The Canadian Jewish Congress today accused members of this city’s Jewish community of “irresponsibly creating a tense and inflamed situation” which led to a riot at a neo-Nazi rally here last week resulting in the arrest of nine persons, including John. Beattie, Toronto Nazi leader.
In a four-page letter mailed to some 25,000 Jewish families in Ontario, the Congress charged that in the days before the incident in Toronto’s Allan Gardens, “meetings were held and irresponsible leaflets circulated, all of which helped whip up some groups within the Jewish community to the pitch of fear and frenzy that assisted in creating the atmosphere that led to the mob violence of that Sunday afternoon.”
Asserting that “unfortunately, there are people in cur midst who are determined to act on their own in dealing with neo-Nazis with little regard for the consequences,” the Congress letter noted that the incident, which had been given little publicity before the event, was widely covered by the press because of the riot.
Describing the strength of the Nazi group in Toronto, the letter said that, in numbers, “the group is extremely small, we might even say absurdly small. In recent months no more than a dozen have been involved. Their finances are equally slender.”
The letter was signed by Jacob Finkelman, CJC national vice-president; Meyer W. Gasner, chairman of the Central Region; Sydney M. Harris, vice-chairman; and J.S. Midanik, chairman of the Joint Community Relations Committee.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
