As 2025 draws to a close, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) reflects on a year marked by meaningful steps to strengthen our community amid alarming antisemitism in Canada. FSWC is preparing for the year ahead, building on our critical work in 2025 – confronting antisemitism through vigorous advocacy, education, allyship and community engagement. As the year concludes, here are some key highlights from the past 12 months made possible by your generous, steadfast support.

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In 2025, FSWC reached thousands of professionals in the private and public sectors through our educational training programs, which examine the Holocaust and its enduring lessons, the modern manifestations of antisemitism, and practical tools for allyship and advocacy. Our reach grew significantly this year, including:

• 3,566 law enforcement members, through initiatives such as FSWC’s annual Building a Case Against Hate conference, Tools for Tolerance and Policing with Understanding programs.
• 2,458 professionals across the law, health care, media, non-profit, post-secondary and government sectors, particularly through our renowned Antisemitism: Then and Now program.

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With antisemitism rampant on university and college campuses nationwide, FSWC consistently engaged with post-secondary leadership throughout the year. We advocated on behalf of Jewish students and faculty, raised concerns directly with administrators, and advanced opportunities for collaboration to confront antisemitism and protect campus communities. From the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University to McGill University, the University of British Columbia and St. Francis Xavier University, FSWC remained in active dialogue with institutional leaders to press for accountability and meaningful action.

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In 2025, FSWC delivered more community impact statements in court than ever before, ensuring the Jewish community’s voice was heard during sentencing hearings for perpetrators of antisemitic incidents. These included cases involving a man sentenced for threatening to bomb “every synagogue in Toronto” and “kill as many Jews as possible”; a Toronto man sentenced to one year in jail for shouting antisemitic slurs and conspiracy theories at Jewish community members; and a North Bay man sentenced to nine months in jail – the first person in Canada convicted for Holocaust denial. In each case, FSWC was on the front lines, advocating for accountability and significant consequences for hate-driven crimes.

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This year, FSWC reached more than 43,000 students across Canada through educational workshops delivered on our Tour for Humanity mobile education centre, as well as through a wide range of in-person and virtual programs. In addition, more than 2,000 educators participated in our professional development programs. Key highlights included:

• The launch of our French-language program, which has already reached approximately 780 students in Ontario and Quebec.
• The Tour for Humanity’s first-ever visit to Prince Edward Island as part of its Atlantic Canada visit to deliver Holocaust and human rights education.
• The introduction of a new professional development conference for educators, Empowering Change: Holocaust Education for a New Generation, sponsored by Canadian Heritage.
• The launch of FSWC’s Erdman Fellowship Program, which brought together student leaders from independent schools for a year-long experience deepening their understanding of the Holocaust and antisemitism while equipping them with the skills to stand up to hate in their schools and communities.
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From outreach and dialogue with allies across diverse communities to impactful programming for community members, it was an honour in 2025 to engage with so many Canadians who support our mandate of Holocaust education, confronting antisemitism and other forms of hate while building an inclusive Canada. Monthly online programs such as Book Talk and In Conversation with a Survivor brought powerful stories to life, while major in-person events – including Voices of Change with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, and Spirit of Hope with Van Jones and Scott Galloway – sparked timely, poignant conversations.

None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our donors and partners. As we look ahead to 2026, your generosity empowers FSWC to expand our education programs for students and professionals, strengthen our advocacy and accountability efforts, and deepen our partnerships with allies across Canada at a time when antisemitism continues to rise. We invite you to continue standing with us by making a year-end gift, helping ensure this vital work can further develop in the year ahead. With your continued commitment, we will remain vigilant and resolute on the front lines – relentlessly confronting hate, protecting Jewish communities and building a safer, more inclusive Canada for future generations. The current reality calls for nothing less.

Make a Year-End Donation

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