A Canadian Jew Or A Jew Living In Canada

We became slightly more observant. On Saturday mornings we went to synagogue. In the afternoon, we played board games at friends’ houses. It became a nice break from the hectic week.

There were occasional hints of antisemitism as there might be anywhere, but nothing too concerning. We thrived and made friends within both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

As far as we knew, our kids were the only Jewish students at their public school. The school asked us to give presentations on Hanukkah and Passover in our kids’ classrooms.

Although I’m proud to be Jewish, I must admit that even in a diverse country like Canada, I’ve remained cautious about openly displaying my faith. After leaving a synagogue service, I instinctively took off my kippah and replaced it with a baseball hat. At work I would tell customers, when asked, that I was off for a couple of days, not mentioning that it was because of a Jewish holiday. 

I’ve always considered myself a Canadian Jew. But was I? In the past, I didn’t hide my religion, but I also never talked about it much in public, unless specifically asked. During conflicts between Israel and its neighbours, I generally laid low, hoping the usual outbursts against Israel would pass. They generally did, at least on the surface, and we went back to our regular routines. 

Yet this time, during the most recent Israel/Hamas conflict, things really did seem different.

There was an uncomfortable feeling of being a Jew in Canada. The protests seemed more vicious and violent. The distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism has always been tenuous. But the line between them is disappearing completely, with slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Social media has always been mostly anti-Israel. But the attacks have become more vitriolic. It seems that, increasingly, Jews and Israel are interchangeable as targets. The attacks aren’t rational. “Israel is a genocidal state.” “Zionists control the media.” Many of these comments get hundreds or thousands of likes. Meanwhile, news about the persecution of Muslim Uyghurs forcibly placed in camps in China gets no comments or media interest.

Celebrities are parroting their anti-Jewish talking points to millions of followers. Entertainers who so fervently advocate for other minority groups, have little issue singling out Jews and the only Jewish state in the world with libelous accusations. Listening to Dua Lipa or The Weeknd will forever be different.

Canadian politicians were quick to condemn specific attacks against other minorities. Yet when Jews were the main targets of hate, the statements tended to be general condemnations of racism or pairing antisemitism with islamophobia.