TORONTO (April 19, 2018) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) commends Northern Secondary School for taking swift action after discovering antisemitic graffiti on a poster promoting the school’s Jewish club.

FSWC has confirmed that police are investigating the incident, reviewing surveillance footage to determine who the culprits are. Yesterday, the school's principal sent a letter to parents acknowledging and condemning the incident and emphasizing the importance of human rights education.

“Incidents such as this reveal the ongoing need for tolerance and human rights education inside schools, so it’s encouraging to see the school recognizing this in addition to working with police to find the culprits,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “FSWC is currently working with the Toronto District School Board to bring its educational workshops to the school in the coming months, which will provide students with a deeper understanding of past tragedies such as the Holocaust and inspire them to stand up against all forms of intolerance and hate.”

FSWC will also be at Northern Secondary School next month for Jewish Heritage Month providing workshops to students in grades 5-6, covering topics such as the Holocaust, antisemitism and racism.

The incident took place the same day that the Toronto Police Service released its 2017 hate crime report, revealing a 23% increase in hate crimes targeting the Jewish community.

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Media Contact:

Avital Borisovsky  
Communications Associate    
416.864.9735 x 29 
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) is a top Jewish human rights foundation in Canada's organized Jewish community. It directly impacts over 100,000 people each year and 500,000+ peripherally. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles which has won two Academy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca. 

Canadian Headquarters: Toronto           Branches: Los Angeles • New York • Chicago • Paris • Buenos Aires • Israel

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