Are you concerned about antisemitism at UofT?

Next week, Hillel UofT – the largest Jewish student club at the University of Toronto – will meet with the university’s Antisemitism Working Group; a body established to review programming, activities, processes and practices, and make recommendations to support the university’s response to antisemitism.

With a professional team on campus year round, Hillel UofT is committed to supporting the efforts of the Work Group, to working with UofT to fully address antisemitism, and to identify and operationalize ways to better support Jewish students on campus. We also acknowledge the strong partnerships the university has built with Hillel, the wider Jewish community in Toronto, and world-class academic institutions in Israel.

That said, the time has come for the university to take concrete steps to improve the situation for Jewish students at the University of Toronto. 

As Hillel has done for decades, we will speak strongly in support of our constituents. Our remarks to the Working Group will be direct, targeted and unequivocal. While it may not have seeped into every aspect of university operations, antisemitism has institutionalized itself in several areas of student life, including at the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU). 

For far too long, the UTGSU has been using student levies to promote the divisive and discriminatory Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) campaign. In fact, the UTGSU holds the dubious distinction of being the only student union in the country to have a BDS caucus as part of its official structure. And, they continue to ignore a recent university ruling directing them to reverse the union’s policy on BDS, and to ensure any fees associated with BDS activities are fully refundable.

If you are concerned about antisemitism at UofT, now is your chance to get involved.

It is important for the Antisemitism Working Group to understand the degree to which we — Jewish students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider community – are deeply invested in the outcome of their deliberations.  

At our upcoming meeting, we will be making this point clearly.

Rob Nagus 
Senior Director, Hillel UofT
rob.nagus@hillelontario.org