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More Than Six Acts of Antisemitism a Day, New Audit Reveals

Michael Mostyn, CEO, B’nai Brith Canada

April 27, 2020 While Jews were viciously attacked and/or killed in New York, New Jersey,California and Germany in 2019, the number of antisemitic incidents in Canada set records for a fourth consecutive year.

 

The 2019 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, produced by B’nai Brith Canada’s advocacy arm, the League for Human Rights, recorded 2,207 incidents of antisemitism, an increase of more than 8 per cent compared with the previous year.

 This marked the second successive year in which the 2,000 plateau was exceeded, amounting to an average of more than six incidents per day.

Assaults became more brazen and violent in 2019, with several occurring in broad daylight and some directly in front of eyewitnesses.

Such incidents included:

· An assault against a visibly observant Jewish man by a Montreal taxi driver.

· A Toronto woman being spat on after being accosted with antisemitic abuse by her neighbour.

· A group of Hasidic children in Outremont, Que. being sprayed with tar by a construction worker.

· A physical attack against two young observant Jews in a Toronto area public park.

Other incidents included:

· A workplace supervisor abused a Jewish employee in Montreal, verbally harassing him and then throwing a coin at him.

· A student-union representative in Toronto refused to endorse a campaign to bring kosher food to campus because a group supporting the idea was “pro-Israel.”

· Two male youths gave a Nazi salute outside a Winnipeg Jewish school in full view of students.

· In St. John’s, Nfld., spray-painted swastikas appeared on road signs and fences.

· In Gabriola Island, B.C., antisemitic graffiti was spray-painted on the main building at a Jewish summer camp.

· In Edmonton, a cleric publicly suggested that “international Zionism” was behind the ISIS terrorist organization.

There was an increase of more than 11 per cent in anonymous online harassment, much of it advocating genocide and Holocaust denial.

“The record numbers of incidents we have documented in recent years have become the new baseline for antisemitism in Canada – and they are alarming,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada.

“These figures, and the brazenness of the incidents we are seeing, would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago. Instead, they have become a loathsome reality in this country. It is not only Jewish people who must be appalled by this pattern. It’s any law-abiding, decent human being.”

The most dramatic spikes occurred in Ontario and Quebec, where there were 62.8 per cent and 12.3 per cent more incidents, respectively, than in 2018. While the Prairie and Atlantic regions experienced decreases in incidents, their numbers remained higher than where they were before 2017, reinforcing suspicions of a new baseline throughout Canada.

“Antisemitic incidents included deadly attacks on Jews around the world in the past year, some of the worst of our lifetimes,” Mostyn added. “Murderous violence targeting Jewish communities took place in California, New Jersey, New York and Germany. Each of these tragedies is a reminder of why we must be vigilant against trends of hatred before they reach these horrific levels.

“B’nai Brith is urging government officials to promptly adopt the steps outlined in our Eight-Point Plan to Tackle Antisemitism in order to put an end to this abhorrent trend.”

Now in its 38th year, the Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which tracks and monitors trends in antisemitic hatred, is the authoritative document on anti-Jewish bigotry in Canada, cited regularly by law-enforcement agencies, government bodies and human-rights agencies worldwide.

To read the 2019 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, click here.

For additional resources on antisemitism in Canada, click here.

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Local News

Winnipeg Beach Synagogue about to celebrate 75th anniversary

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 13) In 1950 a group of cottage owners at Winnipeg Beach took it upon themselves to relocate a one-room schoolhouse that was in the Beausejour area to Winnipeg Beach where it became the beach synagogue at the corner of Hazel and Grove.
There it stayed until 1998 when it was moved to its current location at Camp Massad.
On August 2nd members of the synagogue will be holding a 75th anniversary celebration.


As part of the celebration anyone who is a descendant or relative of any of the original members of the first executive committee (as seen in the photo here) is invited to attend the synagogue that morning.
If you are a relative please contact Abe Borzykowski at wpgbeachshule@shaw.ca or aborzykowski@shaw.ca to let Abe know you might be attending or for more information about the 75th anniversary celebration.
We will soon be publishing a story about the history of the beach synagogue, which is something I’ve been writing about for over 25 years.

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Vickar Family cuts ribbon on new Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre

By MYRON LOVE In the words of Larry Vickar, the Shaarey Zedek’s successful Dor V’ Dor Campaign “is not only a renewal of the synagogue but truly a renewal movement of Jewish life in our community.”An integral part of that renewal movement was the creation of a daycare centre within the expanded synagogue.  On Monday, June 23, Larry and Tova Vickar cut the ribbon, thereby officially opening the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre in the presence of 100 of their family members, friends and other supporters of the project.
The short program preceding the morning ribbon-cutting began with a continental breakfast followed by a welcome by both Fanny Levy, Shaarey Zedek’s Board President, and Executive Director Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze. In Elbaze’s remarks, she noted that Larry and Tova wanted their family (including son Stephen and family, who flew in from Florida) and friends at the event to celebrate the opening of the Tova Vickar and Family Childcare Centre, “not because of the accolades, but because, as Larry put it, he hopes that their investment in the congregation will inspire others to do the same.”
“When Larry and I spoke about what this gift meant to him and the message he wanted people to take away,”  she continued, “I couldn’t help but connect it to the teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi whose book – Age-ing to Sage-ing – changes the whole way we look at the concept of ageing and basing it on our ancestral teachings.”
She explained that his concept of “Sage-ing” is based on three key ideas – Discover your meaning and purpose; accept our mortality and think about the legacy you want to leave.
“Larry spoke about these exact concepts when we met,” she said.
Elbaze also noted the presence of Shaarey Zedek’s newly-arrived senior Rabbi Carnie Rose, former Rabbi Alan Green, and area MLAs Mike Moroz and Carla Compton.
Larry Vickar expressed his great appreciation for all those in attendance.  “Tova and I are deeply moved to stand here with you today for this important milestone in our community”, he said. “We are grateful to be surrounded by all of you, the people we care about, our family and friends… you who have touched our lives and played some part in our journey.”

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Local News

New Israeli restaurant opens in River Heights

By BERNIE BELLAN (July 6, 2025) It’s been a long time since our community has been able to welcome the opening of a restaurant that specializes in Israeli food.
That void is now filled with the opening of The Green Falafel, at 1833 Grant (corner of Centennial – next to the Subway), which opened its doors (to huge crowds) on Monday, July 7.

The staff at The Green Falafel
(owners Ariel & Elena Maudi second and third from left)

The restaurant is the fulfillment of a dream long held by the husband and wife team of Ariel and Eden Maudi, who have been living in Winnipeg the past 11 years.
Ariel, who was born in Israel and grew up in Beer Sheva, says that he worked in telecommunications in Ramat Gan for several years. He adds though that he had always dreamed of owning his own falafel stand in Israel, but life was difficult there and he decided to come to Canada as a tourist to see whether there were any opportunities here for him, Eden and their two young children.
Eden, who was born in Russia and moved to Israel with her family in 1996, stayed behind with the two kids, who were both pre-schoolers, while Ariel tested the waters in Canada first.
Ariel says he came to Canada as a tourist in 2013. His first stop was in Toronto, where he acquired his 1st class driver’s license. At the end of 2013 he moved to Winnipeg where he began working as a truck driver. Soon he found himself employed as a successful sales person at Vickar Nissan where, he says, he once achieved the status as the top car sales person in Canada. After working at Vickar Nissan for a number of years, Ariel began working as an installer for Bell MTS.
Meanwhile, Eden began working at a Walmart, later at the Costco on Regent.

But, when the opportunity to move into a space that had been previously occupied by another restaurant, but which had closed, became available, Ariel and Eden decided to open their own Israeli restaurant in an area that hadn’t seen Israeli food served since the controversial closure of Bermax Café in 2019.
The Maudis say that they will be serving a variety of Israeli dishes – all vegetarian, and that they will be fully kosher.
The “green” in Green Falafel, by the way, Ariel Maudi explains, comes from the cilantro and parsley that are added to the chickpeas. In addition, their pitas will be coming from Israel and will be baked fresh daily.
The Green Falafel is open from 10-8 Sunday – Thursday and 10-4 on Friday. (Closed Saturday).Delivery will be available through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Call 204-557-7837 for information.

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