Conference to address growing threat of antisemitism

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This article was published 14/10/2023 (723 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

War is raging between Israel and Hamas as this column is being written on Oct. 8. It is on the minds of Canadian Jews. Also on their minds is the rise in antisemitism in this country. That’s why, a year ago, they started planning a first-ever national conference to discuss the ongoing battle against hate toward Jews.

Called Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It, the Oct. 16-17 conference in Ottawa is sponsored by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), with support from Jewish Federations across Canada, including the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.

According to Shimon Koffler Fogel, president and CEO of CIJA, the goal of the event — the largest national event of its kind in Canada — is to address the frightening growth in antisemitism across the country.

About 1,000 people are registered for the two-day gathering, which will address the changing face of antisemitism today and then encourage attendees to return home and turn what they learned “into action,” as Fogel put it.

Of major concern to conference organizers is the rise of antisemitism on social media, along with other kinds of hate.

“Online hate is spreading,” Fogel said. “We are still struggling to get a handle on that and how to push back against it.”

Through the conference, participants will be encouraged to find ways to confront it and build allyship with other groups that are also concerned about hate on the Internet.

“It’s not enough to wring our hands,” he said. “We need to stand up and move from victim to empowered action.”

While at the event, conference goers will hear speakers on topics such as United Against Antisemitism: Confronting the Challenge Together; Online Hate: Breaking out and Breaking down the Echo Chambers; Countering Antisemitism: Hate vs. the Law; Turning Sideline Passion to Frontline Action: Finding your Voice in the Political World; and Harnessing Social Media for Good: Done with the Doomscroll.

Participants will also fan out to visit politicians on Parliament Hill, asking them to undertake a national campaign to promote social-media literacy.

The goal of such a campaign would be to help Canadians learn what hate looks like online and how to deal with it, Fogel said, noting this would be about “all hate, not just antisemitism, about anything that marginalizes or delegitimizes anyone.”

Social media can be a power for good,but there is a dark side to it, he said.

Conference participants will also ask politicians to expand and streamline the Security Infrastructure Program, which is designed to enhance the safety of places of worship and other gathering places.

The “threat levels” have changed, Fogel said, adding there is a need to provide extra security today.

Through the conference, “we want to empower people to be part of the solution” to fighting hatred in Canada, Fogel stated. “It’s not just a Jewish problem. All Canadians have to take part in addressing it.”

At a Tuesday evening gala, the Honourable Irwin Cotler will receive a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his work on behalf of human rights for the world’s most vulnerable and oppressed citizens. Leaders of Canada’s main political parties are slated to speak at the event.

In addition to what was planned before war broke out, the conference program will be adapted to focus on the fighting between Israel and Hamas, including any negative effects for Jews in Canada. Security will be beefed up, said Nicole Amiel, who directs media relations for CIJA.

Jeff Lieberman, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, is among about 35 Winnipeggers who will be at the conference.

Antisemitism is rising in Canada, he said, noting he is glad “we don’t see as much of it in Winnipeg.”

Lieberman is looking forward to hearing from experts in the field of dealing with hate, then bringing lessons back home to share with others.

Also going is Kelly Hiebert, who teaches history at Westwood Collegiate.

“I like how it will bring together Jewish and non-Jewish people to discuss how to deal with hate,” he said. “This can get us on the same page.”

For Jeremy Maron of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the conference will be an opportunity to highlight antisemitism as a “crucial human rights issue.”

It’s important for the museum to be at the conference, since it is bringing so many individuals and groups that are working to confront antisemitism and hatred, he said. At the same time, it is a chance for those who are engaged in such work to share with and learn from each other.

In the largest sense, he hopes it will “enhance public knowledge about the ongoing presence of antisemitism in Canada and abroad, and that it is a human rights issue that needs to be continually confronted.”

The Free Press will also be at the conference; check out the coverage next week in print and online.

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