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A statistical snapshot of some of FSWC’s activities in 2022
In 2022, as the world gradually emerged from pandemic restrictions, FSWC was back on the front lines in person with a wide range of activities while at the same time maintaining a strong online presence. The following fast facts provide a glimpse into our work during the past 12 months.
School boards in
which FSWC operated
Holocaust survivor presentations
Workshops (in-person and virtual) presented to students
Provinces in which FSWC
educators operated
Adults received Holocaust, online hate and antisemitism sensitivity training
Professional development
programs presented
Students, teachers and community members took part in Freedom Day
Hate crime incidents reported to police
Police officials participated in our
two-day Hate Crimes Conference
Equally active in person and online, FSWC educators use lessons from the past to provide timely learning to people of all backgrounds
As one of the main pillars of FSWC, our education programs are central to the organization’s raison d’être. After two years of having to teach only online due to the pandemic, our educators, under the leadership of Melissa Mikel, FSWC’s Director of Education, greatly welcomed the return to in-person classes in 2022.
As schools booked hundreds of sessions conducted by members of our team, government agencies and private corporations increased their requests for FSWC educators to provide EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion)-related workshops and other programs, some with live testimony of Holocaust survivors. This in addition to our popular special annual programs such as Freedom Day and Speaker’s Idol.
As always, the focus of our workshops, lesson plans and other activities was on tying past atrocities to current events with the aim of influencing people to advocate for greater respect for protecting human rights and a more equitable future for all. FSWC educators presented lessons on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and other forms of racism and discrimination in Canada, along with conversations about how to change the cycle of hate and intolerance through the power of standing up and speaking out. Here are some highlights from 2022.
In the first half of 2022, following the announcement of FSWC’s partnership with the Moroccan-based Association Mimouna, we presented four online, two-part programs on the Holocaust and antisemitism within the overall context of genocide. Delivered in French to 12 Moroccan Muslim teachers from elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools, the program included outside expert speakers. Mimouna is the country’s leader in fighting antisemitism and strengthening ties between Muslims and Jews, while also preserving Morocco’s rich Jewish heritage.
In September, FSWC doubled the reach of its Tour for Humanity (T4H) initiative with the arrival of its newly built, customized mobile classroom. So far, the 30-seat, specially equipped education centre, the second such T4H vehicle for FSWC, has been traveling to schools and organizations in urban and rural communities in Ontario, with plans to take it to Quebec and Atlantic Canada in Spring 2023. As part of the interactive learning experience on the horrors of genocides, especially lessons of the Holocaust, T4H features a combination of video, PowerPoint presentations, activities and discussions in three workshops, each adapted to the age of those in attendance.
In May, FSWC hosted its annual Speaker’s Idol public-speaking competition. It featured 12 inspiring student finalists who shared their speeches on human rights issues and how they plan to create positive change in the world. Topics ranged from racism and discrimination to residential schools and Indigenous rights to mental health and domestic violence. The finalists and their speeches were selected from 253 submissions from Canadian students in grades 6 - 12. The finalists hail from Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. Sponsored by Albert and Evelyn Krakauer and Family, Speaker’s Idol was broadcast live online and viewed by thousands of students in Canada and beyond.
In September, FSWC hosted Freedom Day, its biggest annual educational event, which commemorates the life and legacy of our organization’s namesake, Simon Wiesenthal, and educates and inspires youth to stand up for freedom and human rights. With an in-person audience of 1,000 students at a Toronto high school, it was broadcast live on our YouTube channel to more than 7,000 students in more than 200 classrooms across Canada. Speakers included human rights advocate Kim Phuc, Juno Award-winning musician Kairo McLean, Holocaust survivor Andy Réti and students from St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School in Halton, Ontario and Speaker’s Idol Finalist Nevaeh Pine.
In April, (Genocide Awareness Month), FSWC partnered with the Montreal-based Vanier College as it hosted its 30th Annual Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide. Chaired by FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt, the week-long conference featured guest speakers, lectures, films, survivor testimony and student participation that was broadcast online to participants across Canada and abroad. The yearly event sensitizes Vanier’s students and staff and members of the community-at-large to the horrors of the past while also focusing on current discrimination, prejudice and genocide.
In July, FSWC took 20 Canadian leaders from education and law enforcement on its annual Compassion to Action educational trip to Poland and Israel to learn about the Holocaust and its enduring impact. This year’s trip, which marked the first since 2019 due to the pandemic, included senior leaders in law enforcement, school board directors of education and superintendents, and private school leaders. FSWC educators were joined by Holocaust survivor Andy Réti, whose presence made the 10-day experience more poignant for participants, who gained a deeper understanding of the Nazi genocide against Jews, centuries-old Jewish history in Europe, much of it destroyed in the Holocaust, and the importance of Israel to the future of Jewish civilization.
In the summer, FSWC travelled to Camp Manitou near Parry Sound, Ontario to present a three-part series of programs. It began with a two-day visit of the Tour for Humanity specially equipped mobile classroom in which educators conducted age-appropriate sessions on the lessons of the Holocaust for groups of 30 campers at a time. Separately, FSWC hosted two powerful speakers as part of Manitou’s Community Week. Speaking to 700 campers and staff, author, rapper, movie star and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal was followed a few days later by young activist Hannah Alper.
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In August, just ahead of the 2022/23 school year, FSWC unveiled a new resource on the topic of antisemitism, contemporary and historical, for Ontario teachers and pupils in grades 1 – 4. Supported by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Education, it’s curriculum compatible and divided by grades in an age-appropriate manner. The toolkit, available online for downloading, is also intended for use by parents with their children, providing ways on how to address antisemitism.
With Jews still the religious minority most targeted by hate crimes in Canada, much of FSWC’s advocacy efforts counter antisemitism
The scope of FSWC’s advocacy work takes in a lot of territory, starting with Holocaust and genocide awareness and including a focus on human rights, hate crime, racist and extremist groups, hate propaganda and online hate. Given the prevalence of antisemitism today in society, it dominates our prolific advocacy initiatives involving a wide range of parties, from politicians to educators, police officers to journalists. As part of our work in this field, we also assist people who are victims of anti-Jewish hate.
Often, we draw much-needed attention to issues in our purview. To that end, we engage legislators, law enforcement officials and university leaders along with public institutions in government and civil society, stressing the seriousness of antisemitic incidents as human rights violations and the need for action. Here’s a selection of both our ongoing advocacy work and specific initiatives in 2022.
In March, FSWC, B’nai Brith Canada and CIJA issued a joint community statement in solidarity with Ukraine signed by 200 Jewish organizations in Canada. FSWC also launched its Emergency Ukrainian Refugee Relief Fund to provide humanitarian assistance to those forced to flee Ukraine. To that end, we partnered with JRoots, an organization helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland. In March, to support that initiative, FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt spent several days on the Ukrainian-Polish border with JRoots and refugees. A few weeks earlier, Michael spoke at a large Ukraine solidarity rally in Toronto, organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
For more than a year, FSWC engaged in an active advocacy campaign to protect the safety of Toronto’s Jewish community after a man, recognizable by a large, black swastika on his chest, carried out antisemitic harassment and assault on local Jews. FSWC supported victims, issued community safety alerts to warn the community about the man and the need for vigilance, and worked closely with both police and crown attorneys for an appropriate response from the justice system. In July, the man pled guilty to three counts of hate-motivated assault on three separate occasions last year. During sentencing, FSWC delivered a community impact statement to the judge, describing in detail how the perpetrator’s violent and hateful actions affected Toronto’s Jewish community and underlining the importance of strict parole conditions to keep the community safe following the man’s release from prison.
In early September, the City of Toronto unveiled dozens of specially designed posters on bus shelters in multiple neighbourhoods as part of its campaign to fight antisemitism. The initiative, on which FSWC actively collaborated, also consisted of ads that appeared on the City of Toronto’s website and social media channels. The content sensitized Torontonians about antisemitism and its impact on the community, while dispelling the misconception that it’s only a problem of the past.
In June, FSWC welcomed a German court’s conviction of a former Sachsenhausen concentration camp Nazi guard, sentenced to five years in jail for his role in atrocities. FSWC supported SWC Israel and the prosecutors of the case in conducting a Canada-wide search for witnesses. We worked to identify and interview dozens of survivors and relatives of victims who were eligible to testify against the accused at the trial. Meanwhile, in connection with another German war crimes case, FSWC is currently engaged in a Canada-wide search for witnesses to support prosecutors against a Nazi guard from the Ravensbruck concentration camp.
In January, in response to the demand for corporate and government training related to EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion), FSWC launched a new professional development program titled Antisemitism: Then and Now. This informative workshop addresses the troubling silence on antisemitism in workplaces. To that end, it educates and equips individuals, especially non-Jews, with the knowledge and tools needed to be an ally in the fight against surging Jew-hatred. We have already presented this online program to federal government agencies and major corporations, with more sessions booked for 2023.
In October, FSWC welcomed the verdict of a Saskatchewan court against Travis Patron, former leader of the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party (CNP), who was found guilty of antisemitic hate speech. He was arrested and charged with wilful promotion of hate in February 2021 after FSWC filed a criminal complaint with the RCMP. Since then, FSWC worked actively with the Crown and Saskatchewan’s Attorney General’s office, urging that hate crime charges be laid against Patron. After a joint effort between FSWC, the RCMP, the Crown prosecutor, Saskatchewan’s Attorney General and several community groups and witnesses, Patron’s CNP was dismantled, and he was sentenced to one year in prison.
In February, FSWC hosted its second annual Building a Case Against Hate conference in conjunction with the Ontario Police College. More than 900 police officers from local and national forces from across Canada attended virtually to hear from law enforcement leaders and other experts. The speakers shared their experiences dealing with cases of hate crime and extremism and offered insight and tools on how to investigate and handle such cases more effectively. Many attendees told us the two-day conference had empowered them to better combat and respond to hate and extremism.
In September, FSWC’s Michael Levitt played an active role at the first summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, which took place at the US Congress in Washington, DC. During the televised session, current and former members of national legislatures from many countries along with special envoys grilled senior executives of major social media companies on their failure to meaningfully reduce, if not eliminate, rampant anti-Jewish hate, including Holocaust denial, on their platforms.
Click the play button above to watch the televised session
In September, following years of advocacy efforts, including by FSWC, the Township of Puslinch, in south-central Ontario, decided to rename a street previously called Swastika Trail. With the name of the main Nazi symbol part of the street name, Swastika Trail had been the source of hurt and controversy for decades. On the day the Township Council made its decision, FSWC spoke to council members, thanking them for their leadership and solidarity ending the dark legacy of this street name.
Donors rise to the occasion, responding strongly to FSWC fundraising events and other efforts, enabling us to broaden our multi-faceted work
Given the evolving challenges that Canada’s Jewish community and other minorities are facing due to rising antisemitism and other forms of hate, the need for FSWC’s advocacy and educational programs is increasing. With that, the financial resources required to carry out our expanding work are more substantial. Thankfully, we are fortunate to receive generous support from our community – from individual donors to corporate sponsors and government bodies – all of whom have shown their devotion to the purpose and passion of FSWC.
Of course, our fundraising efforts are critical to our future. Equally meaningful, the symbolic impact of so many donors, big and small, stepping forward to support FSWC, is significant as a source of motivation for our entire team and for our work.
In addition to our donor stewardship of existing supporters, here are some of our initiatives in 2022 that have generated funds to make our actions possible, attract new supporters and grow our impact.
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In addition to FSWC’s extensive digital communication and marketing content distributed online and via email, we still believe in the value of printed material for select purposes, such as direct mail fundraising campaigns. Based on results, many of our donors seem to like receiving our direct mail pieces in printed form as the most recent campaign raised $772,000.
In October, hosting our first in-person Spirit of Hope benefit since 2019, FSWC welcomed 1,200 people to our annual marquee event in Toronto. Held at the Beanfield Centre, the evening’s keynote speaker was NBA legend and social justice champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Making his participation more timely and of even greater interest, just a week before, he had denounced publicly the antisemitic outbursts of prominent US rapper and fashion designer Kanye West. The event, co-chaired by Jonathan Bronfman and Elizabeth Squibb, raised more $3.2 million to fund FSWC programs and other activities, in large part thanks to a stellar Fundraising Committee, with Chair Eddie Weisz, Ron Baruch, Michael Bregman, Paul Bronfman, David Cynamon, Matthew Gottlieb, Jill Reitman and Fred Waks. Adding the icing on the cake, the event attracted considerable media coverage, both online and on television, raising the profile of FSWC in the process.
Captivating events in person and online help FSWC broaden its reach and connect with our constituents
Over the past year, FSWC has made its presence felt through an engaging mix of original programming and compelling outreach that address current events from our perspective on human rights, antisemitism and other forms of hate. We organize these initiatives both in person and online for maximum impact, often partnering with other community organizations. Each endeavour, in its own way, spotlights the importance of learning the danger of racism and the lessons of the Holocaust, while underlining our commitment to combat hate wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head.
Collectively, our events send a strong message to our supporters and far beyond that FSWC is in the vanguard standing up, speaking out, raising awareness and taking action against intolerance, antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and working for positive change in Canadian society.
In 2022 we presented many exciting and innovative programs, including authors Lucy Adlington and her book, The Dressmakers of Auschwitz and Maxwell Smart and his new book, The Boy in the Woods. In partnership with Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE), we presented The Professionals in Nazi Germany and the Lessons to Learn, a session on how professionals in Germany played a critical role in the design, enabling and execution of policies leading to the Holocaust.
In partnership with the Beit Terezin (Theresienstadt) Museum in Israel, FSWC presented Days Beyond Time which explored new ways of Holocaust remembrance pairing young Israeli artists with Holocaust survivors of the Theresienstadt ghetto, who turned their survival testimonies into creative projects, including painting, sculpture and dance. In partnership with JACS (Jewish Addiction Community Services) Toronto, we hosted two separate programs exploring the way trauma can be passed down through generations, affecting the mental health and behaviour of individuals and their family members.
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In January, in partnership with Canadian Society for Yad Vashem, the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, and the Azrieli Foundation, FSWC streamed a presentation across Canada. With support from 31 community organizations that lent their names to the initiative, the event featured Holocaust survivors Max Eisen, Rose Lipsyzc, Eva Olsson, Nate Leipciger, Eva Meisels, Andy Reti, Leonard Vis, Pinchas Gutter and Gershon Willinger. Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Irwin Cotler, delivered special remarks and Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl recited the kaddish. More than 1,000 people tuned in.
Bringing in younger audiences for the future of FSWC
Engaging the next generation of young professionals is an important goal of FSWC. That’s why we created our generationNOW initiative. Over the winter and spring of 2022, we presented an online book club, a Purim Meshloach Manot volunteer program for vulnerable seniors and a new iteration of one of our marquee events: State of the Union. More than 300 young professionals attended this event which this year featured a panel of social media influencers – Lizzy Savetsky, Claudia Oshry and Ryan Saghian – discussing the importance of speaking out against antisemitism. Most significantly, the evening also prompted a number of young professionals to reach out to FSWC to get involved with future activities.
In October, we hosted a focus group for young professionals to learn about our organization and to discuss the kind of programs and opportunities they would like to see FSWC offer going forward. In December, FSWC hosted a Chanukah Crudite Board Making event with Zoe Wisenberg (@zoesdailydish). This sold-out, in-person event brought our generationNOW participants together to celebrate Chanukah, learn about our organization and helped inspire a new audience to engage with our work.
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FSWC keeps people informed and engaged through lively content in our multi-channel approach to communication
In today’s “content-is-king” world, the success of an organization or business is tied directly to the quality of material it produces and shares with its intended audience. In 2022, FSWC created timely, relevant content that both kept people abreast of the organization’s activities in the field and informed them about pertinent news stories. In the process, it enhanced the perception and credibility of our brand while strengthening trust with supporters.
We do this on multiple platforms with diverse forms of content. From our regular posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to short videos on TikTok, to media statements to regular op-ed columns in Canada’s largest circulation newspaper (Toronto Star) and eblasts, we tell “our stories” and get our message across in a compelling way. In providing accurate, reliable information while speaking out on important issues, we reinforce FSWC’s relationship with existing supporters and followers and attract new ones. Here are some highlights from our communication and marketing efforts in 2022.
For the annual Jewish Heritage Month in May, FSWC presented a social campaign (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) consisting of separate posts spotlighting different Jewish communities across Canada, from large to small. The series of posts showed the vibrancy and rich history of Canada’s 400,000 Jews, the world’s third largest Diaspora community and one of the few that continues to grow in number. The campaign reached approximately 5,000 accounts across social media accounts.
Originally conceived of as a way to commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), this digital project brought together 12 Holocaust survivors and their grandchildren for group photos. The portraits provide a glimpse into the triumph of each survivor, having prevailed over evil by building families, finding love and joy after the Holocaust. Poignantly, it will be this next generation’s responsibility to share their grandparents’ legacy and tell their stories. The striking portraits were shared across social media, shown at the 2022 Spirit of Hope event and will be used to create a special video and an exhibition in Toronto. The project was done in cooperation with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information.
Last winter, to address rampant Holocaust distortion that minimizes the Nazi extermination of European Jews, we launched a micro-campaign on social media called Defend Their Memory. It consisted of a series of posts, each focusing on a different example of facts being manipulated to present a false picture of one of the worst genocides in human history. These included anti-vaccine activists invoking the memory of Anne Frank; likening Covid restrictions to Nazi persecution of Jews; and exploiting the swastika and other Nazi symbols for political campaigns. The campaign raised awareness about the pernicious downplaying and abuse of the memory of the six million Jews murdered for no other reason than being Jewish.
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In 2022, Michael Levitt, FSWC’s President and CEO, wrote numerous columns in the Toronto Star, which appeared in both the online and printed editions. These op-eds, focusing on timely, relevant issues, inspired thoughtful debate and enhanced the organization’s visibility and credibility. Here are links to a few of the columns.
As antisemitic incidents occurred at several Toronto schools in 2022, FSWC's advocacy work was widely covered in the media. This included our follow-up work and partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). CityNews did a particularly good piece on our Tour for Humanity mobile education centre and its visits to public schools.
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As part of FSWC’s strong presence in the media in 2022, we did many TV and radio interviews. Two memorable ones featured Michael Levitt on CP24 discussing our Ukrainian Refugee Relief Fund in partnership with Jroots while on Breakfast Television he spoke about the current rise of antisemitism.
Dear Friends,
It’s for good reason that what you have on the screen before you is called an “Impact Report.” Certainly, at FSWC, the team is all about making a difference in multiple ways through education and advocacy. Under the direction and vision of President and CEO, Michael Levitt, the organization plays an important role in Canadian society, intervening in issues involving antisemitism, Holocaust education, racism and the protection of human rights. In 2022, after emerging from the pandemic, it’s been full steam ahead on all fronts, as you can see in these pages.
At a time when many Jews feel deeply anxious due to increasingly frequent manifestations of antisemitism in person and online, FSWC’s principled, well-respected voice is more relevant, more needed than ever. Such is the current reality, that we’re busy every day with our programs and activities on the ground. It never stops.
As the child of a Holocaust survivor, the issues that FSWC addresses resonate with me strongly. The organization’s vital work promoting tolerance, inclusion and countering all forms of hatred is always close to my heart.
On behalf of FSWC’s Board of Directors, I want to express how proud we are in Michael and his team of engaged, passionate professionals. I’m also grateful to you and our many other supporters across Canada who make the work of FSWC possible. We see every donation, big and small, as a vote of confidence in the organization. Your support is a source of inspiration for the staff at FSWC as they fulfill its mandate.
For my part, I’m honoured to be involved in such a worthy organization and connected to action so necessary in today’s world.
I hope you enjoy reading this report and learning more about the good work of this solutions-based, results-oriented organization.
With much appreciation,
Dear Friends.
Just over two years ago, when I walked into the FSWC offices in Toronto for the first time, I didn’t fully realize the journey I’d be embarking on. I didn’t know then just how meaningful being part of this formidable organization would prove to be for me. And how critical our work would be for the challenging times we're living in today.
If this Impact Report is rich in content in terms of FSWC’s educational programs, advocacy initiatives and other work in 2022, it says as much about the state of Canadian society as our organization. In many ways, the number and focus of our activities reflect an unsettling reality of surging antisemitism and other forms of hate.
We know our community is facing ever-evolving threats, and that the current situation is sobering, to say the least. In the face of disturbing trends targeting minorities, we can ill afford to be passive or complacent. Silence is not an option. We must never give ground to those who confront us with hate. We must never yield to those who seek to intimidate us, to bully us, to threaten us. We must never back down. We must continue educating and advocating, building allyship and working together to make a difference in society and in combatting hate wherever it rears its ugly head.
We need to hold to account those who spew vile, toxic conspiracy theories blaming minorities. We must denounce their lies. We must strongly condemn all forms of Holocaust denial and distortion and misuse of Nazi symbols for political gain. We must stand up to those who use anti-Zionism not only to demonize Israel but as an insidious form of antisemitism.
The haters never stop but neither do we. We will never let our guard down. If the Holocaust taught us anything, it’s that we have no choice but to remain vigilant and resolute in fighting racism and injustice not just targeting Jews but all minorities. We know only too well that when hate against minorities goes unchecked, it’s a dangerous, slippery slope that can lead to humanity’s worst impulses.
Our team at FSWC is committed to the work they do and passionate about why they do it. We know there’s no magic, all-purpose solution. That’s why our work takes many forms. We of course wish there was no need for any of it. Sadly, that’s not the case. Given human nature and the lessons of history, it’s a safe bet the FSWC team will remain busy well into the future.
We’re fortunate to have so many people who recognize the importance of our work and are so devoted to it. For that reason, I’m deeply grateful for the steadfast support and confidence of our donors, the FSWC team, our Board of Directors, participants in our programs, social agencies we work with, public figures and the community at large. We would be nothing without you.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns you would like to discuss with me.
I thank you profoundly and wish you all the best for a healthy, safe and fulfilling 2023.
Copyright © FSWC. All Rights Reserved.
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