Know Your Rights: Guidebook for Students on Campus 

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Tour for Humanity Travels West!

Monday marked the first day of the Tour for Humanity's London-Sarnia trip! The bus spent the day in London, with our educator Daniella providing four Global Perspectives workshops to students from Grades 9-12. As buzz travelled through the school, students were eager to come on the bus - giving insightful comments and asking thoughtful questions throughout the day. Nazi propaganda was discussed, and the comparison between the initial stages of genocide and the current climate in the US were brought up.

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Yesterday marked the Tour for Humanity's first visit to the Sarnia area, at a high school in a small farming community with a population of approximately 3,500. The Grade 7-12 school has less than 200 students, which means Educator Daniella was able to see almost the entire school. The school has a significant Indigenous population and educators in this school have been working hard to educate about this aspect of Canadian history. Questions about the Holocaust also arose, especially given that some students were being exposed to the material for the first time. 

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FSWC Announces Launch of National Resource Guide for Canadian Jewish Heritage Month

FSWC is pleased to announce the launch of the National Resource Guidebook for Educators to be used in conjunction with the proposed Canadian Jewish Heritage Month. This Guidebook, based on input from community leaders and educators from coast to coast and designed to fit curriculum objectives common across boards, will provide educators with the tools and resources they need to integrate activities into their classroom in a meaningful way.  The National Resource Guidebook for Educators is presently undergoing an editing process and will be officially distributed at FSWC's National Policy Conference on Holocaust Education January 27-28, 2018 in Toronto. 

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Help us keep the Tour for Humanity bus running as we travel to communities educating students across Ontario! Your support helps ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten and students are inspired to make a positive difference.  

Click here to make a donation.

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New York Faced with Deadliest Terror Attack Since 9/11

Eight people were killed and at least 11 injured after a truck drove into a bike path in Manhattan yesterday - an attack that is being called the deadliest terror attack in New York City since 9/11. The 29-year-old suspect had reportedly planned the attack for weeks and a note was found near the scene revealing that the crime was carried out in the name of ISIS. Five of the people killed have been identified as Argentine tourists celebrating a 30-year high school reunion.

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Vancouver Imam Calls for Money and Weapons to Be Sent to Palestinians to Fight 'Zionists'

FSWC condemns the incitement against the State of Israel that took place at a Vancouver mosque in July. In a shocking video recently released online, an imam is seen delivering a sermon where he calls for "money, weapons, expertise" to be sent to Palestinians to help fight "Zionists" in Israel "by any means necessary." The Vancouver Police Department has been notified of the incident.

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SWC Urges Rutgers University to Fire 'Purveyor of Antisemitism'

Simon Wiesenthal Center released a statement yesterday, urging Rutgers University in New Jersey to fire Michael Chikendas, a Microbiology professor who had published and shared antisemitic posts on social media. The university has launched an investigation into the posts. "If it confirms these public outbursts of anti-Jewish invective were indeed posted by Chikendas, he should immediately be removed from his teaching position... No student should have to put up with such bigotry," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action of the Wiesenthal Center. 

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Poll: Support for Israel Hits Seven-Year High in UK

According to a new poll by the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, UK's support for Israel has hit a seven-year high. The poll also shows that there has been a drop in backing for the BDS movement - particularly among young people - and that Britons see Israel as a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Nearly half of those surveyed agreed that "hating Israel and questioning its right to exist" is antisemitic; only 17 per cent stated that it is not. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in London today to participate in events marking the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.

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From the Arab World

Confirmed in a statement by the White House, Jared Kushner, senior advisor to the US president, recently travelled to Saudi Arabia with other US officials to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace with kingdom leadership. The trip was reportedly kept under wraps until he arrived back in Washington, and no details on the meetings have been released. In a statement, a White House official said, "While these regional talks will play an important role, the president reaffirms that peace between Israelis and Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties and that the United States will continue working closely with the parties to make progress toward that goal."

According to a statement released today by the Palestinian Authority (PA), Hamas has returned control of Gaza's border crossings with Israel and Egypt to the PA. Israel stated it wants to meet with the PA  to discuss how the border crossings will operate now that Hamas is no longer in control. In a statement issued by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Palestinian territories, Israel also made it clear that ensuring Hamas is absent from the crossings is extremely important.

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It's Not Too Late to Get Tickets for State of the Union!

State of the Union is less than one month away, but it's not too late to get your tickets! In celebration of Israel turning 70 next year, former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman and Simon Wiesenthal Center's Rabbi Marvin Hier will discuss numerous current issues facing Israel, US-Israel relations, conflict in the Middle East and much more. The event will be taking place on Thursday, November 23 at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and the presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. 

For tickets, please contact Tracey Steyn at 416-864-9735 ext. 21 or tsteyn@fswc.ca. 

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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.