Toronto (March 3, 2022) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is dismayed at the antisemitic graffiti discovered outside three Toronto schools yesterday, following weeks of other disturbing antisemitic incidents taking place at Toronto schools and urgent calls for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to immediately address growing antisemitism at its schools.

Toronto police are investigating the reported graffiti found outside Central Technical School, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts and Malvern Collegiate Institute. On Wednesday, Regal Road Junior Public School’s playground was also reportedly vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.

FSWC is thankful to the Toronto Police Service and its Chief James Ramer for their commitment to combatting hate crimes and keeping the Jewish community safe. Chief Ramer tweeted yesterday, “Hate crimes are a top priority for the @TorontoPolice and we are committed to combatting hate in our city.”

“Toronto’s Jewish community continues to be targeted with antisemitism, continuing the disturbing rise in Jew-hatred that was recorded in 2021 in our city and across Canada. Sadly, Toronto schools have become the epicentre of this age-old hatred,” said Michael Levitt, FSWC President and CEO. “Combatting antisemitism at schools requires the joint efforts of school boards and educators, police and political leaders at all levels of government to not only respond to antisemitic incidents, but also create measures that will help prevent these incidents from occurring in the first place.”

This vandalism comes after numerous other antisemitic incidents took place at Toronto schools this year, including three incidents of students giving the Nazi salute in front of teachers and classmates. Last week, FSWC reported on a series of antisemitic incidents that took place at Valley Park Middle School, where students performed the Nazi salute and shouted “Heil Hitler” at a Jewish teacher, prior to which antisemitic graffiti was found in the school twice.

FSWC is still awaiting concrete commitments from the TDSB to deal with its antisemitism crisis, after the school board stated it will work with community organizations such as FSWC to enhance Holocaust and antisemitism education for both staff and students.