Six organizations will receive a total of $3.4 million to combat Holocaust denial and antisemitism, the Canadian government announced Jan. 27, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp.

The funds are part of $5-million allocation for a new Holocaust remembrance program outlined in the 2024 budget, that committed $90 million to combatting antisemitism.

The announcements were part of observances for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, other world leaders and survivors travel to Auschwitz to observe the sombre event.

As we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, we remember the horrors of the Holocaust and honour those that were taken away from us.

With antisemitism on the rise once again, we must stand united against hate to ensure “Never Again” truly means never again. pic.twitter.com/MRGhrd5rXs

— Rachel Bendayan (@RachelBendayan) January 27, 2025

In Canada, a memorial ceremony with politicians, foreign diplomats and survivors was held at the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. MP Rachel Bendayan, associate minister for public safety, announced that a national summit on antisemitism would be held March 6. “All levels of government will commit to concrete solutions to address the alarming rise of antisemitic violence across our country,” she said.

These six institutions will benefit from the funding:

• Toronto Holocaust Museum: $379,000 to launch a social media campaign combatting online misinformation and hate.

• Canadian Society for Yad Vashem: $160,000 to enhance Holocaust education for teachers, school boards, professors and law enforcement personnel.

• Montreal Holocaust Museum: $495,800 to develop educational resources about antisemitism in Quebec.

• Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre: $467,300 to support three bilingual online learning programs on Holocaust remembrance and education.

• Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island: $124,000 for training for community leaders on antisemitism and the experiences of local Jewish Canadians.

In addition, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s program on Holocaust and Genocide Education received $1.3 million, which followed a $2 million initial contribution.

York Centre MP Ya’ara Saks, the associate minister of health, announced the grants for Toronto institutions after she and several other members of Parliament toured the Toronto Holocaust Museum. In her remarks, she reflected on the rising antisemitism and violence that been seen across the country and in her riding since the Oct.7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war.

🧵Through education, the Holocaust teaches us the power of humanity when we choose kindness and dignity over indifference and hate.

We’re funding two initiatives in #YorkCentre to increase Holocaust education in Canada & combat antisemitism.@thethmuseum @CdnSocYadVashem pic.twitter.com/fEwMjljoXl

— Ya’ara Saks יערה זקס (@YaaraSaks) January 28, 2025

“Oct. 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, has continued to have rippling effects in Jewish communities here in Canada and around the world. And it has led to a distressing rise in antisemitism, which shows us that the lessons of the Holocaust have never been starker. For many in our community, it has been a time of anxiety, a sense of not knowing where one is safe to take a bus, to go on a subway, to go to a hospital, to enter a cultural space.”

Holocaust education is one strategy in combatting antisemitism, she said in an interview with The CJN afterward.

“In the world we are in today, which is very much for young people an online world, we need to be able to give them the tools of discernment and understanding of what they’re seeing and hearing and reading, and also the power of survivor testimony, the power of the messages and the lessons learned of how the Holocaust happened are really important for young people to know today, how hate takes root.”

Students also need to learn how societies become polarized and how to be allies, she said.

“In this case, when we see Jewish students in the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) feeling that they are being isolated and marginalized because of the war between Israel and Hamas, more education is needed to make sure that Jewish students… any Jewish members of the community going to hospitals or any other public space, should be able to feel safe where they are and not be marginalized or isolated or ostracized,” she said. “And that requires education, that requires a deep dive in unpacking the misinformation and the disinformation that we’re seeing in hate online.”

Legislation to regulate the online world has been in discussion for years. The most recent proposal, the Online Harms Bill, was introduced in February, 2024, but has yet to be passed. Saks blamed the Opposition Conservatives saying they “chose to play partisan politics in the House,” delaying its passage.

Combatting online misinformation and hate is the goal of the Toronto Holocaust Museum’s project called ‘It’s critical to think critically,’ said executive director Dara Solomon.

The national social media campaign links to resources that explain how to fact-check sources, and understand how the emotional intensity of messages is designed to spread them further.

Don’t blindly trust Aunt Sheila, verify for yourself.

Misinformation is everywhere – hidden in plain sight on social media. On IHRD, we’re reminded to prevent history from repeating itself.

Check out our guide to spot misinformation: https://t.co/L4ezXvmv1s pic.twitter.com/kJzB6ZF03h

— Toronto Holocaust Museum (@thethmuseum) January 27, 2025

“A disturbing number of people rely solely on social media for their news, and it increases as you get younger people who are getting almost 100 percent of their news online. And those people do not verify what they learn and we know there’s so much misinformation online, especially on platforms like Telegram and X but even on mainstream ones, like Facebook- we know that Meta is no longer going to do factchecking,” Solomon said. “That’s a huge problem and we know that it also contributes to the rise of antisemitism.”

The online campaign will enable the museum to broaden its reach beyond the students who visit the exhibits, Solomon said. “It’s really about countering this barrage of misinformation online and to give people tools to change their behaviours online.”

The post Grants to counter antisemitism and online hate announced for 6 organizations on International Holocaust Remembrance Day appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.