Memory, Reflection, Resolution, and Action | CAEF Bulletin – October 9, 2026
Global Commemoration of October 7
Elie Wiesel, author and human rights activist, Holocaust survivor, educator, and Nobel Laureate, placed a lasting responsibility on all of us, to bear witness and not to remain passive. He noted that bearing witness involves an obligation to act, to prevent history from repeating itself. His son Elisha spoke in January 2026 at the Montreal Holocaust Museum and quoted these guiding words, spoken to him by his father, “Remember my father for whom you are named. Remember that you are a Jew. Remember that there is a God.”
With every passing year, since October 2023, we must not forget the 1200 murdered Israelis and foreign nationals, and the over 900 IDF who lost their lives in the war with Hamas in defense of Israel. Many Israelis have died fighting Hezbollah, some have died due to bombs from Iran, and the war hasn’t ended.
Across the world, Jews and allies marked the day with prayers, stories, vigils and tears. Powerful stories of individual hostage survivors gave hope and strength to those listening and watching. Stories of the evil brought on Israel by Hamas and other Iranian proxies, renewed the commitment to strengthen both Israel and Jewish communities in the diaspora. Governments in most Western countries gave some level of tribute to the memory of 10/7 but sadly, some residents in countries that honour the Rule of Law, equality, freedom and justice, took to streets and campuses to speak of Hamas “martyrs” and condemn the Jewish state.
The response to the Jew haters, liars and deceivers, should be uniform disgust and condemnation. Shutting down such diabolical activity should be mainstream, just as we expect that Nazis marching on our streets would be shut down. Canada and the West does not tolerate or teach a Nazi version of history. Why then a Marxist/Islamist version of events about Israel’s re-constitution as the Jewish homeland, of its War of Independence against 5 Arab armies, of the liberation of land illegally occupied by Jordan and Egypt, and why infect our educational system with false and concocted narratives about “occupation,” “apartheid” and “genocide”?
These questions must be answered. Funding increased security, putting Jewish institutions behind bars and barriers, is not the answer to Jewish life thriving in Canada. Educating police forces about antisemitism is useful, but is hating Jews so difficult to detect from other forms of hatred? It is imperative that Antizionism be intolerable, that the IHRA definition of antisemitism with all its illustrative points be adopted and implemented, and that justice be seen to be done, not merely discussed.
Advocacy and Legal Update
1. CAEF Takes Action on Posting by OSSTF Toronto Executive Officer Jason Kunin
This week, Jason Kunin, Executive Officer of OSSTF Toronto (the Toronto local of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation) published a screed on his Facebook account that called the 12 Ontario Jewish public school teachers who initiated applications with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal “authoritarian”, “antidemocratic”, and “secret fascists”. Kunin also responded to a reply to his posting by expressing a desire to draw Nazi symbols on school property and then file a human rights complaint in order to “cash in”. It doesn’t matter whether Kunin’s remark was serious or sarcastic. Kunin deliberately targeted these teachers for contempt and ridicule, holding them out as grifters attempting dishonestly to obtain money from their school boards through abuse of the human rights process.
CAEF President Michael Teper promptly filed a complaint of professional misconduct with the Ontario College of Teachers. The complaint is reproduced below. We filed a similar complaint with the President of OSSTF Toronto. It’s no surprise that there’s an epidemic of antisemitic incidents in Ontario’s public K-12 system. The rot starts at the top, with teachers union executives insulting and bullying their Jewish membership, in public and in writing.
2. CAEF Takes Action on Unprofessional and Inflammatory Posting by Elementary Teachers of Toronto President Nigel Barriffe
Also relating to the twelve Ontario Human Rights Tribunal applications filed this week by Jewish public school teachers, Elementary Teachers of Toronto President Nigel Barriffe weighed in with his thoughts, using his friend anti-Israel gadfly Gur Tsabar as his proxy.
CAEF President Michael Teper also filed a complaint with the Ontario College of Teachers and issued a letter to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (“CAHN”), where Barriffe holds a seat on its Board of Directors, to immediately dismiss Barriffe from its board. The letters are reproduced below, with confidential matters redacted.
Please write to info@antihate.ca to let them know your thoughts about Nigel Barriffe’s continuing to sit on the Canadian Anti-Hate Network’s Board of Directors.
3. CAEF Takes Action on Ontario College of Teachers Member David F. Shultz Assaulting Two People in the Yonge & Dundas Intersection
David F. Shultz has carved out a prominent image for himself as a wannabe terrorist at the corner of Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue.
Here he is in costume and unmasked.
Here is Mr. Shultz, fighting and brawling in the street at the intersection of Yonge St. and Dundas St. in Toronto.
Video Credit: Daniela Bonamico, who is currently charged with hate crimes and banned from within 500m of Yonge/Sheppard.
CAEF President Michael Teper has filed yet another complaint of professional misconduct against Mr. Shultz with the Ontario College of Teachers.
4. Basel AL-SUKHON Found Guilty of Conveying Threats to Cause Death to Persons Associated with Israel, Including but not Limited to Zionists
On October 8, 2026, Basel AL-SUKHON was found guilty on two charges of conveying death threats and indecent communications with intent to alarm, to persons associated with Israel, including but not limited to Zionists. CAEF intends to file a Community Impact Statement with the court when the sentencing hearing is held on January 15, 2027. Further details to follow.
5. CAEF Delivers Community Impact Statement in Sentencing Hearing of Adham DIABAS
CAEF President Michael Teper filed a Community Impact Statement in the case of Adham DIABAS, who was found guilty of assaulting a police officer with a weapon in connection with a demonstration outside the 2025 UJA Annual Fundraiser at Meridian Hall. The sentencing judgment will be issued October 21, 2026.
Film Nights in Toronto
DocuNation: Healing Through Storytelling
by Andria Spindel
Israeli filmmaker and founder of DocuNation, Yonatin Nir, brought his experience, and the message of healing through story telling, to a Toronto audience on October 5th at Beth Emeth Beit Yehuda Synagogue. Showcasing the gorgeous work and amazing life of wildlife Israeli photographer, Amos Nachoum. Nir and Dani Menkin’s film, Picture of His Life, said it all. Trauma, pain, disappointment, stress, and other sorrows and griefs can be alleviated, if not eliminated, by sharing them with others. Such intense feelings need relief, and importantly, an individual often needs forgiveness, from others and self.
Nir found his own storytelling, post PTSD from IDF service in war zones, to be expressed in his documentary filmmaking. Amos Nachoum was his early filmmaking mentor. The story that unfolded on screen was 10 years in the making. As well as showing the perseverance of Amos who wished to swim with Arctic polar bears and capture it on film, it beautifully exposed the life of Canada’s Inuit whose livelihood has for centuries depended on the wilds and wildlife of the harsh Canadian north. The film delves into Amos’ family life, military life, work life, fears and tribulations. The film shows the Israeli men who are central to the story, and the Inuit men who make the adventure possible, as tender and tough at the same time.
As a Canadian watching, I felt the film reinforced the wonder and love for this expansive, wonderful country of magnificent beauty and still untamed wildness. As a Jew, it drove to the heart of the pain and trouble of living amidst the history and ever present conflicts. Amos Nachoum dreamt big, challenged himself and took unimaginable risks—that is his story.
Dor Gurevich, Marketing DocuNation
Yonatin Nir
Where Do We Belong?
by Anita Bromberg
Over 300 people came together at the Toronto Zionist Council building to mark the third anniversary of the horrific events of Oct 7th. The first anniversary where no hostages remained in Gaza. It was a somber but meaningful evening organized and co-hosted by Anita Bromberg with Amir Epstein. Presented by Tafsik Organization along with Toronto Zionist Council and Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation with allies like ICARE, we came together for a full evening of reflection.
Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak opened with greetings and a promise to continue to counter the hate we see on our streets. Maayan Shavit then spoke of her cousin Carmel Gat, one of the ‘beautiful six’ murdered on Aug 29, 2024. Maayan told us how Carmel was resilient and defiant to the end, as was her mother who is pictured below sticking her tongue out at the terrorists on Oct 7 before she was killed. Zoe Solomon told us of the Walk for Our Hostages which she led until the last hostage came back. As she noted many, including her dear cousin, did not come back alive as we had prayed for.
Special guests included members of FrontLine Advocates, a group of IDF reservists and veterans as well as Nova survivors who came together to reclaim the narrative. Itay Segy, its cofounder and VP and speaker Niv Reuveni, shared their personal experiences and heroism in the campaign following Oct 7 — for which they received several standing ovations from the crowd. As Rabbi Noah Tile noted, their resilience is as powerful a healing potion as any of his mental health activities.
A moment of silence followed as we lit a memorial candle for those murdered and for those who gave their lives to defend our Jewish homeland. Then on to the main feature. Producer Igal Hecht introduced his documentary which follows the lives of a group of Israeli kibbutz women as they struggle to reclaim their lives and answer the core question ‘Where Do We Belong’. As we were reminded by the film, as well as the speakers, the struggle goes on three years later. However, coming together to support each other as we did that evening has a powerful and healing quality.
Follow Frontline Advocates @Frontline_advocates | Rabbi Tile @rabbi.noah
News from Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem
Jewish Indigeneity and International Law in Judea and Samaria
by Michael Pushenko, a post-graduate student of international law and diplomacy at the Australian National University, and Gregory Rose, Professor of Law at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong.
Contents
An Opinion of the International Court of Justice
Legitimate Legal Forms of Land Acquisition
Indigenous Land Rights
Ancient Israel
British Mandate to Reestablish Jewish Homeland
UN Negotiations 1947-1948
Modern Israel Re-Established 1948
Rule of Uti Possidetis Juris
Judea and Samaria Restored in the 1967 Six-Day War
Renewed Jewish Presence in Judea & Samaria
Competing Palestinian Claims to Judea and Samaria Post-1967
Oslo Accords
Palestinian Autonomy Negotiations
Conclusion
Read the article in the IEJ newsletter on the Maori delegation that faced hostility on return from Israel to New Zealand, October 3, 2026.
COHHE Stands with the Jewish Community
COHHE STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
Standing Together Against Antisemitism, Terrorism and Religious Hatred
October 7, 2026
The Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education (COHHE) stands firmly in solidarity with the Jewish community in Belleville following the disturbing incident involving members gathered at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
No one should ever have to fear for their safety while praying. A place of worship must be a sanctuary, not a place of fear. We, the Hindus of Canada, stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brothers and sisters and unequivocally condemn antisemitism, terrorism, religious hatred and all forms of violence directed at people because of their faith or identity.
As October 7 approaches, we remember the horrific terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. We mourn the innocent lives lost, extend our heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families, and remember the survivors, those taken hostage and everyone whose life has been forever changed by that terrible day. We must never allow time to diminish our compassion for the victims or weaken our resolve to confront antisemitism wherever it occurs.
Our thoughts are also with everyone affected by the incident in Belleville. We extend our sincere gratitude to Police Officer Jeff Smith, Constable Mike McCurdy and all law enforcement personnel who responded to protect the community. Their courage and commitment to public safety deserve our deepest appreciation.
As Hindus, the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) reminds us that we cannot stand by when our neighbours are threatened. Our solidarity with the Jewish community is rooted in our shared humanity and our belief that every person has the right to live, worship and raise a family without fear. An attack on one community’s freedom of faith threatens the freedom of all.
Canada must remain a country where synagogues, temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras are safe places of worship, and where no community has to question whether it belongs. At COHHE, we believe solidarity must go beyond words. It means standing together, speaking out against hatred and working to ensure that every Canadian is treated with dignity and respect.
To our Jewish brothers and sisters: you are not alone. We stand with you in solidarity, share in your grief, and remain committed to standing against antisemitism and religious hatred.
With warm regards,
Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education (COHHE)
Ragini Sharma, BSW, MSW, PhD, on behalf of the COHHE board of directors
Advocacy and Action
Public Safety Petition to House of Commons
House of Commons Petition e-7667, sponsored by MP Anthony Housefather, calls on the Government of Canada to:
Formally review Kata’ib Hezbollah under the Criminal Code and list it as a terrorist entity if the applicable legal criteria are met.
Review the public display of symbols and images associated with listed terrorist organizations and consider appropriate legislative measures addressing the promotion or glorification of terrorism, consistent with Canadian law.
These issues also intersect with broader concerns about extremism, foreign influence, and the integrity of Canadian institutions, including questions examined in ISGAP’s report, Assault on Democratic Values and Principles.
Terrorism and extremism threaten not only Jewish communities but all Canadians. This is an issue that transcends political and organizational boundaries and calls for a united, nonpartisan response. Our community has an important role in confronting antizionism and supporting lawful, effective measures that protect Canadian society.
The petition closes for signatures on October 10, at 1:27 p.m. EDT.
Read Letter from Richard Sherman, Florida, to the Editor, New York Times, regarding the article by Peter Beinart, pointing out that there is no “Palestinian Territory,” as per Article 80 of the UN Charter, October 4, 2026.
Read Letter from CAEF to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, requesting the immediate dismissal from its Board of Nigel Barriffe, President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, who amplified a hateful message targeting Jewish teachers, October 8, 2026.
Read Letter from Tamara Bernstein to the Canada Council for the Arts, cc’d to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, regarding funding of Ex-Puritan, an online publication that recently carried grotesque praise for the Hamas assaults on Israel of October 7, October 8, 2026.
New AI Tool Enables Users to Check Text and Images for Antisemitism
A new AI-powered tool that enables users to check text and images for antisemitism has been launched by Combat Antisemitism with AI (CAAI). The ACT (Antisemitism Checker Tool) allows users to submit material — from social-media posts and quotations to jokes, memes and a variety of images — and within seconds receive an assessment of whether it is antisemitic; returning a verdict of “Antisemitic” or “Not Antisemitic” and an explanation. ACT is an educational tool, designed to show users — who may not all have knowledge of Jewish history and culture — what constitutes antisemitism. It is available for free use at combatantisemitismwithai.com. ACT assesses material against the widely adopted working definition of antisemitism produced by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The current R&D version is multilingual (it can even understand Arabic, Punjabi and Chinese), and has a chatbot function where users can interact with ACT to ask questions about an assessment or more generally about antisemitism and Judaism. ACT is intended for use by individuals, schools, academic institutions, and organisations whose staff may need guidance in recognising and understanding antisemitism. CAAI is also working with antisemitism-awareness training provider Jhive on a version designed for much larger employee populations. A standalone tool in its own right, ACT is the first stage of a wider CAAI development programme to produce AI-based tools capable of addressing online Jew-hate, including for content moderation and scaled up automated responses to antisemitic material on social media.
Enquiries:
Dr Jonathan Myers
Founder, Combat Antisemitism with AI
Facts About “Settler Violence”
António Guterres, UN Secretary General claims that “settler violence is skyrocketing to alarming levels.” President Macron of France warns of a “dramatic increase in settler violence.”
Regavim checked the facts using the UN’s own data. This is from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Here is the first number worth knowing: 59.
That is the total number of Palestinian Arab fatalities according to OCHA’s records over the past decade.
Not 590. Not 5,900. 59. Over roughly a decade.
Only ONE of those 59 was the victim of unprovoked violence by an Israeli civilian.
The other fatalities were either terrorists killed while carrying out attacks against Israelis, Arabs killed in confrontations with Israeli security forces, and 4 incidents (all related to the Arab rioting that sparked the Guardian of the Walls Operation) in which it could not be conclusively established whether the IDF or Israeli civilians had fired the fatal shot.
Take the year 2024 for example: OCHA records five Palestinian fatalities. What they don’t tell you is that all 5 were killed by Israeli security forces, not by “settlers”. For additional context, over the comparable period, Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria killed in Arab terror attacks amounted to 12.18 per 100,000, compared with 0.04 Arab fatalities per 100,000 — INCLUDING those killed while carrying out attacks and those killed by the IDF.
So Secretary-General Guterres, President Macron, and everyone citing these figures …
Recommended Viewing
The News Forum presents Aftershock: The World After October 7, 2023. Special week of documentaries, interviews and television specials airing October 3–11. Aftershock explores how lives, communities and institutions have been changed by October 7 and the conflict that followed.
Watch the interview on Don’t Know Much About, a dialogue with Dr. Naya Lekht and Dr. Einat Wilf on the role of antizionist Jews in demonizing Israel.
Watch the panel for Leaders on the Frontier explain how Canadian schools got woke.
Watch the African American woman, posting as Chicks on the Right, speaking about the slaves in “Palestine.” Black Muslims are badly treated by Arabs in Gaza.
Watch NAZA, The Real Story, a documentary that presents facts from the experts: “Senior IDF commanders and intelligence officers, the people who ran the operations, sit on Tel Aviv rooftops and describe the war in Gaza: fighters in civilian clothes, hostages held in homes, aid trucks, and the rules for opening fire.”
Recommended Reading
Read the article by Sarit Zahavi in Times of Israel, with the truth about NAZA, the film that condemns Israel via its lies and false claims, causing more damage, September 17, 2026.
Read the article by Harry Liberman in Israpundit on how Canada has betrayed the Jewish community, October 8, 2026.
Read the article by Noah Shack in the National Post on Canada’s failure to protect Jews and the need to restore peace, order and good government, October 5, 2026.
Read Micha Danzig in the Algemeiner, on the Hamas commitment to keep the war going, using hostages to control the negotiations, October 7, 2026.
Read the article by Einav Halabi in YnetNews about the support in Sweida of Druze for Israel and reliance on Israel for security, October 7, 2026.
Read the article by Lisa Fishbayn Joffe and Ruth Halperin-Kaddari in eJewish Philanthropy, who write that after three years recognition of the sexual violence against Israeli women is not enough, October 7, 2026.
Read Valerie Locke in Israel365News on the Israeli military debunking lies in the NAZA film with facts in a new documentary, October 4, 2026.
Read the article by Tamara Stein in Israel365News about 1000 Christian leaders holding a congress on Oct 7 in Israel, October 6, 2026.
Read the article by Emily Jacobs in Jewish Insider, reporting on the announcement by US Envoy Kaploun on the likelihood of more Latin American countries adopting IHRA, October 5, 2026.
Read the report from Honest Reporting Canada on a study asking Canadians whether candidates with antisemitic views should be allowed to run for school board trustee.
Read the article by Raquel Look in The Hub, whose son was murdered at the Nova Festival, as she asks why Canada has recognized a non-existent State of Palestine, October 7, 2026.
Read the article by Jason Antonio in The Epoch Times about the 12 Jewish teachers who have launched a formal human rights complaint against several school boards and teachers’ unions arising from antisemitic incidents, October 4, 2026.
Read the article by Sara Katz in Israel365News on the 170 so-called journalists who are Hamas operatives, October 4, 2026.
Community Events
Special Screening: Search Out the Land
Toronto Zionist Council presents a special screening of Search Out the Land, a Historical Film Studios production, on October 14, 2026, at Cineplex Empress Walkway, 5095 Yonge Street, Toronto. Doors open 6:15 p.m., film starts 7:00 p.m. All proceeds go to businesses and synagogues affected by antisemitic violence.
Antizionism is Antisemitism: Name It To Combat It
Zionism Unfiltered and the Hamilton Jewish Federation present a Speaker Series talk by Andria Spindel, Executive Director, CAEF, Antizionism is Antisemitism: Name It To Combat It, on October 14, 2026, 7–9 p.m. Attend in person or virtually; the location will be provided after registration.
AVI presents United We Stand: Voices for Peace in the Middle East
Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) is bringing three remarkable Arab advocates for Israel to Toronto as part of United We Stand: Voices for Peace in the Middle East, AVI’s cross-Canada tour with Sharaka, the NGO founded by Israeli, Emirati and Bahraini leaders to turn the Abraham Accords into real, people-to-people peace. October 18, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Toronto. Tickets $36 general, $18 student. Use discount code CAEF to register for half-price tickets.
Pride In Our Heritage: Day of Learning
Hamilton: Temple Anshe Sholom is hosting a free half-day conference on October 21, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. CAEF is a proud sponsor. Bringing together leading scholars from Canada and abroad, the conference will explore Jewish history, Israel, antisemitism, and the remarkable resilience of the Jewish people.
CAEF Advocate Award of Excellence
Honouring Dr. Brian Crowley — Tuesday, October 27
You are warmly invited to an evening to honour Brian Lee Crowley, a distinguished thought leader whose work has brought a focus on the critical issues of antisemitism, the Middle East, radical Islam and more to the heart of Canada’s national conversation.
Brian Crowley founded the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS), and the Macdonald Laurier Institute (MLI).
MLI is the premier Canadian public policy think tank, addressing a wide array of national issues and, through the Promised Land Project, the related issues of Middle East conflict, antisemitism and the dangers of radical Islam. Crowley initiated the Promised Land Project on the premise that Canada is a land that has held out the promise of freedom and security to millions around the world and should be held to account for its failure to live up to this promise to its Jewish citizens.
MLI is also the only Canadian think tank with an office in Washington, the Center for North American Prosperity and Security (CNAPS).
Brian Crowley is author of six books, notably Gardeners vs Designers and Fearful Symmetry, and numerous op-eds and research papers. He holds degrees from McGill and the London School of Economics, including a doctorate in political economy.
When Shanghai Said Yes – A Global Jewish-Chinese Virtual Experience
Continuing the Chinese-Jewish Exchange, CAEF and partners are pleased to present an opportunity for learning and sharing. Register to join the webinar and participate in small group discussions after the formal presentations. Sunday, November 8, 2026, 10:00–11:15 a.m. EST, on Zoom.
We invite you to read recent articles by Annette Poizner, one of the speakers: The Etrog’s Chinese Secret; A Sweet (and Sour) New Year: Where Jewish and Chinese Wisdom Meet; China and the Jews: Two Ancient Civilizations, One Unlikely Friendship.
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