A and J Days in Today’s Toronto

 

By Henry Srebrnik, Shalom, Fall 2026

In spring I presented a paper on Khaim Zhitlovsky, a major proponent of secular Jewish diaspora nationalism and Jewish nationhood, at the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies annual conference at York University in Toronto. It was a wonderful time and very enjoyable. There were academics from across Canada and the United States.

We remained in the city for another four days: I call them “A” and “J” days. On the two A days we met with old academic (hence the A) friends from graduate school days in London, and former University of Prince Edward Island professors now in Toronto. They were all quite pleasant, but nothing was ever mentioned about antisemitism in Canada or the dire position in which Israel finds itself. As if these problems didn’t exist.

The two J (for Jewish) days were spent with my sister and her husband; my nephew, wife and their child; some cousins; and other Jewish friends. On those occasions we – no surprise -- talked about virtually nothing but Jews and Israel. It’s as if we inhabited two parallel universes in Toronto.

This is part of a larger picture. Nearly one-third of Canadians believe that antisemitism or anti-Jewish attitudes are becoming more acceptable in the country, according to a new poll published in an article by Ari David Blaff in the June 17 National Post.

The Leger survey, conducted on behalf of the Association for Canadian Studies, found that 31 per cent held that view, while the highest level of agreement was concentrated among university students (37 per cent), men (38 per cent) and Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 (35 per cent). English speakers were more than twice (35 per cent) as likely to agree with the statement as opposed to just 16 per cent of Francophones.

And the large number of antisemitic attacks and protests in Toronto, including gunfire, has been widely reported and is well known to all.

Our academic friends know we are Jewish, of course, and I’m sure they assumed we had very strong opinions about Canadian Jews and Israel. Did their feelings about the current situation differ? No doubt they were disturbed by the antisemitism – but they probably gave it little thought. As for Israel, I suspect they had stronger opinions – and probably negative ones? Best not to mention them. After all, we were all longtime colleagues and didn’t meet to engage in arguments.

We have all read all too many accounts of Jews who after October 7, 2023 were “ghosted” (that is, dropped) or even politically attacked by people whom they considered good friends. Others had their feelings simply ignored or minimized. This didn’t happen in our case – probably because we live far from Toronto and wouldn’t be seeing our friends for years at a time. But the lack of any overt concern over our emotions was not very reassuring, and I don’t think I’m being overly sensitive. Ours is unfortunately, typical, it seems. I suspect this kind of thing is being repeated across the country.

David Fleischer, in a June 18 Canadian Jewish News article, “It Seems Like No One Else Cares Very Much: a Toronto Jew Reflects,” in exasperation wrote that “I was tempted to make a list of every person and organization that has let me down since Oct. 7.”  On our own “J” days, we heard similar stories from our Jewish friends and relatives. To use a Yiddish expression, we have “put it under our hats” – that is, taken notice of it and what it may entail. Nothing very good, I’m afraid. It is, to use an Israeli expression, the “situatsya.” It is the way we live now.