FSWCpraises the Ryerson Student Union’s (RSU) decision to change their definitionof antisemitism based on the definition endorsed by the Government of Canada.

“Asantisemitism continues on many university campuses, FSWC supports this decisionand is happy to see that steps are being taken to hold people accountable fortheir actions,” said Avi Benlolo, President and CEO of FSWC.

Theuniversity had rejected a similar motion two years ago due to objections raisedby non-Jewish students. After spending the last three months lobbying the RSU, StudentsSupporting Israel (SSI) at Ryerson – a campus group that focuses on pro-Israeladvocacy – and StandWithUs Canada responded positively to the motion.

“WhenI heard the news, I was shaking. I was in shock – a different kind of shockthan I felt when the RSU rejected a similar motion back in Fall of 2014,” saidRebecca Katzman, President of SSI Ryerson. “Now we can hold the RSU accountablefor antisemitism and we are one step closer to fighting systemic antisemitismat school.”

Katzmanstarted working on the resolution after students staged a walkout during an RSUmeeting, preventing a vote on a motion to commemorate Holocaust Education Week.This is not the only time the university made headlines due to antisemitism. Inlate February, a teaching assistant at the university was fired after makingantisemitic comments during a mosque prayer.

"[The RSU] is leading by example by adopting this critical motion that will be able tohold bigots accountable for their actions,” said Tamar Lyons, a StandWithUsEmerson Fellow. “After the crazy year we have had with antisemitism on campus,this is an amazing step for the future.”

According to Katzman, this motion makes the RSU the first student union in Canada to adopt the federal definition of antisemitism.