Charles H. Best Middle School

An outside shot of Charles H. Best Middle School in North York. - Charles H. Best Middle School/Twitter photo

Condemnation has been strong and swift after the principal at North York’s Charles H. Best Middle School said in a letter to parents that two students reportedly depicted swastikas in a classroom while others allegedly performed the “Hitler's salute” in front of their classmates.

“This is very upsetting and unacceptable. We take great pride in our school as a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place and this has always been our message to students,” principal Elever Baker wrote in a Feb. 7 letter to the school community. 

“It is also not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and as a community.”

Baker said immediate steps are being taken to address the situation and that an investigation is underway. She also said the school, which is in a part of Toronto that has a notable Jewish population, would work with students to “address this matter and incorporate this as a learning opportunity that supports equity and inclusion to underscore our commitment to create a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

“We are consulting with TDSB Equity Advisors and other central staff to establish new strategies and tools for addressing antisemitism,” Baker wrote.

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) has been working closely with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) since a parent of a student at the school informed them about the incidents last Friday.

“It is extremely disturbing to once again learn of antisemitism rearing its ugly head at a school in Toronto. At a time of rising antisemitism, it's essential for schools to have the resources to address and prevent such hate incidents and ensure safe spaces for all students,” FSWC’s president and CEO Michael Levitt said in a statement.

“As we see Holocaust awareness diminish, an increase in the use of vile Nazi symbols and the spread of antisemitic rhetoric, especially on social media and gaming platforms, educating students and empowering them to stand up against hate is more critical than ever. We must never be silent in the face of Jew-hatred in our community and in our country.”

Noah Shack, of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, called the incidents “absolutely unacceptable” and said they “represent just the latest examples of antisemitism manifesting in schools across the GTA and throughout the province.”

“Antisemitic incidents like these have occurred on a weekly basis since the beginning of this school year,” he said in a Feb. 8 release.

“These most recent incidents underscore the need for impactful antisemitism education for middle school students, which the Ministry of Education announced two weeks ago. The TDSB is taking steps to address the situation at Charles H. Best and has seconded an antisemitism expert from CIJA to support its equity team in addressing this alarming trend.”

Holocaust survivor and educator Pinchas Gutter said incidents of antisemitism in local schools are “an indicator of what is happening in our communities.”

“The scourge of Jew-hatred is not confined to a single classroom, a single school, or a single board … antisemitism is plaguing our entire society, and we need concerted action to combat it in all its forms,” said Gutter, who is the co-president of the Canadian Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants.

“As survivors, we have seen firsthand the horrors of humanity’s darkest days. Holocaust education is critical to combat antisemitism and hate. We encourage the TDSB to continue to implement Holocaust education, including survivor testimonies, so that the next generation will carry on the pledge: Never Again.”

Recently, Toronto Mayor John Tory said what has happened shows how much work remains to be done to eradicate antisemitism.

York Centre Coun. James Pasternak, a former TDSB trustee, said he strongly condemns what has happened at Charles H. Best school. “I hope the investigation will lead to appropriate steps in addressing this incident and policy changes regarding the rising antisemitism in our schools,” he wrote.

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