
Rochelle Wilner President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Prof. Stephen Scheinberg National Chair	Ruth Klein National Director of Advocacy

2002 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents

I. INTRODUCTION

Monitoring the climate of intolerance and combating antisemitism has been a primary focus of B’nai Brith’s mandate ever since it was established in Canada in 1875. These activities are a core component of the work of its League for Human Rights (“The League”). This year’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents (“The Audit”) is being released by the League at a time when the issue of antisemitism is the subject of much controversy, both at home and abroad. Within the Jewish community itself, as well as in broader society, this debate has assumed a life of its own, often ignoring in the process the victims of antisemitism.

The Audit has, since its inception 20 years ago, maintained its focus on the victim impact of antisemitism. The League’s Anti-Hate Hotline — 1 800 892 BNAI (2624) — is thus a natural outgrowth of the Audit. It provides individuals experiencing antisemitism with assistance and referral, where necessary, to law enforcement agencies and human rights commissions. Data is obtained from victims contacting either the Hotline or B’nai Brith Canada regional offices. This flow of information enables the Audit to function as a barometer of racial intolerance in general, and as a primary tool in monitoring, documenting and analyzing trends and developments that affect not only the Jewish community, but also the wider Canadian public.

The League’s expertise in this area has been widely recognized, as described by Statistics Canada:

“Due to the constancy in definitions and criteria used in determining how incidents are classified and recorded, these statistics may be the best data available on the incidence of hate crimes of a particular category. As a result, these data provide a unique historical record of a particular form of hate activity in Canada ...”¹

Recent warnings to Canadian Jews to walk home together in groups from synagogue, as well as increased security at every Jewish synagogue, school and community organization in the country, remind us that the Audit of Antisemitic Incidents is not just an academic exercise. Its findings have assumed even greater relevance at a time when tension and uncertainty are on the upswing throughout the world and hate-related incidents have increased exponentially.