A federal report has exposed a disturbing wave of antisemitic hate in Ontario’s K–12 schools, affecting thousands of Jewish students and implicating even educators. Nearly half of the reported incidents were never investigated, prompting urgent calls for systemic reform and action.
A newly released federal report from the Office of Canada’s Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism has revealed an alarming rise in antisemitism across Ontario’s K–12 school system. The findings document 781 antisemitic incidents, impacting approximately 3,000 Jewish students—a crisis that experts are calling both systemic and deeply entrenched.
Startlingly, over 40% of the incidents involved Nazi-related gestures and rhetoric, including students performing Hitler salutes and making statements such as “Hitler should have finished the job.” Other students chanted vile slurs including “F*** you Jews,” “Jews are vermin,” and “Jews are cheap.” Contrary to assumptions, fewer than 60% of these incidents were related to Israel or the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, underscoring a broader and more deeply rooted issue of anti-Jewish hate.
Perhaps most disturbing, almost one in six cases were linked to teachers or school-sanctioned activities. In one egregious example, a teacher told a six-year-old girl she was “half-human” due to her Jewish heritage. These are not isolated cases—they reflect a widespread failure of the education system to protect Jewish students from hatred and dehumanization.
Equally troubling is the institutional inaction: 49% of reported incidents were not investigated by the schools in which they occurred. This lack of accountability has fueled calls for urgent reform.
Responding to the report, Josh Landau, Director of Government Relations – Ontario at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), condemned the status quo:
“This federal report makes one thing clear: the status quo for Ontario Jewish students is unsustainable and unacceptable.”
He further pointed out that the Toronto and Ottawa-Carleton school boards—both placed under supervision by the Ford government—are among the worst environments for Jewish students and staff.
Landau urged the provincial government to expedite the delayed rollout of the mandatory Holocaust education curriculum, noting the “troubling lack of understanding” and the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric. He also called for the mandatory adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism across all Ontario school boards to ensure consistent and unbiased reporting.
“The government must act to implement robust, system-wide reforms that will ensure schools are safe and inclusive for all students, including those targeted because of their Jewish identity,” Landau asserted.
The report serves as a chilling wake-up call, revealing that antisemitism is not only alive in Ontario’s schools—it is growing, emboldened, and too often ignored. Without urgent action, the safety and dignity of Jewish students and educators remain at risk.
