The government of Ontario is requiring students to take a required Grade 10 History course that includes new and enlarged content on the Holocaust. Furthermore, the government is allocating $650,000 to community partnerships that furnish educational tools and training for educators to broaden the scope of instruction on core Canadian values, such as the significance of defending democracy against radical and detrimental ideologies.
The Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, stated, “Our government is decisively combating the rise of antisemitism and hate in all its forms.” We are making sure that children never stand by while hatred and division are promoted by requiring fresh instruction on the Holocaust in elementary and secondary education. We’ll make sure that “Never Again” lives on in the minds of future generations as we defend and uphold the core Canadian ideals of liberty, democracy, and respect.”
Beginning in September 2025, the Grade 10 History course will have enhanced lessons about the Holocaust that specifically connect it to radical political beliefs such as fascism, antisemitism in Canada during the 1930s and 1940s, and the effects of antisemitism today.
The present Grade 10 History curriculum, which focuses on how the Holocaust affected Canadian society and people’s views towards human rights, will be strengthened by this increased study. The course strengthens students’ ongoing understanding of how to recognise, address, and change harmful assumptions and stereotypes that can lead to tragic events like the Holocaust, including antisemitism and other forms of racism. It complements new mandatory learning on the significance of the Holocaust included in Grade 6 Social Studies.
Ontario is spending $650,000 (2023–24) on community collaborations to teach kids about prejudice in the past and now. These partnerships include:
The Antisemitism Classroom Toolkit curricular resource for grades 5 through 8 and a teacher training course on how to teach pupils about the Holocaust are being created by friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to keep working on creating a resource centre where parents and educators may find out about, recognise, and deal with antisemitism.
Liberation75 will supply educators and students with tools and assistance related to Holocaust and antisemitism education, including with an online teaching resource to assist Grade 6 Holocaust education.
the MS St. Louis, a ship that carried Jewish Germans fleeing Nazi Germany to Cuba in 1939, will be the subject of teaching materials from the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem. The Holocaust Museum of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto will develop online and in-person teacher tours as well as other resources pertaining to the Holocaust.
The province of Ontario has reaffirmed its commitment to bolstering anti-hate education for teachers and students in the province by revising the curricula for both elementary and secondary education. By 2025, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) will have new course standards available, allowing educators to start creating courses that will complement their efforts to teach pupils about the Holocaust.
Educators and key stakeholders have been sharing their views on the need for Ontario Strengthening Holocaust Education. Below are sampled of such views.
Hate has no place in Ontario. The recent rise in incidents of hate and intolerance are deeply concerning. The new mandatory courses and educational resources will help students learn about the Holocaust and how antisemitism manifests today. By learning from the atrocities of the past, we can stand up and stop antisemitism and hate in all its forms and build a stronger, safer and more inclusive Ontario for all people.
– Michael Ford : Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and MPP for York South Weston
Sadly, as we enter Holocaust Education Month, we are witnessing one of the most significant rises of antisemitic incidents in recent history, both in Canada and around the world. Therefore, the efforts of Minister Lecce and Ontario’s Ministry to Education to create and implement new Holocaust curriculum and offer support for projects like FSWC’s Antisemitism Classroom Toolkit and the Toronto Holocaust Museum, are more important than ever. We are grateful for the Ontario government supporting the programming on the Holocaust and antisemitism that is offered to educators and students through FSWC and other like-minded organizations. We know that education is the best way to address antisemitism, racism and hatred in all of its forms.
– Michael Levitt
President and CEO, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC)It is essential that we empower our youth to develop the critical thinking skills required to recognize and counter antisemitism and hatred in all forms. This requires expanding access to meaningful and modern Holocaust education. It also means introducing students to the story of our Toronto Jewish community including our history, our values and our role in the development of Canada’s diverse society. As our community faces a growing rise in antisemitism, we are grateful to Minister Lecce for investing in the important mission of the Toronto Holocaust Museum and ensuring that the difficult lessons of the past are made relevant today.
– Dara Solomon
Executive Director, Toronto Holocaust Museum, UJA
Fast Facts About The Ontario Strengthening Holocaust Education
Liberation75 conducted a poll on antisemitism and Holocaust awareness in 2021, and found that one in three teenagers in the US and Canada believe the Holocaust was faked, exaggerated, or not true.
B’nai Brith documented 2,769 instances in their 2022 Annual Audit of Antisemitic instances, ranking among the highest rates of hate crimes in Canadian history.
Every year, from November 1 to November 9, Holocaust Education Week is observed to praise individuals who survived the Holocaust and remember those who were killed by the Nazis.
According to Statistics Canada, Jewish Canadians continue to be the most often targeted religious group in Canada for hate crimes. Despite making only 1% of the population, 14% of all hate crimes registered in Canada in 2021 targeted Jewish victims.
According to Statistics Canada, hate crimes against Jews that were recorded to the police increased by 47% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
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The new Anti-Racism and Anti-hatred Grant Programme, established in 2021 by Ontario, aims to raise public understanding of the negative effects of racism and hatred. It is a $1.6 million investment spread over two years.