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Unpacking Canadian Antisemitism for High School Students

Unpacking Canadian Antisemitism is a ready-to-use, one-period lesson built around a powerful 20-minute documentary. Designed to support Ontario’s updated Grade 10 history curriculum, the resource examines how antisemitism shaped Canada from the rise of Nazism (1929-1945) to its ongoing presence in today’s schools, communities, and institutions.

 

Developed by the Toronto Holocaust Museum, this impactful lesson features firsthand testimony from Jewish Canadians and challenges students to confront difficult truths while empowering them to take action against hate.

What students will learn

Students will:

 

  • Define antisemitism and trace its evolution in Canada
  • Examine how antisemitic ideologies influenced Canadian laws and policies
  • Recognize subtle, contemporary expressions of antisemitism
  • Reflect on the impact of antisemitism on today’s youth
  • Discover the importance of speaking out and taking action
Gurion Hyman collection. Ontario Jewish Archives, accession 1977-1-1
Vandalized sign outside Beth Tikvah synagogue, Toronto.

Curriculum connections

Aligned with the Grade 10 Canadian History Since WWI course, this lesson invites students to:

 

  • Investigate the rise of Nazism in Europe and its ripple effects in Canada
  • Understand how antisemitism challenges Canadian democratic values
  • Consider the role of individuals and communities in confronting hate

The film

  • Unpacking Canadian Antisemitism

Teacher resource & lesson plan

This easy-to-use teacher guide includes thought-provoking discussion and inquiry questions, a vocabulary list, and curated extension resources to support deeper learning. Available for download in both English and French.

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Additional resources for teachers

  • The Toronto Holocaust Museum engages thousands of students each year in meaningful learning about the Holocaust through our exhibition, artifacts, and survivor testimonies. Through our Virtual Museum experiences, tailored to middle school learners, we can bring the  experience of learning in the Museum directly to your classroom.

     

    Our Virtual Museum experiences explore the Holocaust through the lens of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Canada after the Second World War and through Canadian history, connecting directly to the learning strands in the Grade 6 social studies curriculum. A teacher resource accompanies the virtual museum experiences which includes introductory material so teachers can prepare their students for learning about the Holocaust. Included in the teacher resource is a screening guide with questions to engage students in critical thinking and discussion to extend learning after experiencing the Museum virtually.

  • Childhood Interrupted is a three-part learning experience, including an online exhibition about Holocaust survivor Yael Spier Cohen. Designed for Grade 6 and middle school students, students engage with Yael’s story in an age-appropriate way. Childhood Interrupted connects directly to the new Ontario curriculum expectations. Teacher resources, pre-visit, and post-visit lessons are available in the Teacher Guide. Available in both French and English.

  • Find our FAQ page and recommendations for teaching about the Holocaust.

  • Designed to support educators learning and teaching about the Holocaust, deepen your knowledge about essential topics and access classroom-ready materials and sample lesson plans on The Learning Platform for Holocaust Education and Antisemitism. Whether you are an experienced Holocaust educator looking for new lesson ideas or a teacher new to Holocaust education, we have resources to support you.

  • Unlearn It is a resource hub for educators and parents to learn about, identify, and take action to address antisemitism. These tools can be used proactively when talking about anti-racism and online safety as well as reactively when an incident occurs in your community or schools.

  • Hana & George Brady, prewar photo.

    Learn about the Holocaust and its aftermath through the story of one family’s experiences. George Brady, brother of Hana Brady (Hana’s Suitcase), takes us on a journey from his childhood in Czechoslovakia, to his postwar years in Canada through personal artifacts, testimony clips, pictures, and documents.

  • This digital exhibition showcases the journeys of seven Holocaust survivors coming to Canada after the war, highlighting themes such as Canadian identity and immigration. Through exploration and discovery, students connect these themes to modern day issues about the ideal of Canada as a multicultural nation and provide insights into how they can become active citizens of this civil society.

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