Antisemitism has become a “normalized and systemic feature of campus life” at Canadian universities, with 96% of Jewish students reporting they experienced or witnessed at least one antisemitic incident over the last 12 months.
This is according to the newly released Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences (CASE) commissioned by the Canadian Government.
The CASE project provides the most comprehensive national evidence to date on antisemitism in Canadian postsecondary institutions.
It draws on parallel surveys of approximately 900 Jewish students and 755 students from the broader campus population, pointing to what it says is a “troubling and urgent conclusion” that “antisemitism on Canadian campuses is persistent and proliferating, and on some campuses has become a normalized and systemic feature of campus life.”
One of the key findings, as mentioned above, is that 95.7% of Jewish students report witnessing or experiencing antisemitism on campus at least one time over the last year.
Most respondents do not feel their campus is safe and inclusive
Some 84% of Jewish respondents said antisemitism is a serious problem on campus, and 68% said their campus is not a safe and inclusive place for Jewish students.
The findings showed 71% reported antisemitic vandalism, 54% reported intimidation or threats directed at Jews, and 22% reported physical violence directed at Jews.
One student said, “I have been spat on and had someone rev [their] car engine at me in a crosswalk while wearing a kippah. I have seen a Jewish student punched, have heard a Jewish friend … called a Zionist whore and spat on for having a Magen David [Star of David] visible. I have seen antisemitic graffiti in bathroom stalls and all over campus.”
Another student said they have had people refuse to work with them in labs due to their Jewish identity, and also had people purposely try to mess up their data.
“I dropped out,” said another. “My anxiety level was too high, and no one at school seemed to care. It is open season on Jewish students.”
Around three-quarters said they limit what they say in class about being Jewish, and 57% avoid wearing or displaying Jewish symbols because of safety concerns.
Fifth of students face antisemitism from professors
Shockingly, nearly 20% of Jewish students report that their professors are the source of antisemitic incidents.
“Professor wrote that we should kill all Zionists, that she’s worked with them and sees how evil they are,” said a student.
Just over a third of Jewish students encountered course content or classroom discussions they deemed to be antisemitic, and another third said a professor introduced Jews, Judaism, Israel, or Zionism when unrelated to the course subject, and 45% encountered Holocaust denial or distortion often or sometimes.
“I heard a professor say that ‘Hitler was a hero’,” one student said.
A large majority of 81% reported hateful or discriminatory treatment of Zionists on campus.
The case project also found that institutional failings were pervasive.
Among those who reported an incident, 63% were dissatisfied with how the matter was handled.
“After reporting the projection of a documentary glorifying Hamas on campus, the university involved diversity and inclusion and did absolutely nothing. So why bother reporting any other incident?” said one.
“My classmates demanded I share my views on Israel as a condition for joining a student-led EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) initiative that should have been open to all graduate students from my department,” said another.
CASE concluded that campus antisemitism is a “climate problem” rather than a collection of isolated incidents.
It also said that the finding that one in five Jewish students report that their professors are the source of antisemitic incidents “raises serious concerns about our higher education system.”
“Most concerningly, campuses risk becoming the breeding ground for anti-Jewish hate to spread across generations and communities,” CASE said.
“History has shown that rising antisemitism is a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for the spread of hatred and bigotry towards other groups. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of decision-makers to use these findings to change our current trajectory and ensure that all Canadians can learn in safety and dignity, regardless of their identity.”
Responding to the report, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, B’nai Brith Canada, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center released a joint statement.
“At a time when synagogues, Jewish schools, and Jewish-owned businesses are being shot at and firebombed, and when Jews are disproportionately the victims of hate crimes, this report makes clear that antisemitism has also taken root in our public institutions – including our universities,” it read.
“The finding that 96% of Jewish students experienced or witnessed at least one antisemitic incident, including from professors and administrators, is further evidence of what Prime Minister Carney himself acknowledged: Canada is failing Jewish Canadians.”
“The drivers of this hatred – including anti-Zionism – are well known, and the time to act is now. We need concrete actions to protect Canadian students.”