Addressing hate early: New resource is designed to teach kids about antisemitism

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The Quebec government has partnered with the province’s Jewish community to put together a tool for teachers and parents to talk about anti-Jewish hate with children.

Called Unlearn It or Désapprendre l’antisémitisme, the resource is made up of videos, discussion questions and lesson plans for educators of children in Grades 6 through Secondary II. First available in English in 2022, the resources were translated into French with a $7,000 contribution from the Quebec government. It is now available on the web at Unlearnit.ca. There is also a section of the website for parents to talk to their children about the subject.

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The animated videos show Jewish children living in the Montreal area talking about what Judaism means to them and describing how they felt when they experienced incidents of hate directed at them.

Speaking at a news conference to announce the project, Eta Yudin, the Quebec vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the videos tell stories based on real experiences, but their identifying variables were changed for the exercises. She said she hopes the resources will spark conversations within schools about antisemitism and all forms of hate.

“What we have been living as a Jewish community for the last few months has been very intense,” Yudin said. “I’m worried about our society, our democracy and our Quebec values, and when I see these videos I get emotional because I know people who have had similar experiences, and it’s very hard to accept that we have reached a point where we need these videos.”

Christopher Skeete, the Legault government’s minister responsible for the fight against racism, said he is concerned that Jewish students don’t feel safe on university campuses, and he’s concerned that the situation will get worse in the wake of the dismantlement of the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University on Wednesday. He said while he hopes the climate improves, the point of the educational tool is to stamp out hate at an early age.

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“We’re hoping if we can get them young enough talking about this and have those conversations early enough, maybe we won’t have to live with these situations within our universities and colleges,” he said.

Skeete added that the revamping of the Éthique et culture religieuse program in high schools will also help address all forms of hate and discrimination.

“Ever since 2020 when we named the first minister for the fight against racism, we tried to move the needle in the education portfolio when it comes to teaching about the Holocaust and the history of Quebec, also talking about the Black experience and the Indigenous experience in Quebec,” Skeete said. “We know we have to talk about that past and how it relates to our common, shared values in Quebec.”

He added that he hopes bringing such issues to the forefront will also encourage the general public to have conversations about hate.

“We need to have conversation as a society. We’re not going to solve racism. It’s a chronic condition of humanity, but it needs to be fought every day.”

jmagder@postmedia.com

twitter.com/jasonmagder

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