‘We’re not facing it alone’: Record crowd joins Toronto Walk with Israel as antisemitism surges

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Lefton said participation from allies outside the Jewish community was “way beyond” what they’ve witnessed in past years and serves as “a tremendous source of hope” that others believe in fighting hate and extremism in Canada.

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Visible amid the fluttering flags were several Iranian standards from the rule of the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, according to National Post photojournalist Peter J. Thompson.

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Among the participants were approximately 30 Indigenous representatives from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, including several former and current Chiefs, Grand Chiefs, and leaders.

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“What we witnessed today was an extraordinary expression of solidarity, Jewish pride, and hope,” UJA president and CEO Adam Minsky said in a press release.

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“Tens of thousands of people chose to come together publicly and proudly in support of our community, our values, and our connection to Israel.”

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“What we witnessed today was an extraordinary expression of solidarity, Jewish pride, and hope,” UJA president and CEO Adam Minsky said in a press release following Sunday’s Walk with Israel in Toronto. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

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This year’s walk is happening against the backdrop of ever-increasing acts of antisemitism and hate against Canada’s Jewish population, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area. Synagogues have been vandalized, Jewish people have been assaulted, and the community at large has been the largest target of police-reported religious-based hate crimes.

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Lefton said the intensifying antisemitism has led to schools conducting multiple lockdown drills and “indoor recesses because of security threats,” things that make the community feel isolated.

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“So I think even more, a moment like this, a moment like today, where we actually can celebrate and feel the strength of coming together as a community and a broader Canadian society, is incredibly important to isolation and make sure that we’re not facing it alone,” she said.

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It also comes on the heels of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech last week at a Toronto synagogue, where he said antisemitism in Canada has reached levels “not seen in the post-war period” and that the nation is “failing Jewish Canadians.”

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He announced a federal advisory council to examine the causes of antisemitism, improve hate-crime data collection and evaluate government policies on education, prevention and community safety.

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Carney, nor any federal party leader, appeared to attend Sunday’s walk, but the Conservative Party of Canada was represented by Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsmand, and fellow Toronto MPs Roman Baber, Jacob Mantle and Anna Roberts.