Toronto (January31, 2018) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is concerned aboutongoing reports of swastikas being found in many locations acrossOntario. 

In the latestreported incident, a swastika was painted onto a sidewalk in a park in the cityof St. Catherines across from a local school. Other recent reports haveincluded swastikas found drawn in the snow on cars in midtown Toronto, a largeswastika etched onto a statue outside the Toronto offices of the Chief Coronerand a swastika with an offensive message left on a cigarette package at aseniors’ residence in Newmarket. 

"Taking place during the same month that communities commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, these incidents shouldserve to remind us of the importance of ongoing education to counter hate,”said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “We must never allow ourselves tobecome complacent in light of the hate that this symbol continues torepresent.” 

“As antisemitic activities continue to be all toocommon at home and abroad, we must learn from the past and continue to championthe important lessons from the Holocaust. The key message -- take actionin the face of hate and intolerance."

The incidents comejust one month after synagogues across Canada received threatening hate-filledmail prominently featuring the swastika, for which no perpetrator has yet beenidentified.

Anyone with information about any of these incidents should contact their local police departments assoon as possible. 

Media Contact:

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

Follow us on Twitter at @CanadianFSWC 

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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. 

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