Avi Benlolo: Macdonald Shooting at the Wrong Duck

In an opinion piece, FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo speaks out against a recent piece by CBC's Neil Macdonald, who calls Israel an "apartheid state." "He misses the point, which is that the very fact that Israelis themselves can self-critique their country about human rights issues without repercussion means Israel is not an apartheid state," says Benlolo. "Israel is free and democratic and everyone has a right to articulate their views, including Arab elected parliamentarians to Israel's Knesset (parliament)."

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FSWC Reaches Out to McGill Principal About Antisemitic Vote on Campus

Following reports from McGill University students regarding the blatant antisemitism that took place leading up to and during the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2017 General Assembly, FSWC reached out the university's principal and vice-chancellor expressing concern and requesting an investigation into the matter. In the letter, FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo states: "It is shocking that after seeing such a positive step forward on the McGill campus with a vote against the anti-Israel, antisemitic BDS movement, we see  such  a step backward with these  blatantly antisemitic inspired events. This vote sends a message that Jewish students are not welcome, a type of exclusion and racism that has no place at universities that claim to support equity and inclusion."  

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Students in Milton Develop Understanding of the Holocaust

Yesterday was the first of a two-day visit for the Tour for Humanity to an elementary school in Milton. There were some very inquisitive students in each of the classes who really seemed to be working on developing their understanding of the Holocaust and how to be upstanders. One young student really impressed Daniella because she right away announced to her class that Hitler was antisemitic and targeted the Jewish people, and then proceeded to tell her class about a trip she had taken to Berlin and how she had visited Hitler's bunker.

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170,000 Jewish Documents Lost During Holocaust Have Been Found

Yesterday, the New York-based YIVO Institute for Jewish Research announced that 170,000 Jewish documents that were thought to have been destroyed by Nazis during the Holocaust have been found. Documents included unpublished manuscripts by famous Yiddish writers as well as religious and community documents. Most of the documents are in Lithuania,  but 10 items will be displayed at YIVO in January.

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Comic Hired by Quebec School Board Accused of Crossing Line Between Humour and Antisemitism

A comic who was hired for an event hosted by Quebec's Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board is reportedly being accused of crossing the line between humour and antisemitism. According to teachers, the comic made an antisemitic joke. While the comic stated it was a joke meant to make fun of racists and it wasn't his intention to offend anyone, one teacher stated the comic did not apologize nor make it clear that he was kidding. 

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Maryland Governor Signs Order Blocking Boycott of Israel

An executive order was signed by Maryland's governor on Monday, blocking the state from working with companies that support the boycott of Israel. According to the Associated Press, during a press conference with Jewish leaders by his side, Gov. Larry Hogan said he is "asking the state pension system to divest itself of companies" who have participated in the BDS movement. He also said "BDS runs counter to an economic relationship Maryland has sustained for decades with Israel."

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Archaeologists Unearth Mass Grave at Nazi Death Camp

Polish archaeologists have reportedly uncovered a mass grave of approximately 300 prisoners at the site of the former Nazi death camp Gross-Rosen. During the Holocaust, the camp held about 125,000 prisoners, most of whom were Jewish and 40,000 of whom were killed. Archaeologists are working on identifying the prisoners. Prisoners at Gross-Rosen had small metal plates with numbers sewn to their uniforms, which archaeologists are hoping to find and then use the numbers to identify the individuals. 

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From the Arab World

Hamas Deputy Chairman Salih al-Arouri has stated that after meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran, Iran has agreed to provide its support toward the "resistance." According to Arouri, Iran is the biggest backer of Izzadin Kassam - the terrorist group's military wing, which has fought in three wars with Israel over the past 10 years.

On Monday, Egypt reaffirmed that it is allocating more than $5 million toward the restoration of the ancient synagogue in Alexandria. The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is the last active synagogue in Alexandria, previously home to 50,000 Jews. Yasmin El-Shazly, the General Supervisor of the Department of International Organizations for Cultural and the International Cooperation, stated that the Egyptian government "gives equal importance to all its monuments and heritage sites, whether Ancient Egyptian, Jewish, Coptic or Islamic." 

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The Future of Holocaust Education

Join us on January 27 and 28 as Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center hosts its 3rd Annual National Policy Conference on Holocaust Education, in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.Some incredible speakers we have lined up include Holocaust survivor and author Max Eisen, Hon. Irwin Cotler, Museum of Tolerance Director Liebe Geft and Wendy Lower, Acting Director of the Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. You will not want to miss this extremely innovative and impactful conference!

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa at mmikel@fswc.ca or 416-864-9735 x40 

Learn More About the National Police Conference

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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.