New Federal Study Highlights Widespread Antisemitism on Canadian Campuses
- ALCCA Staff
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
This week, the Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences I (CASE I) report¹ was released, finding that 96% of the Jewish students surveyed had experienced or witnessed at least one antisemitic incident during the previous 12 months. Commissioned by the Department of Canadian Heritage and produced by the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, CASE I is the first comprehensive national study to document and analyse antisemitism across Canadian postsecondary institutions.
At the report’s release, authors Jack Jedwab and Paul Holley were joined by co-President of the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA), Cary Kogan; former University of British Columbia president Martha Piper; former senator Marc Gold, a member of the Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion and postsecondary students from across Canada whose personal experiences reflected the report’s findings. NECA is a member of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA) and active in promoting academic freedom, research excellence and intellectual pluralism while working to combat antisemitism. It partnered with Canadian Heritage to help disseminate the CASE I report.
“My friend was walking through [REDACTED] Hall. He wears a kippah, and a group of students shouted, ‘There’s a Jew—let’s get him.’ They then chased him out of the building.” This is one of hundreds of experiences reported by Jewish students in a landmark national study documenting the extent and impact of antisemitism at Canadian universities and colleges.
“Behind every statistic is a student whose university experience has been shaped by fear, discrimination and a loss of confidence in their institution,” said Professor Cary Kogan, co-President of NECA. “These students are speaking publicly because they want Canadians to understand that these are not abstract numbers,” Kogan said. “They are real experiences that are harming students, undermining their education and weakening the integrity of campus life.”
During the CASE I news conference, Kogan also called for the public release of the Honourable Mary Lou Benotto's independent report on antisemitism at Toronto Metropolitan University, echoing ALCCA's call for its publication.
Approximately 900 Jewish students from campuses across the country participated in the study. Their accounts describe discrimination, harassment, vandalism, threats and physical violence. Eighty-four per cent said antisemitism is a serious problem on their campus, while 70% said their institution does not take the problem seriously. Many students said they had little confidence that campus authorities would respond meaningfully and therefore chose not to report incidents.
The findings reveal increasingly hostile campus environments marked by toxic classroom dynamics, social isolation, deteriorating mental health and institutional indifference or inaction. Some students reported withdrawing from campus life, changing their academic paths or leaving their studies altogether.
Key Findings of the Report
96% experienced or witnessed at least one antisemitic incident during the previous 12 months.
84% said antisemitism is a serious problem on their campus.
81% reported hateful or discriminatory treatment of Zionists.
72% limit what they say in class about being Jewish.
71% reported antisemitic vandalism.
70% said their institution does not take antisemitism seriously.
CASE I provides universities, governments, student organizations and policymakers with an evidence-based foundation for action. Its findings underscore the urgent need to ensure that Jewish students can participate fully in academic and campus life without fear, intimidation or discrimination.
Resources
Endnotes
1. This summary relies heavily on NECA’s press statement accompanying the release of the CASE I report. We are indebted to NECA for its work on this important project.