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Toronto (February 8, 2022) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) has been actively engaging with senior Toronto District School Board (TDSB) officials in response to a series of antisemitic incidents that occurred at a North York school.

Last Friday, a parent informed FSWC that students had depicted swastikas in a classroom at Charles H. Best Middle School earlier in the week, prior to which students performed the Hitler salute in front of classmates. FSWC immediately notified the TDSB and offered resources to help address these incidents.

The school is in Bathurst Manor, an area with a large Jewish population, where many Holocaust survivors live and the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial site is located.

According to a letter sent yesterday from the school to parents, the incidents are under investigation and the school "will be working with students to address this matter and incorporate this as a learning opportunity that supports equity and inclusion," and is "consulting with TDSB Equity Advisors and other central staff to establish new strategies and tools for addressing antisemitism."

FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt issued the following statement:

"It is extremely disturbing to once again learn of antisemitism rearing its ugly head at a school in Toronto. At a time of rising antisemitism, it's essential for schools to have the resources to address and prevent such hate incidents and ensure safe spaces for all students. As we see Holocaust awareness diminish, an increase in the use of vile Nazi symbols and the spread of antisemitic rhetoric, especially on social media and gaming platforms, educating students and empowering them to stand up against hate is more critical than ever. We must never be silent in the face of Jew-hatred in our community and in our country."

FSWC has been receiving multiple reports per week of antisemitic incidents taking place at schools in Toronto.

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