Features
“The Cure for Hate” – how a former neo-Nazi Skinhead turned his life around
By BERNIE BELLAN On Sunday, November 19, the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, in cooperation with the Jewish Federation, Westwood Collegiate, and an organization called “peace days,” screened a documentary film titled “The Cure for Hate – Bearing Witness to Auschwitz.” The film documents a visit made to Auschwitz by former neo-Nazi Skinhead Tony McAleer, during which he confronts his own violent past and discusses the long and complicated journey he has taken through his life
(As an aside, we also had a story in our January 19, 2022 issue, written by Jon Van Der Veen, in which Jon wrote about an interview he conducted with McAleer when Jon was a student in Atlantic Canada. You can find that story on our website, jewishpostandnews.ca..)
Following the screening of the film Tony McAleer was joined on stage at Westwood Collegiate by Westwood History teacher Kelly Hiebert to discuss the film. Also participating in the discussion was the film’s director, Peter Hutchison, who joined in via Zoom.
Interestingly, this was the second Sunday in a row that Westwood Collegiate, in cooperation with the Jewish Heritage Centre and the Jewish Federation – with particular thanks to Kelly Hiebert, served as the venue for the showing of a film and discussion afterward directly related to the subject of antisemitism. The November 12 event revolved around the screening of “Reckonings,” about which we wrote in our November 22 issue. (If you missed seeing that story you can also find it on our website
“The Cure for Hate” follows McAleer on a tour of Auschwitz, where he is accompanied by a Jewish Polish tour guide.
Here is a summary of the film’s storyline: “In the Jewish tradition, tshuvah means ‘return’, and describes the return to God and our fellow human beings that is made possible through repentance for our wrongs. Tony McAleer is a former Skinhead and Holocaust denier who went on to become a founding member of the anti-hate activist group Life After Hate. Profoundly aware and deeply ashamed of the lineage of hate he’d once promoted, Tony had long-contemplated traveling to Auschwitz in the spirit of tshuvah – to bear witness to the inconceivable ravages of the Holocaust, and deepen his personal work against the rise of extremist politics. This project documents his profoundly personal journey of atonement to Auschwitz/Birkenau – exploring the conditions that allowed for the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe; shedding a unique light upon how men get into, and out of, violent extremist groups; and serving as a cautionary tale for our time that underscores the dangers in allowing hate to be left unchecked.”
The film is fairly long – 74 minutes, and it is somewhat repetitious, as McAleer reiterates the shame he feels for his past over and over again, but it does offer some profound insights into what motivates many young men to be drawn to a violent neo-Nazi lifestyle.
At the beginning of the film, McAleer says he has often been asked: “How did you lose your humanity?”
He responds: “I didn’t lose it. I just kept it down until there was nothing left.”
As he begins his tour of Auschwitz, walking through the gate under the infamous sign that says, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work will make you free), McAleer notes that when he used to get together with his Skinhead friends they would joke that when they’re done with the Jews the sign would read “Nothing will make you free.”
The film follows a pattern of McAleer walking along with the guide (who is often difficult to understand because of her heavy Polish accent), discussing his life and what led him to have an epiphany moment when he realized that the life he had been living was so wrong.
He observes at one point that “no one becomes a Nazi overnight. It’s a slow progression.”
As Jon Van Der Veen describes in his interview with McAleer, McAleer came from an affluent Vancouver family. According to Jon’s article, and something that is also mentioned in the film – although not to the extent it’s discussed in Jon’s interview, it was McAleer’s discovering that his father was having an affair that shattered his life and led him to descending into a downward spiral that culminated in his becoming a full-blown Neo-Nazi.
At one point, McAleer, who engages in quite a bit of introspection throughout the film, repeats something that was said to him by a psychiatrist who was treating McAleer: “All violence is an attempt to replace shame with self esteem.”
McAleer was influenced by a number of prominent Neo-Nazis, he says, whose names he recounts during the film, including; Richard Butter (who McAleer describes as the “spiritual leader” of the Aryan Nations, and who led the infamous 1978 march through a heavily Jewish neighbourhood in Skokie, Illinois which had a very high proportion of Holocaust survivors living there); Tom Metzger, of the White Aryan Resistance, and someone by the name of Lewis Beeton (although I may not have written that name down correctly since I could find no reference to anyone by that name on the internet).
Something that McAleer says during the film – and which is even more chilling than his description of his own long relationship with neo-Nazi ideology, is how so many neo-Nazi groups have been using the tactic of “mainstreaming,” whereby they educate their members to drop the appearance that is often associated with such groups, including uniform dress, scary tattoos and other such paraphernalia, and blend in with the “mainstream.”
Further, according to McAleer many neo-Nazis have been infiltrating police forces and armies in both Canada and the U.S. (Perhaps the most chilling story of such an infiltration came a few years ago when a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Patrik Matthews, was unmasked as a member of a group known as “The Base,” thanks to the brilliant – and very brave investigative reporting of former Free Press reporter Ryan Thorpe.)
As the film progresses, McAleer describes the process through which he realized that his life had been a total waste. He acknowledges the contribution that his therapist, Charles Barron (who, incidentally, is Jewish), made to his coming to terms with what he had done with his life.
But, in treating him, McAleer says, Barron made him realize “This is what you did, it’s not who you are.”
The reason he had been attracted to neo-Nazi Skinhead ideology, McAleer observes, is out of a “search for longing and purpose.”
So, what turned McAleer around? There were two events that proved pivotal, he explains. One was the birth of a child. (He now has two, he noted during the discussion that followed the film, but he is no longer together with his children’s mother.)
The other event, he says in the film, “was receiving compassion from someone he didn’t expect it from.”
As well, he observes, “Allowing one to have compassion for oneself leads to compassion for others.”
Yet, in what comes as a dark warning toward the end of the film, McAleer states that “the inescapable truth is that white supremacist ideology, if left unchecked, always ends in violence.”
Following the film, McAleer and Peter Hutchison engaged in a discussion with Kelly Hiebert, followed by questions from the audience.
Kelly Hiebert asked McAleer whether there was “a transformative moment for you that led you to leave the movement?”
McAleer answered that “it was a process rather than a moment. For me it was the birth of my daughter. (His son was born 15 months later, he said.) Up until then I was a self-absorbed narcissist. I had been cut off from my emotional self.”
Someone in the audience asked Kelly Hiebert: “Why do you what you do?”
(Kelly Hiebert is a Governor General’s Award-winning educator who has made Holocaust education a key component of his teaching.)
Hiebert answered: “I do what I do to create a better world – for myself, my kids, and my students.”
Someone else asked Hiebert what he says to his students about what’s going on in Gaza?
He answered: “A lot of students are very confused. There’s too much information out there. I’m teaching them to develop a critical consciousness about what they’re consuming…to help them understand the difference between free speech and hate speech.”
Tony McAleer added: There’s confusion between identity and politics. It comes from understanding that it’s not the politics that’s wrong; it’s where I am that’s wrong.” But the identification with a certain brand of politics, he suggested, comes from “a thirst for community, a thirst for belonging.”
Peter Hutchison observed that the shift toward identifying with particular political beliefs “was never a defining characteristic when I was growing up…You end up getting ‘siloed’ in a lot of way. As Americans have become less identified with church, we’ve become much more strongly identified with ideology.”
And, as individuals become more immersed in particular ideologies, “it prevents us from seeing the humanity in one another,” he added.
The discussion turned to Holocaust denial. Peter Hutchison suggested that “if you can tear a hole in a little bit of data you can deny everything.” He went on to discuss the argument that there could never have been 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust – that it was Allied propaganda.
“It’s happening in real time,” Hutchison observed: “As information came in about a hospital (El Shifa – which was hit by a stray missile found to have been fired by Islamic Jihad) being bombed in Gaza, ”you can discount it or you can extend it to a much larger truth.”
Kelly Hiebert added: “People will believe the first thing they see.”
Someone asked McAleer: “What can you do to bring students together?”
McAleer answered: “Curiosity, courage, and compassion…What we try to teach young people is that it’s very hard to hate someone you meet.”
He cited as an example a student-led initiative that was put forward by students in an American high school – a program called “No one eats alone.”
The idea was to make sure that no one eating lunch would be left to sit by themselves. It was important to work with “students struggling at the margins,” he said.
In another school, students were asked to whom would they like to talk (among other students in their class) if they were “struggling.”
“We went to those students (the ones who were identified as one to whom the struggling students would like to be able to speak) and asked them if they would serve in that role.”
Hutchison noted that “it’s hard to teach ‘compassion.’ We teach ‘active listening’…how to be curious, how to wait your turn to speak…We also ask kids, ‘How does it feel to be hurt?’ “
Someone in the audience suggested that underlying a large part of the alienation that many young boys feel that, in turn, leads them to be attracted to neo-Nazi type groups, is wondering “How can I get girls to like me?”
McAleer responded that “We have to have better discussions about masculinity with young men…There’s a generation of young boys who feel alienated and there are groups who know how to pull them in.’
Peter Hutchison added: “Young men have heard the expression ‘toxic masculinity’ so often they don’t know what healthy masculinity is.”
And, while Belle Jarniewski made an observation about antisemitism sometime in the middle of the discussion, I thought it was particularly relevant to end this article with what she had said.
Belle explained that when a criminal offense occurs that has an antisemitic component to it, someone in the Crown Attorney’s office will often suggest that they ought “to bring in a Holocaust survivor for that offender to meet.”
“In truth,” Belle observed, “it would be much better if they were to meet someone like Tony.”
Features
Rising Antisemitism: A Global Snapshot and Local Reflections
In a world that promised “Never Again,” the troubling truth is — it’s happening again. Across continents and, more painfully, across Canadian provinces, antisemitic incidents are not only increasing but also becoming more brazen.
And while global headlines speak of shocking antisemitic protests and violence, the quiet fear felt in Canadian Jewish communities is just as real — and just as dangerous.
A Global Rise in Hate: What the Numbers Say
Across the globe, antisemitism has re-emerged with disturbing force. In the U.S., the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported over 3,600 antisemitic incidents in 2023 — a 34% increase over the previous year. In Europe, Jewish communities are grappling with political extremism, desecrated cemeteries, and conspiracy-fueled hate speech, both online and off.
Why the spike? Experts point to a complex mix of factors: political polarization, the normalization of hate speech on social media, and international conflicts reigniting age-old prejudices.
“The hatred of Jews is the most long-standing and persistent form of hatred the world has known.” – Elie Wiesel
This quote feels less like a reflection of the past and more like a warning we’ve failed to heed.
Canada’s Alarming Trend: The Data Speaks
Canada is not immune. In fact, it’s deeply affected. According to B’nai Brith Canada’s 2023 Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, there were over 3,100 reported cases of antisemitism across the country — the highest number ever recorded in the audit’s 40+ year history.
Let’s break that down:
- Ontario and Quebec led in reported cases, but Manitoba — including Winnipeg — saw a noticeable spike.
- The most common form was online hate speech, followed by vandalism, verbal harassment, and assaults.
- Jewish students on Canadian campuses reported feeling unsafe expressing their identity.
- Synagogues have increased their private security measures, often at great financial cost.
This isn’t just a big-city issue either. A Winnipeg high school teacher — who preferred to remain anonymous — shared that during Holocaust education week, several students laughed during a survivor’s video testimony. “I’ve been teaching 15 years. That had never happened before.”
“We must not tolerate antisemitism any more than we would any other form of hate. An attack on one is an attack on all.” – Justin Trudeau
Local Stories: Winnipeg’s Jewish Community Responds
In Winnipeg’s North End, where Jewish immigrants once built vibrant lives and communities, echoes of the past are mixing with the uncertainties of today.
“I still go to shul every Saturday,” says Mr. Cohen, 78, from River Heights. “But I double-check the locks now. I peek out the window before opening the door. That wasn’t the case ten years ago.”
At a local community center, staff have implemented security protocols similar to what you’d expect at a government office. “It’s necessary,” says program coordinator Leah. “But it’s heartbreaking that our kids now associate Jewish spaces with metal detectors.”
This rising fear is not just emotional — it’s practical. Community leaders are lobbying for increased funding to help with safety infrastructure, staff training, and legal protections.
Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword
The internet has always been a powerful tool, but in the hands of extremists, it’s become a megaphone for hate. Telegram channels, anonymous forums, and even mainstream platforms like TikTok have seen spikes in antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial content.
A University of Manitoba student, Sarah, says she’s seen classmates share memes that mock Jewish suffering or trivialize antisemitic tropes. “When I reported it, the response was… silence.”
Unfortunately, Canada’s online safety laws haven’t quite caught up with the rapid spread of digital hate.
Hope in Community: Solidarity and Resistance
But it’s not all bleak. Across Canada — and especially in Winnipeg — there’s resistance. Not just in the form of protests or petitions, but through connection.
Jewish organizations are partnering with Muslim and Christian groups to build bridges. Programs like “Faith Forward” and “Neighbours for Peace” host dialogue events, community meals, and interfaith panels. These gatherings do more than educate — they humanize.
“In the face of hate, we must stand together — united in dignity, justice, and peace.” – Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
That spirit of unity has taken root even in everyday situations. When a swastika was found carved into a park bench in south Winnipeg last year, residents of all backgrounds came together to repaint the bench with messages of love and solidarity. Sometimes, the most powerful response to hate is simply showing up.
What Can Be Done? Moving Beyond Condemnation
Condemning antisemitism is not enough. Education, policy, and vigilance are key. Here’s what needs to happen:
- Stronger enforcement of hate crime laws.
- Mandatory Holocaust and antisemitism education in Canadian high schools.
- Resources for Jewish students in post-secondary institutions.
- Public awareness campaigns that go beyond social media posts — real funding, real messaging, real commitment.
We also need more allyship. As one rabbi in Winnipeg put it: “You don’t have to be Jewish to fight antisemitism. You just have to be decent.”
And maybe — just maybe — it’s also okay to lean on each other for the small stuff too. When Mr. Cohen’s dryer broke down last month, he wasn’t worried about hate — just whether he could fix it himself.
“I’m 78. You think I’m crawling behind a dryer?” he joked. “I called someone from the TechVill website techvillwinnipeg.ca and said: ‘Do your magic. And take off your shoes.’”
Final Thoughts: Never Again Starts with Now
Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem — it’s a human one. Its persistence reflects the cracks in our collective moral foundation. And yet, every time a Jewish child learns Hebrew in Winnipeg, every time a menorah is lit proudly in a public square, and every time someone says “I’m with you,” a small piece of that hate is undone.
History may echo, but so does resistance. And in the end, our response is not just in protest — but in persistence, pride, and presence.
Features
Interfaith Dialogue: Building Bridges Between Jewish and Other Communities in Manitoba
Interfaith dialogue in this province isn’t just a hopeful concept; it’s a lived experience. In a province known for its chilly winters, it turns out the warmth comes from its people—people who, regardless of faith, lean into conversation, curiosity, and kindness.
A rabbi, an imam, and a priest walk into a Winnipeg café.
No, this isn’t the start of a joke—it’s a Tuesday morning in Manitoba.
Interfaith dialogue in this province isn’t just a hopeful concept; it’s a lived experience. In a province known for its chilly winters, it turns out the warmth comes from its people—people who, regardless of faith, lean into conversation, curiosity, and kindness. In a world growing louder with division, Manitoba is quietly building bridges—and the Jewish community is right in the heart of it.
Why Interfaith Dialogue Matters Now More Than Ever
Canada is proudly multicultural, but multiculturalism doesn’t always mean mutual understanding. In 2021, Statistics Canada reported over 450 religious affiliations among Canadians. Manitoba alone reflects that diversity, with Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Indigenous Spirituality, and other groups coexisting—and, at times, colliding.
That’s where interfaith dialogue comes in.
It’s not just “Kumbaya” circles and shared hummus (although food definitely helps). It’s deep listening, mutual respect, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations that lead to long-term understanding.
As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK, once said:
“True dialogue is not about one side winning. It’s about both sides learning.”
And learning is something Manitobans are good at—whether it’s fixing a snowblower or rethinking a stereotype.
A Prairie Legacy: Jewish Roots in Manitoba’s Interfaith Journey
The Jewish community in Manitoba has long understood the value of dialogue. From early 20th-century immigrants who settled in Winnipeg’s North End to present-day community leaders, Jewish Manitobans have often been a voice for inclusivity and education.
Back in the day, synagogues doubled as community centres where neighbours of all backgrounds could gather for food drives, cultural nights, and winter coat donations (you can’t skip that in Winnipeg). Fast-forward to today, and those traditions continue through institutions like the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, which actively partners with other faith groups on events ranging from peace vigils to holiday exchanges.
There’s also grassroots involvement—like teachers from Jewish schools co-hosting panels with Muslim educators to help students understand each other’s holidays, traditions, and sometimes confusing dietary laws. (“Wait, you can’t eat pork either?”)
Real Conversations, Real Progress: Interfaith in Action
Every February, Interfaith Harmony Week brings together representatives from mosques, churches, temples, and synagogues across Winnipeg for events that aim to replace suspicion with stories.
One event in 2023, called “Faith and Food,” invited participants to bring traditional dishes and share the story behind them. Turns out, nothing bonds people faster than realizing their grandmother’s chicken soup could cure anything from a cold to heartbreak—no matter what faith she followed.
Another initiative, the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue of Winnipeg, has been quietly fostering real friendships across communities. Members discuss everything from sacred texts to family life, and sometimes even Netflix (hey, we’re all human).
These efforts aren’t just symbolic. In 2021, a joint Muslim-Jewish charity project raised over $30,000 for local families in need, proving that dialogue can lead to impact.
Of Misunderstandings and Mosaics
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Misconceptions persist. Political conflicts abroad can strain even the strongest local relationships. One Jewish high school student shared how a casual question about Israel at lunch spiralled into a tense debate with a classmate.
“It was awkward, yeah,” she said, “but we talked it out. We both walked away with a bit more understanding—and respect.”
It’s in those uncomfortable moments that dialogue matters most.
As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter once said:
“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”
That mosaic only works if we keep the grout strong—and in Manitoba, that grout is made of shared humanity.
Youth Leading the Charge
Younger generations are pushing interfaith efforts into new territory—online, on campus, and in coffee shops.
At the University of Manitoba, interfaith student clubs host discussion nights on topics like climate change, social justice, and yes—dating while religious. There’s humour, honesty, and an openness that older generations sometimes tiptoe around.
Social media, too, has become a tool for bridge-building. TikToks and Instagram reels featuring light-hearted interfaith Q&As are breaking stereotypes one view at a time. (“Yes, Jews do eat bacon—sometimes. Shh, don’t tell bubbe.”)
It’s this openness that signals a promising future.
Building Bridges… And Fixing Fridges?
Let’s pause the philosophy for a second.
Because even in the deepest conversations about faith, someone’s fridge breaks. Or their oven dies the night before Shabbat dinner.
One of the unexpected threads that ties communities together is the shared need for simple, reliable help—like appliance repair. It’s in those everyday problems where neighbours come together, regardless of belief. One local interfaith volunteer group once joked that their meetings should be held at the laundromat because “someone’s washing machine is always broken.”
And if you’re ever in Vancouver and need that kind of help, TechVill techvillvancouver.ca is a go-to for appliance repair that’s as dependable as grandma’s brisket.
A Prairie Future Built on Conversation
So what does the future hold for interfaith dialogue in Manitoba?
More of it, hopefully. More dinners, more shared prayers, more “wait, you do that too?” moments. More partnerships between religious leaders, community activists, and yes—even appliance repair technicians.
It’ll require patience. And empathy. And probably a lot more coffee.
But as the Talmud reminds us:
“The highest form of wisdom is kindness.”
And kindness? It’s something that transcends every book, every ritual, every label.
So next time you pass someone whose beliefs differ from your own, start a conversation. You might not change the world—but you might just change your day.
Features
How to Determine the Best Canadian Online Slot Sites for Your Needs
Your choice of online slot site may be different between winning and losing. More and more Canadian online slot sites have been added to the market quickly, so finding a site that works best for you is pivotal. That diversity also means that not all sites are equal. Find one that has an assortment of games, and the security features you want, and is simple and user-friendly, depending on your taste. Here we are going to look at how you can get yourself lost in online slots in Canada and what makes a game juicy.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Canadian Online Slot Sites
There are some very important things that you need to keep in mind when picking the best Canadian online slot sites. Knowing about these factors can help you have a safe and pleasant gaming experience.
1. Licensing and Regulation:
One of the first things you need to look at is if the site has a license or not. All good Canadian slot sites should hold licenses from respected and well-known authorities like the Kahnawake Gaming Commission or Malta Gaming Authority. This means that the site must meet very high standards of fairness and security.
2. Game Selection:
Online slot gaming is all about variety. Choose online slot sites that offer a wide variety of reputable developer games. Some of the most popular providers, including Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech, produce games with stunning graphics and exciting gameplay features. Experiencing other sites with their wider game libraries makes for a nice change too.
3. User Experience:
A simple and easy-to-use user interface makes your game more enjoyable. Check how user-friendly the website is, the game loaders, and the management of your account. In contrast, top Canadian slot sites with beautifully crafted websites save players from technical issues and dispense with the mindset that you are here to play.
4. Easy Payments:
Payment options should be secure and easy to use. Make sure the site allows for plenty of payment options—credit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. Also, make sure the site has implemented encryption to help secure your financial transactions and personal information.
5. Customer Service:
Good customer service can go a long way. Choose Canadian slot sites that provide professional support for assistance by live chat, email, or even phone if necessary. Great customer support ensures that if you face any kind of problem, it gets resolved as soon as possible.
To make it easier for you to locate and select the top Canadian online slot sites that meet these points, check out New Online Casinos. From the reviews and comparisons that this resource provides, you will be able to notice which sites really hit all those crucial aspects with other elements of playing games, only adding a cherry on top!
Top Red Flags in Canadian Slot Sites to Watch Out For
The main point is to avoid landing on sites that purport themselves as Canadian slot sites but are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing.
- No Licensing: Make sure the online casino is licensed to ensure fair play.
- Unrealistic Bonus Offers: Unrealistic Bonus Offers are also another warning sign, as too-good-to-be-true bonuses with high minimum turnover requirements may be designed to make players lose their money.
- Low Ratings: The poor user reviews may have an issue with customer support or even fairness.
- Limited Payment Options: Moreover, there are limited payment options and vague security measures to ensure your financial safety.
To avoid getting into trouble and to ensure that you have a safe experience with online slots in Canada, always take these aspects under the microscope.
Conclusion
The best online slot sites in Canada will have their game selection well-cataloged, helping you to browse the hundreds of options and figure out which are right for you. If you take all of these into consideration, you should be able to find a site that offers some fun and safety. Keep your eyes open for red flags all the time and use services like New Online Casinos to help you pick new casinos.
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