"We Canadians need to have each other’s backs and stand up against hatred of the other," writes Marsha Lederman. A man holds a sign in support of the Jewish community in Australia during Toronto's annual Hanukkah Menorah lighting at Mel Lastman Square in North York, Dec. 15, 2025.Carlos Osorio/Reuters

On the first official workday of 2026, heading into the final weekend of what we would loosely call the holidays, Winnipeg’s oldest synagogue, Shaarey Zedek, was vandalized with, among other things, swastikas spray-painted on its beautiful front doors. This was not an isolated incident.

Even with all the global festive cheer and goodwill, antisemitism managed to cloud the holiday air. As the world teeters toward disturbing instability, with Donald Trump’s imperialist actions and ambitions, these international acts not only add to feelings of insecurity for Jewish people, but should be disconcerting for all – as any racist actions would be.

A shed on the property of Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, Andreas Buttner, was set on fire on Sunday. And an inverted red triangle (a symbol used by Hamas indicating a target) was painted on the front door of the house where Mr. Buttner was with his family. “This attack represents a massive escalation. It is directed against me personally, against my family, and against my home,” he posted on social media. “At the same time, it is an expression of hatred and intimidation.”

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