New Realities Section 3 - Integration/Rejection

INTEGRATION / REJECTION

Types of anti-Semitism that were so apparent across Canada in the inter-war years continued to decline in this period. Still, some old forms of prejudice persisted, while new forms emerged in the last quarter of the twentieth century. In 1995, Jewish MLA, Bernie Simpson, delivered an address in the BC Legislature on the 50th anniversary of WWII's end, reminding the assembled members of some dark clouds in BC's recent past.

There are other examples as well: In 1952, Vancouver Jews established their own Golf and Country Club on the North Shore in order to be able to play at a private course. In addition, a group of Jewish doctors, after years of professional discrimination, founded their own journal club for professional stimulation. Moreover, the Vancouver Club did not open its doors to Jewish members until well after 1970.

Muni Samuel Evers, Mayor of New Westminster, c. 1976. Schiffer Photos, City of New Westminster, JHS

Inauguration of Eagle Ridge Country Club, West Vancouver, 1950s.JHS

INTEGRATION

In succeeding decades, Jews were accepted more and more into those business and social clubs that had previously excluded them. They were able to move into a variety of occupations and settle in any neighbourhood. By the 1950s, acceptance into university faculties such as Medicine was no longer restricted. Private schools followed suit at a later date.

Jews could also make their way in the professions with fewer, if any, restrictions. By the end of the century, a Jew had become the Premier of the province (Dave Barrett), there had been a few MLAs (Norm Levi, Bernie Simpson), MPs (Sima Holt, Dave Barrett), and municipal officials such as Muni Evers, mayor of New Westminster for 14 years, Harry Rankin, a longtime alderman in Vancouver, and most recently, city councillor Alan Herbert. Jews have served as Chief Justice, and as judges at all levels of the court system in the Province.

Dave Barrett, premier of British Columbia, 1975. CE Leonoff, JHS

Sima Holt, MP, JWB Collection, JHS

British Columbia's various schools and educational institutions employ many Jews as educators. Recently, West Vancouver teacher, Kit Krieger, was president of the BCTF (British Columbia Teachers Federation). The University of British Columbia alone has over 100 Jews on its teaching staff. In addition, UBC has a Jewish Studies program with a number of courses offered through its Department of Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies.

Another area with strong Jewish representation is human services, amongst them: scientists; medical practitioners, educators and researchers; nurses; social workers and psychologists. In the arts, many Jews have professional careers in the visual arts, architecture, theatre, music, film and as practitioners of new media.

Jews have a strong tradition of community service and participation in philanthropy in the wider community. Recent major gifts to BC universities have come from the family foundations of Sam Belzberg, Jack Diamond, Joseph Segal and Morris Wosk. Many Jews have served on the boards of cultural institutions. Nathan Nemetz (UBC), Joe Segal (SFU) and Jack Diamond (SFU) each served a term as chancellor at one of BC's two largest universities. In addition, the physical face of Vancouver has changed as a half dozen or more Jewish property developers have erected apartments and housing developments around the Lower Mainland.

In recognition of their service to the community-at-large, the City of Vancouver has awarded the Freedom of the City to a number of Jews; Jack Diamond (1979), Joe Cohen (1980), Jack Bell (1991), Pauline Weinstein (1993) and Morris Wosk (1996). Other BC Jewish citizens have been recipients of the Orders of British Columbia and of Canada.

Morris Saltzman receiving the Order of Canada from Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. Morris Saltzman, JHS

REJECTION

Recently, anti-Semites have used the technique of Holocaust denial to spread the myth that the Jews are all-powerful and dangerous. In Canada, the main proponents of this perversion of history have been Ernst Zundel in Ontario, Jim Keegstra in Alberta and Malcolm Ross in New Brunswick. In British Columbia, the writings of Doug Collins in the North Shore News provoked outrage and led to several Human Rights hearings. In 1997, the BC Human Rights commissioner, Nitya Iyer, decided the following:

In the present case, although the publication at issue is likely to make it more acceptable for others to express hatred or contempt against Jewish people because of their race, religion or ancestry, I find that it does not itself express hatred or contempt. Therefore, the complaint is not justified and, pursuant to s. 37(1) of the Code, the complaints against the Respondent Doug Collins and the Respondent North Shore News are each dismissed.

The following year, however, another commissioner found four of the recent writings of Collins to be more offensive and dangerous than suggested by Iyer.

Individually, and taken out of context, each of the four columns at issue might not convey messages that meet the high threshold that is necessary to be considered hatred or contempt within the meaning of s. 7(1)(b) of the Code. However, collectively they do. They repeatedly reinforce some of the most virulent forms of anti-Semitism. They convey the message that Jews, individually and collectively, are selfish, greedy and manipulative; that they have conspired to control government institutions and the media; and that they use that control to perpetuate inflated figures concerning the victimization of Jews during the Holocaust and to persecute anyone who speaks out against them.

[85] The publication of these messages in a community newspaper that is delivered to almost every home in the community is likely to increase the risk to Jewish people of being exposed to hatred or contempt because of their race, religion or ancestry. Mr. Collins expresses hatred or contempt indirectly and subtly. He does not overtly incite hateful or contemptuous expressions. However, he reinforces negative stereotypes of the Jews that have been promulgated for centuries. Further, publication of these ideas in a credible newspaper increases the likelihood that others will manifest hateful and contemptuous views in a more directly harmful manner.

[86] I find that the four columns, which were written by Doug Collins and published by the North Shore News, and which were the basis for this complaint, are likely to expose Jewish persons to hatred or contempt because of their race, religion or ancestry contrary to s. 7(1)(b) of the Code.

In response to Holocaust denial, in 1992 Ken McVay developed a website called Nizkor (we will remember). McVay felt "compelled to counter the deceit of Holocaust deniers and hate mongers after running across virulently antisemitic material on the Internet."

On another front, sporadic acts of violence have made the Jewish community very ill-at-ease. In 1985, arsonists attacked and destroyed Temple Sholom, a Reform congregation on the West Side of Vancouver.

The Jewish community often works to ease prejudice by pooling resources. The B'nai Brith and Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) joined together in the past to form the Joint Public Relations Committee. They no longer work together, but other initiatives are still active. Jewish groups frequently work with non-Jewish agencies. In the 1950s, the Canadian Jewish Congress allied itself with the Vancouver Civic Unity Council to challenge restrictive covenants and other forms of prejudice. At the end of the twentieth century, CJC is an active partner in the Committee for Racial Justice. The National Office of Canadian B'nai Brith has also become involved in anti-racist activities, e.g., the Collins trial, monitors anti-Semitism across Canada and produces an annual report. The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and the Victoria Holocaust Society work extensively with teachers to help students recognize racism and provide them with the means to combat it.

Arson attack on Temple Sholom, Vancouver, 1985. JWB Collection, JHS

Section 1	Section 2	Section 3	Section 4
Where Did We Come From, Where Did We Settle?	Making A Living	Integration/Rejection	Communities In Transition