University College, University of Toronto. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A committee of University of Toronto professors is urging all faculty members to sign a letter demanding that the administration take concrete action against antisemitism on campus.

In the letter, available here, the professors called for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The committee — led by Professors Howard Tenenbaum, Stuart Kamenetsky, Carole Gruson and Michael Glogauer — came into existence late last year after an incident in which a representative of the Graduate Students Union (GSU) at the school said that making kosher food accessible on campus would be “pro-Israel” — a remark that sparked outrage in the Jewish community.

Michael Mostyn — CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, one of several Jewish groups to endorse the letter — stated, “The IHRA definition is a necessary and effective first step in finally putting a stop to the dangerous environment that has been created for students on many campuses in recent years. This is an opportunity for U of T, the birthplace of Israel Apartheid Week, to now become a trailblazer in the fight against the anti-Jewish sentiment that has arisen in its shadow.”