In the wake of the October 7 attacks on Israel, a troubling reality emerged in Canada, one that writer and advocate Aviva Klompas describes as a "disturbing undercurrent of Jew hatred that was apparently lying dormant." For Klompas, a Toronto native and CEO of the think tank Boundless, the response in Canada was not one of universal sympathy but a shocking eruption of antisemitism that challenges the nation's self-image of multicultural harmony.
A Shocking Eruption in a Multicultural Society
Klompas, who has served as a speechwriter for Israel's UN mission and as a senior policy adviser in Ontario, expressed profound dismay at the nature of the hostility. "The nature of what has exploded from under the surface is shocking, particularly for a country like Canada that prides itself on multiculturalism and the ability to live together," she stated. The evidence, she notes, is not abstract but deeply personal. The Toronto synagogue where she celebrated her bat mitzvah and worshipped with her family has been vandalized ten separate times since October 7.
This pattern of targeted attacks sends a dual message, Klompas argues: "A message is being sent both to the perpetrators, that there’s no consequences, and to Jews, that they are under attack and that nobody’s showing up for them." She poses a pointed question to the national conscience, questioning why the response has not matched the severity of the crisis, suggesting a different standard is applied when Jews are targeted.
A Catalogue of Alarming Incidents
As the year concludes, Klompas reflects on a distressing list of antisemitic acts across the country. Her catalogue includes:
- A Jewish elementary school in Toronto being struck by gunfire on three occasions.
- Acts of arson at synagogues in Montreal and Vancouver, the latter while congregants were inside praying.
- A widespread wave of bomb threats targeting Jewish institutions.
- Swastikas defacing Jewish buildings and properties.
- University encampments where, beyond political protest, participants have harassed Jewish students and made Nazi salutes.
These incidents paint a picture of a widespread and virulent problem. Klompas emphasizes that even the de-escalation of kinetic fighting in the Middle East has not stemmed the tide of hatred in Canada, indicating the issue is rooted domestically.
Targeting the Vulnerable: A 'Particularly Sick' Trend
The advocate highlights that the antisemitism is not only public but invasively personal. In a deeply unsettling development this month, mezuzahs—small prayer scrolls affixed to doorposts—were stolen from the doorways of Jewish seniors in Toronto. Klompas condemns this act as "particularly sick," underscoring the cowardice of targeting the elderly in their own homes.
For Aviva Klompas and the Canadian Jewish community, the past year has been a stark revelation. The data and experiences point to an urgent national crisis of antisemitism that contradicts Canada's core values. The path forward, she implies, requires all people of conscience to recognize the severity of these hateful acts and demand a response equal to the threat faced by their Jewish fellow citizens.
