Antisemitic Graffiti at Aurora High School Under Investigation

FSWC condemns the antisemitic graffiti that was found at Aurora High School last week. Spray painted graffiti calling to stop white genocide and claiming that the six million Jews that died in the Holocaust was a hoax was discovered on a storage building at the high school early on Thursday, November 30. The York Regional Police Hate Crimes Department has confirmed that the incident is being investigated as hate-motivated mischief. Anyone with information or anyone with dash-cam footage in that area is being asked to come forward.

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Tour for Humanity Encourages Discussions About the Holocaust

Tour for Humanity finished off the week on Friday at a public school in Richmond Hill. Over the course of the six workshops, FSWC Educator Daniella saw the school's entire Grades 6-8 students, all of whom participated in the Canadian Experience workshop. The school has put a great deal of effort into recognizing diverse populations, which was immediately noticeable by walking through the front door where "welcome" is listed in a variety of languages represented by the community. Being intermediate students, the groups all had a lot to say and a lot of questions to ask.

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Auschwitz Prisoner's Notes on Horrors of Gas Chambers Revealed

Testimony from a Greek Auschwitz prisoner who was a member of the Sonderkommando - Jewish prisoners who were forced to aid with the disposal of corpses from the gas chambers - has finally been deciphered. Marcel Nadjari wrote 13 pages of notes in 1944, burying them near one of the crematoriums. More than three decades later, the testimony was unearthed by a Russian historian, but only 10 per cent of the message was eligible. The faded text has since been restored and translated, revealing the horrors that Nadjari had witnessed.    

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City of Toronto to Look at How to Stop Hate Rallies

Following Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak's inquiry aimed at preventing hate rallies - including Al Quds Day - from taking place on city property, Toronto's executive committee voted last week to refer the councillor's concerns to the city manager. The city manager is set to consult with legal experts, police, the Ontario attorney general and human rights groups to look at whether police and municipal officials have the power to prohibit hate rallies on government property. A report will be provided to the executive committee next year.

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Holocaust Memorial in Athens Vandalized Again

A memorial in Athens which includes inscriptions written by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel was found vandalized on Saturday. The memorial includes text by Wiesel in Greek, French and English - calling on those who pass by to remember the victims of the Holocaust - and was written especially for the plaque. This is not the first time the memorial was vandalized. Threats against the Jewish community and the logo of an ultra-national group were previously spray painted on the memorial.

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From the Arab World

As news reports revealed US plans to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Arab nations have expressed their opposition to this move, including warning potential unrest and an end to the peace process. Jordan stated the decision could "trigger anger across the Arab and Muslim world," while Turkey said the change in policy would be a "major catastrophe." 

The terrorist group Hamas issued a statement calling on Palestinians to "incite an uprising in Jerusalem" against the US recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to "renew the Jerusalem intifada." On Sunday, senior advisor Jared Kushner said President Donald Trump is "close" to making a decision on Jerusalem. 

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Tomorrow: Rohingya Refugee Crisis Exhibit

Join us tomorrow as FSWC welcomes CTV News Correspondent Peter Akman to share his experiences from his recent visit at a Bulukhali refugee camp for Rohingya refugees who have fled from their homes in Myanmar due to what the UN is calling a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

The exhibit will provide insight into the refugee crisis through the eyes and artwork of Rohingya children.

To RSVP, please contact Melissa Mikel at mmikel@fswc.ca or 416-864-9735 x40. 

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FSWC Wants to Hear from You

Passionate about an issue in the news or your community? Does it align with FSWC's mandate? Then we want to hear from you! FSWC is inviting you to submit reflections on issues that matter to you and the community. While we won't be publishing anything just yet, we will be taking all submissions into consideration for future projects.

Submit reflections to aborisovsky@fswc.ca.