times more than any other religion in Canada.

The impacts of antisemitism include suppression of identity for Jewish people, and at the most extreme, violence towards the community.

More broadly, the existence of antisemitism targets the foundations of society for everyone. Like other forms of intolerance, antisemitism needs to be addressed by more than just Jewish communities.

The mosaic art project

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The Shine a Light on Antisemitism mosaic was created by the Jewish Federation of Edmonton in partnership with Lewis Lavoie to start conversations about antisemitism. Funding for the mosaic art project is from the Jewish Federations of North America's annual Shine a Light on Antisemitism awareness campaign.

Current location: Beth Israel Synagogue

To host the mosaic in a public or private space, please contact the Federation.

Resources

Shine a Light on Antisemitism

Shine a Light for Antisemitism, organized by the Jewish Federations of North America, is a platform for companies, organizations, individuals and institutions to learn about and shed light on antisemitism.

The Shine a Light campaign takes place every December, and was created to stand up to the harmful prejudices and stereotypes against the Jewish community.