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Canadian Jews are being targeted, says Harley Finkelstein.
Summary
Harley Finkelstein, a Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur, says recent disruptions and vandalism show Jewish people in Canada are being targeted for their identity. Public data and reports note that Jewish people are disproportionately affected by religion-motivated hate crimes in the country.
Content
Harley Finkelstein, a Jewish-Canadian entrepreneur and president of Shopify, describes a recent rise in disruptions and vandalism directed at Jewish people in Canada. He recounts being interrupted at a live podcast event in Montreal and having the opening of a campus Jewish centre in Ottawa drowned out by protesters. He and others report incidents of mezuzahs being removed from doorways and say these actions were aimed at Jewish identity rather than political issues. These accounts have been raised alongside public data on religion-motivated hate crimes and wider discussion about the public presence of Jewish life.
What was reported:
- Finkelstein described a live podcast event in Montreal that was interrupted by protesters and an attempt to rush the stage.
- At the opening of a Jewish student centre in Ottawa, protesters chanted and disrupted the event while Finkelstein was speaking.
- Reports indicate mezuzahs have been removed from some homes in Canadian cities.
- Public data and reporting note that Jewish people make up a small share of the population but a large share of reported religion-motivated hate-crime victims.
- Finkelstein is identified as the grandson of Holocaust survivors and as someone who helped establish a campus Jewish centre.
Summary:
Finkelstein's accounts and public data describe a pattern of disruptions, vandalism and harassment directed at Jewish people in Canada. These incidents have affected public events and personal markers of Jewish life, and further developments are undetermined at this time.
