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Antisemitism in Canada

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Antisemitism
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Antisemitism in Canada is the manifestation of hatred, hostility, harm, prejudice or discrimination against the Canadian Jewish people or Judaism as a religious, ethnic or racial group. Some of the first Jewish settlers in Canada arrived in Montreal in the 1760s, among them was Aaron Hart who is considered the father of Canadian Jewry.[1] His son Ezekiel Hart experience one of the first well documented cases of antisemitism in Canada.[2] Hart was repeatedly stopped from taking his seat in the Quebec legislature due to his Jewish faith, as members claimed he could not take the oath of office, which included the phrase "on the true faith of a Christian".[3]

Influential figures of the age, such as Goldwin Smith, promoted antisemitic ideas in the 19th century, describing Jews in derogatory terms.[4] Political leaders such as Henri Bourassa, publicly argued in the early 20th century against Jewish immigration.[5] Quebec saw a strong anti-Jewish movement, particularly from the Catholic Church, which associated Jews with modernism and liberalism from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.[6] Various Catholic publications and activists played a significant role in spreading anti-Jewish sentiment.[6] One of the most severe incidents occurred in 1910 in Quebec City, where a violent attack against Jewish storekeepers was incited by an antisemite speaker.[7]

During the interwar period, figures like Abbé Lionel Groulx further fueled anti-Semitic views,[8] influencing Quebec’s intellectual elite and leading to movements that boycotted Jewish businesses and employment, most notably the Days of Shame.[9] Across Canada, antisemitism thrived in English-speaking regions as well, with various organizations promoting these negative attitudes. Significant events included the Christie Pits riot in Toronto in 1933 a violent confrontation arising from swastika displays.[10] In the 1920s and 1930s, Jewish people still faced numerous restrictions across many areas of life, including employment and housing.[11] Many were excluded from hospitals, universities, and professional sectors.[12] During the Nazi Holocaust, Canada's federal government adopted restrictive policies against Jewish immigration.[13] Despite desperate requests from Jewish refugees, many were turned away, most infamously exemplified by the MS St. Louis incident.[14] Discriminatory practices and legislation were common, reflecting societal attitudes in Canada and internationally.[6][15]

Since World War II, antisemitism in Canada has been in decline with the rise of human rights legislation and multicultural ideology in Canada.[16] Beginning in the 1960s legal barriers were removed, and Jews began to hold high-powered and high-profile positions in Canadian society.[17] Despite Canada's progressive attitudes towards diversity in the 21st century, antisemitism persists as a small component of Canadian society, evident in random hate crimes and extremist groups.[18][19] Notably, anti-Jewish incidents surged following the geopolitical relevance of the Israel–Hamas war and accusations of Israel committing genocide in Gaza.[20][21]

  1. ^ "Hart, Aaron". Exposition Shalom Québec. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  2. ^ "Ezekiel Hart". The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  3. ^ "The Oath or Solemn Affirmation of Allegiance". House of Commons of Canada. 2004-10-04. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  4. ^ Bendavid, I. B. (1891). Goldwin Smith and the Jews. The North American Review, 153(418), 257–271
  5. ^ Onu, Tonu; Anctil, Pierre (2024-12-22). "27. Lessons and Reflections". University of Ottawa Press. pp. 197–200. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  6. ^ a b c "Anti-Semitism in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  7. ^ Backhouse, Constance B. (2010). "Anti-Semitism and the Law in Quebec City: The Plamondon Case, 1910-15". SSRN Electronic Journal. Elsevier BV. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2273753. ISSN 1556-5068.
  8. ^ Noël, Caroline (2013-07-23). "The Sins of the Abbé Groulx". Literary Review of Canada. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  9. ^ Wilton, Peter (2003-12-09). "Days of shame, Montreal, 1934". CMAJ. 169 (12): 1329. ISSN 0820-3946. PMID 14662683. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  10. ^ Levitt, C.; Shaffir, W. (2019). The Riot at Christie Pits. University of Toronto Press. p. intro. ISBN 978-1-4875-3366-3. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  11. ^ Schnoor, Randal F. (2011). "The Contours of Canadian Jewish Life". Contemporary Jewry. 31 (3). Springer: 179–197. doi:10.1007/s12397-011-9075-6. ISSN 0147-1694. JSTOR 23882399. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  12. ^ "Hate at the Top". CBC. 1938-11-09. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  13. ^ "Prime Minister King's Response to Immigration during the German-Austria Jewish Immigration Crisis". The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government. 1938-03-29. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  14. ^ Abella, I.; Troper, H.; Menkis, R.; Koffman, D.S. (2023). None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe, 1933-1948. University of Toronto Press. p. 12,17. ISBN 978-1-4875-5438-5.
  15. ^ "CMHR". CMHR. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  16. ^ Davies, A. (2006). Antisemitism in Canada: History and Interpretation. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-88920-841-4. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  17. ^ Weinfeld, Morton; Schnoor, Randal F.; Koffman, David S. (2012). "Overview of Canadian Jewry". The American Jewish Year Book. 109/112. [American Jewish Committee, Springer]: 55–90. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5204-7_2. ISBN 978-94-007-5203-0. ISSN 0065-8987. JSTOR 45373711. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  18. ^ "Anti-Semitism in Canada". Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  19. ^ Stein, Matthew; Perry, Barbara; Levit, Irina (2024). "Punishing "Privilege": Antisemitic Hate Crime in Canada". Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 39 (17–18): 3876–3903. doi:10.1177/08862605241259996. ISSN 0886-2605. PMID 39119653.
  20. ^ Bell, Stewart; Semple, Jeff (2024-02-20). "Investigation: The antisemitism that Oct. 7 unleashed in Canada". Global News. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  21. ^ "JUST (44-1)". House of Commons of Canada. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-12-23.

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