Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation is collaborating with StandWithUs, Hasbara Fellowships, Doctors Against Racism and Antisemitism and Alpha Omega (Jewish dental association), working with a working group of social workers, to investigate antisemitism as a topic that has, historically, been omitted from the social work curriculum, according to the social work literature. We hope to better explore the degree to which antisemitism is included in the social work curriculum in Canada. We are currently undertaking the following initiates:
We, the undersigned, are approaching the Canadian Association of Social Work Education as well as the provincial social work colleges and associations, with concerns about gaps in the social work curriculum.
We acknowledge the respect for diversity and the promotion of equity which guides the approach to social work educational policy. In relation to those principles, we wish to draw your attention to rising hate crimes against Jews and the deficiency in addressing this in the curriculum.Around the world, antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high. We are now living through a new volume and viciousness of Jew hatred. Antisemitism must be addressed.
Responding to the surge in antisemitic incidents on campus, The University of Toronto Anti-Semitism Task Force recently came out with a directive that antisemitism be included in all campus anti-racism training, education, and outreach. This recommendation is noteworthy because antisemitism is, more normatively, omitted from Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) task forces/trainings and courses. By way of example, antisemitism was formally put on the agenda of the newly formed Ontario College of Social Work and Social Service Workers DEI taskforce only after 130 College members petitioned about the College's silence relative to this ancient hatred.
Last March, Dr. Carole Cox published “Addressing Anti-Semitism in Social Work Education” in the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work. She writes that, "Social work. . .cannot ignore anti-semitism and its impact on individuals and societies. However, the subject is basically ignored in the curriculum." Her conclusion echoes that of Steven Soifer’s 1991 Journal of Social Work Education article.
We are sending you a 2019 syllabus from York University's DEI course, a document which omits antisemitism, despite well documented problems at that university (The cycle of antisemitism, as seen at York University).
The CAEF is undertaking research to better understand the status of antisemitism in the social work curriculum. In the meantime, since attacks and threats to Jews are surging, we ask (1) that Jew hatred be included when matters of racism, discrimination, equity, diversity, inclusion and historic persecution are covered in courses, programs or workshops; (2) that the Social Work academic community require that any course on DEI include a unit on antisemitism in order for a program to be accredited and (3) request a statement condemning the recent rise in antisemitism.
Please sign the following: