Report from the North

Jewish teachers in the larger

cities, at least.

Canada's Government Unbiased,
But Social Prejudice Increases

By LOUIS LIEBLICH
Executive Director, Windsor Jewish Community _ Council

(The material on which this article is based is taken from a recent survey conducted
by the Canadian Jewish Congress, which maintains an extensive social research de-

partment.)

The Canadian people pride themselves, and with consid-
erable justification, on a long tradition of democracy and
inter-group good-will. Nevertheless, as in the United States,
Canadian Jews and other minority groups find it necessary
to be constantly on the alert against racial prejudice and its
well-known manifestations. Like our neighbors to.the South,
we sometimes find that a demo-<>

cratic form of government and
a national tradition of liberty
and equality for all, are • not in
themselves a guarantee against
serious discrimination against
minorities. Admire
To understand the problem, it
Is helpful to know the composi-
tion of the Canadian population,
which is 30% of French origin,
48% of British stock, and 22%

LOUIS LIEBLICH

the degree with which they
align themselves_ with the
French-Canadians linguistically,
culturally, and politically.
Jewish Prowess
The fight for the eStablish-
ment of Israel placed some
strain upon the essentially
sound relationships between the
Jews and their Christian neigh-
bors, but the good-will that was
lost by the hostilities was quick-
ly retrieved by admiration for
Jewish military prowess and
self-respect and fighting spirit
that achieved it. Improving re-
lations between Israel and Bri-
tain are reflecting a further im-
provement in Canada's accep-
tance of the Jewish position.
Communism is not a serious
element in Canadian -anti-Semi-
tism. Very few believe that Jews
are prominent in Canadian
Communism, and the current
swing of public opinion against
Communism has not reflected
any increase in anti-Semitism.
Possibly due to the excellent
adjustment made in the last
few years by recent Jewish im-
migrants, there has been a no-
ticeable decline in the opposi-
tion to Jewish immigration by
French Canada, which has been
based on the belief that incom-
ing Jews would tend to identify
more with English Canada.

of - various other groups, includ-
More Bias Since War
ing some 1 1/2 % Jews. Negroes
During the war years, due to
constitute a tiny minority —
about 22,000 out of a ,total popu- national defense regulations and
to popular sentiment, which
lation of some 12,000,0,00.
The most important form of identified anti-Semitism with
racial prejudice exists between the common enemy, organized
the two major cultural groups: anti-Semitism was forced into
the English and the French. The temporary eclipse. Since the
problem is further intensified by war, however, there has been a
the fact that most of the_ noticeable recrudescence of overt
French-speaking population is antagonism• against the Jews.
Roinan Catholic, whereas the Organized anti -SemitiSm in
vast majority of the English- Canada is today more circum-
speaking people are Protestant. spect than in pre-war days, but
is probably also more insidious.
English Accept Jews
Since the radio is strictly
Acceptance of the Canadian Government
- controlled, it is
Jew into the cultural pattern of quite free of anti -
the country reflects these dif- The newspapers and Jewishness.
magazines
ferences. The Anglo-Saxon con- which address themselves
the
siders primarily the degree of community as a whole (as to dis-
assimilation of the Jew into tinguished from organs of spe-
English-speaking Canada and cial
are not only free
the extent of his support of the from groups)
anti - Semitic utterances,
Common interests of the Com- but many
frequently publish
Monwealth. Since the Canadian
editorials
strongly
condemning
sew is now well integrated into anti-Jewish sentiment.
Most
Canadian life, speaks English have even taken a favorable
and tends increasingly to do so, view with respect to immigra-
and supports Canadian. institu-
tions and traditions, his Anglo- tion, a highly 'controversial mat-
Saxon neighbor is firmly con- ter always. And it is of great
vinced of his loyalty, which was mportance to observe that even
proven beyond doubt by the during the Jewish-British ten-
Jewish war record. The Anglo= sion over Palestine the Canadian
Saxon knows, too, that anti- press was markedly restrained,
with extremely rare excep-
Semitism is the one force which and
there was no anti-Jewish
militates against Jewish integra- f tions
eeling in a press overwhelm-
Lion.
ngly anti-Zionist.
The 'situation with regard to
There are, however, many
French Canada is far more com-
pecial
groups whose periodicals
plex. Here there are groups
whose anti-Semitism varies in a re anti-Semitic in varying de-
notably the publications
Accordance with their-, politics. 0 f rees,
the Social Credit parties and
In addition, there is a distinc- t hose
of the Quebec -national-
tive French-Canadian "Nation- st" groups.
alist" sector with its own cul-
`Social' Anti-Semitism
tural and political policies. Each
of these groups is, in varying
There is in Canada consider-
degrees, traditionally hostile to able "social" anti-SemitisM, as
the English Canadians . and to well as discrimination against
other groups of ,non-French- Jews in employment particularly
Canadians, including, naturally, in banks, heavy industry, and
the Jews. .
public utility corporations. This
However, it is important to situation is highly similar to
stress that French - Canadian that which prevails in the
hostility toward English-Cana- United States.
dians, where it occurs, does not
In the Federal Civil Service,
always necessarily include hos- where appointment is strictly
tility toward the Jews. The gen- based upon competitive examin-
erally - held assumption that ation, there is no discrimination.
anti-Semitism is more prevalent Provincial and municipal goV-
among the French than among ernments, however, in many
the English is not valid; per- cases show a markedly small or
h a p s French-Canadians a r e negligible number of JewiSh ap-
more inclined to admit their pointments. Jewish teachers also
prejudice t h a, n their Anglo- find it difficult to secure ap-
Saxon fellow-citizens.
pointments in many public
So far as the majority of school systeths, although the
French- Canadians are con- shortage of teachers has led to
cerned, the Jews are judged by an increase in the number lot

Although there are no legal
restrictions which would pre-
vent Jews as spch from entering
any of the professions, it is com-
mon knowledge that the medi-
cal, dental and pharmaceutical
associations do not look with
favor upon the increase of Jews
in these professions. As in the
United States, Jewish applicants
often meet with difficulty in
securing placement as student
nurses, nurses, internes, etc., in
Canadian hospitals. Counter-
balancing this, there has been
a marked increase during the
past five years in the number
of Jews appointed to teaching
positions in Canadian univer-
sities.

Cement for Homes in Israe

Increasing'Resort Restrictions

Jews occasionally encounter
difficulty in buying or renting
homes, though this cannot be
considered a typical occurreAce
in Canada. There .is no dis-
crimination • in hotels except in
vacation resorts. In this res-
spect, the situation closely par-
allels that prevailing in t h e
United States. Such discrimina-
tion appears to be on the in-
crease in both Ontario and Que-
bec.
It is evident that anti-Semit-
ism, since the war, has attained
a measure of recognition and
respectability which is disquiet-
ing and dangerous. Various pub-
lic opinion polls, public debates,
and court discussions bear this
o u t. Nevertheless, inter-com-
munity relations between the
Jew and non-Jew have steadily
improved, and are on a par at
least with those prevailing in
the United States and the
United Kingdom.

'Nesher Cement Works, owned on a 50-50 basis by His-
tadrut and private investors, located outside of Haifa, Israel,
provides most of the cement required in the construction of
homes. Nesher is an example of close cooperation between
cooperatives and private capital in the development of Israel.

Man's first weapon in warfare
Anti-Semitism does not pre- was the slingshot.
sent an immediate menace to
the Canadian Jewish community
today. Overt acts of prejudice
Best Wishes
are rarer than at any time since
Hitler came to power. Neverthe-
FOR THE
less, the battle • against anti-
Semitism continues, as it must,
on every front. Defense of Jew-
ish rights is defense of Canadian
democracy, and of the Canadian
idea of the peaceful co-existence
of peoples of different cultural
background united in a common
loyalty and in common interests.

NEW YEAR

. THE JEWISH NEWS

-

Friday, September 23, 1949.

55

FISHER BUILDING

Twenty-six Such Doors
to Serve Detroit

Seventy-four years ago there was a single Sanders store in
Detroit. Today there are twenty-six in the metropolitan area—
and others are planned for the near future.
This growth has been possible chiefly because the course
laid down by Grandfather Fred Sanders for that first store
still guides the conduct of the organization. His policy was
plain-spoken, but sound : to •make only the highest quality of
products, and to sell them at reasonable prices.
Because Sanders have held steadily to that policy, every
Sanders store is a busy store, standing high in the confidence
and respect of its community. And because Ni(e prize the con-
fidence and respect of Detroit, you can be sure that 'every
Sanders product you buy will be as delicious and wholesome
as it can be made.

74 years in Detroit

CANDIES

BAKED GOODS

e

ICE CREAMS t. LUNCHEONS