Vancouver adopts widely-used definition of antisemitism

Saying it “righted a historic wrong,” Vancouver’s Jewish community welcomes a council decision to formally adopt a widely-used definition of antisemitism.

“When we’re combating antisemitism, one of the things we have to do is be able to define it,” said CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Ezra Shanken on Vancouver city council’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

“We can then use those definitions to better understand how what we’re doing is impacting the lives of those individuals.”

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The IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism is:

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Today, Council adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

We are proud to stand with the Jewish community both in Vancouver and around the world. Antisemitism has no place in our city and today we take an important step towards a more inclusive and safe society for all.

— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) November 17, 2022

The definition was officially adopted on Wednesday after a motion to do so was introduced by Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung.

“We stand united with Vancouver’s Jewish community in the ongoing fight against antisemitism and the troubling rise of hate incidents in our city,” Kirby-Yung said in a statement.

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Adopting the definition was one of Mayor Ken Sim’s promises when he was campaigning. Although Shanken says the Jewish community has been working with the city on bringing in the definition since 2019.

“It was sent to committee and was never brought out of committee,” he said, commending Kirby-Yung on moving the motion forward.

Shanken says he hopes the new definition will help in educating those in government to be more inclusive in messaging and decision-making.

“I would actually recommend that any group that’s feeling marginalized should be able to define their hatred and the way that they’re seeing discrimination so that we can then use those definitions to better understand how what we’re doing is impacting the lives of those individuals,” he said.