The union said it was because of unsettling comments online but Jewish teachers say the antisemitism course is needed and should proceed
Jewish educators say they are alarmed after finding out that the Manitoba teachers’ union cancelled a professional development talk about antisemitism in schools.
“The PD (professional development) is very much needed. That’s the number one concern,” said Tamara Gottlieb, co-founder of the Jewish Educators and Families Association (FEFA).
In October, some Manitoba teachers had signed up for a professional development course on the subject of “bearing witness to October 7th” and fighting antisemitism in the classroom. The talk was to be delivered by Kelly Hiebert, a history teacher at Westwood Collegiate in Winnipeg who has been tasked by the provincial government with developing a mandatory Holocaust curriculum for students.
Yet, the event was cancelled. Concerned teachers reached out to Gottlieb’s group, and it, along with a number of other Jewish advocacy groups, wrote to the Manitoba Teachers’ Society and the provincial government to express concern.
“This approved and well thought PD session is needed now more than ever. Canceling it with so little notice before it was to take place leaves many educators without the resources they need,” says a letter, signed by JEFA and a number of other organizations.
Gottlieb received a response from the Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning ministry, which said that the event had been cancelled because of unspecified threats.
“The decision to cancel the session was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the presenters due to online comments related to this event and recent escalations in antisemitic incidents,” the letter says.
National Post reached out to the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, which said there were “unsettling comments on social media related to the event.
“Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the presenters and those in attendance, MTS elected to cancel,” the union said in an email.
In a separate statement, Nathan Martindale, the president of the teachers’ union, acknowledged that “our decision was discouraging to members of the Jewish community, and to our Jewish members.”
“The point has been made that it would have been helpful for us to consult with the community prior to making the decision to cancel, and we appreciate this valuable feedback,” Martindale said. “As we said to our members in a recent email, this is difficult work, and we won’t always get it right. But we are committed to it, and to ongoing dialogue in our efforts to promote understanding and community within our organization.”
Gottlieb said that Statistics Canada data, which show that in 2023, Jews were the target of 70 per cent of all religiously motivated hate crimes, demonstrates the necessity of such professional development courses for teachers.
“If it’s not safe … to provide PD on antisemitism, what does that communicate about the safety for Jewish educators, for Jewish students and their allies, and quite frankly, for all educators and students,” said Gottlieb. She argued that the professional development should go ahead for Manitoba teachers.
On the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew wrote on X that there had been a “sharp rise” in antisemitism in the province.
“Threats to places of worship, community centres, and campuses have left many Jewish Manitobans feeling unsafe expressing their identity,” Kinew wrote. “This past year has been challenging for many, but we stand together, united in rejecting all forms of hate and ensuring that everyone can live freely and without fear.”
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