Canadian Jewish Advocates Call for Volunteers to Serve as Plaintiffs in Lawsuits Against Anti-Semitic Activity on University Campuses

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says lawyers will represent volunteers pro bono in any preliminary, investigative, or legal proceedings.

An advocacy group that represents Jewish federations across Canada has reached out to its community, calling for volunteers willing to step up as plaintiffs in civil court actions against anti-Semites at Canadian universities.

“Our volunteer lawyers will represent you pro bono in any preliminary, investigative or legal proceedings,” wrote the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in a national appeal on Dec. 19, as first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“You will not be liable for costs, as those would be covered. The whole Jewish community stands with you.”

The CIJA says the “huge spike” in anti-Semitism in Canada, following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel, prompted it to start its “Legal Rapid Response Team,” with a focus on addressing “Jew-hatred” in schools and universities.

“Simply put, administrators have failed to address Jew-hatred in our educational institutions. Universities and schools have, all too often, failed to keep our students safe,” said Nanette Rosen and Mark Freiman, co-chairs of the legal task force, in the appeal.

“[T]o ensure safe academic environments, we need people who are willing and ready to step up and say something about hateful incidents on campus.”

Related Stories

The centre’s appeal follows a class-action lawsuit launched by private lawyers whose clients alleged four Canadian universities failed to address recurring anti-Semitic incidents at their campuses over a span of two decades.

In October, law firm Diamond and Diamond Lawyers LLP issued a statement of claim against York University, followed by a similar claim in November against Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Queen’s University, and the University of British Columbia—with each lawsuit seeking damages totalling $15 million.

The lawsuit represents both present Jewish students at each university and alumni spanning back to 1998.

“The defendants are alleged to have shown negligence, specifically in failing to address anti-Semitic incidents, violating the institution’s non-discrimination policies and providing insufficient staff training on handling harassment,” said the law firm in a news release on Nov. 2.

‘Superficial Statements’

The release said that in November 2022, anti-Semitic graffiti, which included a swastika on a fridge in a residence where a Jewish student resided, was discovered on and off the Queen’s University campus. Another case in 2015 had Jewish students at TMU reporting anti-Semitic graffiti in a washroom that urged Jews and their allies to “burn in hell.”

“Despite numerous notifications from the Plaintiffs about anti-Semitic occurrences, the University consistently fails to take substantial action, often merely offering superficial statements without meaningful resolution,” said Sandra Zisckind, managing partner at Diamond and Diamond Lawyers, in the release.

“Owning the campus space in question, they are obligated to demonstrate accountability.”

The lawsuit application, led by two Concordia students and one professor, seeks to recover $15 million in damages for members of the proposed class, which includes Jewish students, faculty, and staff currently at the school, or who attended or worked there, in the last three years.

One example of on-campus anti-Semitism listed in the class-action application was the violent altercation at Concordia between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students on Nov. 8 that led to one arrest and injuries to two security guards and one student.

The Nov. 26 statement accused Israel of “war crimes,” “genocide,” and “apartheid.”

On Dec. 6, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights presented to the House of Commons a report that seeks to protect Canadians with “common sense measures.”

Among its other recommendations include designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, “expel[ling] the estimated 700 Iranian agents operating in Canada,” and establishing a public registry of foreign agents.

Conservative MP Rob Moore, who sponsored the motion for the report, said Canada has seen various communities face intimidation and threats by nefarious foreign actors in recent years.

“We’ve seen Jewish schools shot at and synagogues firebombed,” he said in Parliament on Dec. 6. “We’ve seen churches burned down.”

“These shameful acts have one goal: to terrorize Canadians. This cannot be tolerated. All Canadians must be able to freely live their lives and follow their dreams without fear and intimidation.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.