Last year's anti-Semitic incidents in Manitoba reflect a national trend

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Manitoba experienced 261 anti-Semitic incidents last year, four times as many as in 2022, according to data released Monday by B'nai Brith Canada.

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There were 67 in 2022, and 228 in 2021.

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B'nai B'rith Canada said at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Monday morning that anti-Semitic incidents, including violent incidents, had risen sharply in the country in 2023 to an all-time high.

According to findings published in the latest edition of B'nai Brith Canada's annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents, reported incidents increased by 109.1% from 2022 to 2023.

This figure – documenting a total of 5,791 incidents – surpasses even the alarming statistics of 2021, the previous record. At that time, B'nai B'rith recorded 2,799 events, although the total decreased to 2,769 in 2022.

According to B'nai Brith's regional director in Winnipeg, the numbers are particularly high following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed more than 1,100 people and took 250 hostages.

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“I can tell you that not every incident is reported to me, many incidents are reported to the police or not reported at all,” said Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, B'nai Brith's regional director for Manitoba and Saskatchewan. “But after October 7, there wasn't a day that I didn't have something on my desk. Not all incidents were anti-Semitic, but there was almost always something going on.”

Some of the major events in 2023 mentioned in the report include: Montreal synagogue and Jewish community center burned down. A few days later, two Jewish schools were shot at; and in Manitoba, a Jewish student ran into his classmates making a “Sig Hail.”

On Holocaust Remembrance Day Monday, the Manitoba government announced that Holocaust education will be mandatory in the provincial curriculum.

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While welcoming the move, Ashrafi believes more needs to be done to teach about racism, as well as modern history and the Holocaust. One of the reasons the state of Israel was created was because there was no safe haven for Jews during World War II, Ashrafi said.

“The Jews had nowhere to run, that's something that's often forgotten and it's really important to remember,” Ashrafi said. “Jews are a minority and throughout history we remain the 'canary in the coal mine.' If he doesn't get along well with Jews, it usually shows that society doesn't care about its most vulnerable citizens. The Jewish community is not the only minority group in Canada, but if we are so oppressed, we should really think about our country and our freedom and what we are doing to preserve and protect that freedom, because you can keep what you have. only through vigilance.'

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