Jewish, Christian leaders partner to combat antisemitism

Winnipeg Free Press

4 days ago

Antisemitism in Canada has reached record-setting levels. That's the conclusion of the latest report from B'nai Brith Canada, a Jewish service and advocacy organization.
In its Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, the organization says there were a total of 6,219 antisemitic incidents in 2024 — the highest number since the inception of the Audit in 1982. That's a 7.4 per cent increase in incidents from 2023, when B'nai Brith recorded a then-record number of 5,791 incidents across Canada. Altogether, there has been a 124.6 per cent increase from 2022 to 2024.
According to B'nai Brith, the rise in antisemitism corresponds to the aftermath of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Incidents ranged from an arson attack in Vancouver, shots fired at a Jewish school in Toronto, hateful graffiti written on the walls of synagogues and other Jewish buildings in various places across the country, to personal harassment, Nazi salutes and online hate.
Winnipeg was not immune to antisemitism, although it was not as bad as in some other Canadian cities. It included when a man was arrested after spray painting antisemitic graffiti on various buildings and structures in Charleswood. Since he included the initials M.Y.K., which belongs to an international antisemitic extremist group, he was charged by the RCMP with facilitating terrorist activity, participating in activity of a terrorist group and the commission of an offence for a terrorist group.
In response, a group of Jewish and Christian leaders from across Canada have decided to partner together in what they call the Simeon Initiative, a new national movement to build relationships between members of the two communities to combat antisemitism.
The decision to create the partnership was made in June at the inaugural Simeon Initiative Summit, which takes its name and inspiration from the encounter in the Gospel of Luke between Simeon, a devout Jew, and the infant Jesus — an encounter interpreted by some as the start of the historic connection between Christianity and Judaism.
The Summit, which brought together about 100 Jewish and Christian leaders in Toronto, was sponsored by Cardus, a Christian-led think tank, and The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). It was a follow-up to the 2024 Canadian Christian Declaration on Antisemitism, which was signed by over 700 Christian clergy from across Canada.
The declaration originated with Andrew Bennett, Director of Faith Community Engagement at Cardus and Canada's first ambassador for religious freedom. Through the declaration, the signers wanted to show Canada's Jewish communities that they are not alone. Through the declaration, they condemned antisemitism and pledged to peacefully stand against all 'who seek to demonize and dehumanize our Jewish fellow citizens.'
For Michael Van Pelt, CEO of Cardus, the Simeon Initiative is a response to the dramatic rise in antisemitism in Canada. 'This is a devastating trend,' he said, adding that the goal is to help Christian clergy address this problem.
This is something some clergy find hard to do since many Christian leaders don't know people in Canada's Jewish community, Van Pelt said. In the absence of good relations between local churches and synagogues, many clergy don't fully understand how insecure many Canadian Jews feel.
As a result, 'it's easy for them to overlook the troubling realities facing Jews in Canada today,' he said.
At the summit, Christian leaders had a chance to get to know their Jewish counterparts by meeting around tables while listening to keynote presentations and panels. At the end of the summit, participants committed themselves to creating joint projects between churches and synagogues in their local communities as a way to help their members to learn more about each other.
While Cardus is concerned about all forms of religious hatred, including Islamophobia, the organization has decided to focus on antisemitism not only because of its 'dramatic rise,' but because of the tragic history between Christians and Jews, Van Pelt said.
'Antisemitism is a foundational brokenness in the Christian tradition,' he said, adding that Christians have a responsibility to address antisemitism because of the way Christians have historically persecuted Jews. 'That's why it requires our special attention.'
Richard Marceau is the vice president for external affairs for CIJA. He welcomes the Initiative as a sign of Christian commitment to stand with the Canadian Jewish community in the face of rising antisemitism since the Hamas attack.
'Jews in Canada have been feeling under siege since then,' he said, adding the initiative 'makes us feel less alone.'
Marceau is looking forward to ways Canadian Christians and Jews can work together, such as twinning churches and synagogues in various cities, or perhaps through joint projects aimed at addressing social needs in their communities.
'We want to take it down to the local pew level,' he said. 'We want to develop closer relations between our communities … we want to develop an alliance against hate.'
[e-mail]
The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks!
BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER
John LonghurstFaith reporter
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
Read full biography
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.