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Combatting Antisemitism
 
As Canadians, we are fortunate to live in one of the most free and tolerant countries in the world, with layers of institutional protection for minority and religious life. Yet, we still experience antisemitism.
 

Most people have no idea that Jews are, by far, the most targeted group for hate crimes in Canada. Yet Jews are consistently left out of anti-racism programs. These are examples of culturally embedded antisemitism that even people who pride themselves on being anti-racist are blind to. For a brief history of antisemitism in Canada, visit this entry at the Canadian Encyclopedia published by Dr. Irving Abella in December 2012. 

 
If you experienced antisemitism, you are not alone. The Jewish Federation of Ottawa is committed to fighting antisemitism with you. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

 

• Report incidents of antisemitism. (Please see below for detailed steps.)
 

• Join Ottawa Against Antisemitism (OAA) on Facebook as well as Ottawa City Watch on Twitter for community discussion or information sharing.


• Visit here for Antisemitism Resources, including books, organizations and thought leaders.

• Become a Jewish Community Advocate
It is more important now than ever before to advocates for the Jewish community and for Israel. Jewish community advocates play a vital role in representing and advancing the interests, concerns, and well-being of the Jewish community. Help with letter writing, and communicating with various groups to ensure our community’s needs are heard. Please fill in this form to help us identify your area of interest and we will reach out to you with a toolkit to support you in these efforts.

 

• We are currently working on guidelines for dealing with antisemitism in social media. Please stay tuned.

INCIDENT REPORTING

STEP 1 - Please fill in an incident form
 
Hillel Ottawa tracks incidents of hate, online as well as in real life, to measure and combat antisemitism. Visit here to report incidents of hate. Please be specific and include as many details as you can remember.
 
If the incident is hate-motivated, you can report it to Ottawa Police Services here.
 
If you are in immediate danger, please dial 911. If you are no longer in danger, police can also be contacted at 613-236-1222, extension 7300.

To report an incident to the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, please email David Sachs.

In an Ottawa university, college
 
Formal complaint-filings may require identification, but consultation is confidential, and this can even include confidential mediation.
 
•   For Algonquin College, please email ombuds@algonquincollege.com
•   For University of Ottawa, contact the Human Rights Office here
•   For Carleton University, please email equity@carleton.ca
 
Hillel Ottawa is also there to help. Let them know about any incidents. They can advise and support you in any complaint, but they also track incidents, which is crucial to understanding (or demonstrating) the problem. Contact the director, Jamie Sweigman at jsweigman@hillelottawa.ca