Jul 16, 2025
An alarming incident in Ontario revealed that a teacher referred to a six-year-old student as “half-human” simply because one of the child’s parents is Jewish. This is just one of many antisemitic episodes documented in a new study conducted by University of Toronto sociology professor Robert Brym, which surveyed nearly 600 Jewish parents between January and April. Disturbingly, many of the reported acts of hate were not directly tied to the Israel-Hamas war, but rather reflected a deeper, more systemic issue of antisemitism in Ontario schools—where approximately 30,000 Jewish children are enrolled.
The findings expose a pattern of harassment and discrimination from both students and educators. Some Jewish children were accused of being “baby killers,” forced to endure Nazi salutes, or blamed for international conflicts by their own teachers. One-sixth of parents said their child had experienced antisemitism from an educator. Incidents ranged from educators dismissing the existence of Israel to wearing T-shirts with slogans like “From the river to the sea.” Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy on antisemitism, condemned the silence and inaction in schools, warning that failing to confront this hate communicates complicity. “Jewish students deserve what every Canadian child deserves: to feel safe, valued, and included,” she stated. “This is not the reality today – and it must change.”
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SOURCE: World Israel News