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Canary in the Coal Mine: The Dangerous Normalization of Antisemitism in Canadian Society.

by Aliya Dalfen on 2022-11-07T16:00:33-05:00 in Collections Spotlight, Equity & Inclusion Dialogues | 0 Comments

On Tuesday November 15th from 1pm – 3pm, Dr Neil Orlowsky will present a workshop entitled Canary in the Coal Mine: The Dangerous Normalization of Antisemitism in Canadian Society.

From conspiracy theories and fake news to the distortion of the Holocaust and the demonization of the Jewish people, what happens when “othering” becomes a societal norm? This session will introduce participants to the need to recognize and reject antisemitism and other forms of hate, intolerance, and discrimination while providing tools, techniques, and topics for exploration.

As part of Humber's Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion Dialogue 2022-23 series, Humber Libraries is highlighting additional resources related to the dialogues.

Selected readings on antisemitism and othering:

A History of Antisemitism in Canada by Ira Robinson, 2015.

This book attempts to understand the ways in which antisemitism has impacted Canada as a whole, and examines most especially its influence on the development of Canada's Jewish community. The book gives readers the tools to understand why antisemitism is such a controversial subject. It examines present relationships in light of history and, most particularly, considers the influence of antisemitism on the social, religious, and political history of the Canadian Jewish community.

Antisemitism Here and Now by Deborah E Lipstadt, 2019.

A penetrating and provocative analysis of the hate that will not die, focusing on its current, virulent incarnations on both the political right and left. Where is all this hatred coming from? Is there any significant difference between left-wing and right-wing antisemitism? What role has the anti-Zionist movement played? And what can be done to combat the latest manifestations of an ancient hatred? In a series of letters to an imagined college student and imagined colleague, both of whom are perplexed by this resurgence, acclaimed historian Deborah Lipstadt gives us her own superbly reasoned, brilliantly argued, and certain to be controversial responses to these troubling questions.

The Politics of Othering in the United States and Canada by Allan Laine Kagedan, 2020.

This book analyses the politics of othering in the USA and Canada from the nineteenth century to the present day. It outlines the basis in human behaviour for ‘disliking the unlike’, which can take the form of ethnocentrism, racism and xenophobia, and shows how politicians take advantage of this human tendency. Seven case studies explore the use of political othering towards minority groups.

Why Do People Discriminate Against Jews? by Jonathan Fox; Lev Topor, 2021.

This book provides a new and innovative approach to answering the age-old question of why people discriminate against Jews. The authors argue anti-Semitism and discrimination are distinct concepts. While anti-Semitism is a negative attitude toward Jews, discrimination is a negative real-world action taken against Jews. From this perspective, one can hold anti-Semitic beliefs but not discriminate, while another can discriminate against Jews but be less anti-Semitic in general. In this context, anti-Semitism is seen as a potential cause of discrimination against Jews, but not the only one.

Selected readings on Jewish history and identity:

After the Holocaust: Human Rights and Genocide Education in the Approaching Post-Witness Era by Charlotte Schallié (Editor); Helga Thorson (Editor); Andrea van Noord (Editor), 2020.

After the Holocaust brings together scholarship, activism, poetry, and personal narratives from some of the last living survivors of the Holocaust to tackle the changing face of Holocaust and human rights education in the 21st century. It also focuses on the Canadian context of antisemitism, the legacy of human rights abuses of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the internment of Japanese Canadians in World War II, and examines the ways the Holocaust provided a template for thinking through human rights legislation and memorialization on a global scale after the Holocaust.

Borders and Belonging: A Memoir by Mira Sucharov, 2021.

In this gripping and honest memoir, Mira Sucharov shows what a search for political and emotional home looks like. Sucharov suffered from childhood phobias triggered by her parents’ divorce, and she sought emotional refuge in Jewish summer camp. But three years spent living in Israel in her twenties shook her to her core. Ultimately, encounters with colleagues, students, friends, and lovers force her to confront what it means to be able to write, advocate, and teach about Israel/Palestine in a way that balances affirmation with authenticity.

Selected readings on conspiracy theories:

The Perennial Conspiracy Theory: Reflections on the History of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Michael Hagemeister, 2021.

The Perennial Conspiracy Theory is a collection of essays on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion , a fake document which has created a pernicious antisemitic conspiracy theory. The author analyses the murky origins of this notorious forgery and the contested claims of authorship.

Conspiracy Theories by Quassim Cassam, 2019.

Philosopher Quassim Cassam explains how conspiracy theories are different from ordinary theories about conspiracies. He argues conspiracy theories are forms of propaganda and their function is to promote a political agenda.

Conspiracy Theories: Philosophers Connect the Dots by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison-Greene, 2020.

In Conspiracy Theories, philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape, and its political consequences.

About the speaker:

Dr Neil Orlowsky is the Director of Education and Chair of Global Education with the Abraham Global Peace Initiative. Dr Orlowsky holds dual-PhDs in Social Justice Education and Comparative International Development Education (OISE) where he examined education as a tool of political indoctrination. Dr Orlowsky holds a certificate in International Humanitarian Law (University of Ottawa), a Masters of Education in Sociology and Equity Studies (OISE) and his BEd and Specialized BA from both York University and Queens University. A former Canadian and World Studies educator, department head, certified Ontario principal (Lakehead University), and Humber sessional instructor, Dr Orlowsky has been seconded to York University’s Faculty of Education where he provides insight and expertise in anti-oppressive and culturally responsive pedagogies; teaching for diverse and equitable classrooms; international development education, and K-12 Social Studies/Social Science education. With more than twenty years in the classroom, Dr Orlowsky now chairs AGPI’s team of international experts and stakeholders in developing a new and innovative curriculum to reflect the vision and mandate of the foundation.

Resources curated by Fiona Inglis, Humber Libraries.

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