Toronto, ON (February 16, 2026) – StandWithUs Canada is deeply concerned that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has chosen Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) to deliver antisemitism training to union leadership. This decision carries serious risks of legitimizing harmful narratives and perpetuating antisemitism rather than combatting it, as IJV does not reflect the core values or interests of the broader Canadian Jewish community.

If you are a member of ETFO and have concerns about this decision, we encourage you to connect with StandWithUs Canada or JEFA to learn more about ongoing community efforts, and to engage with the Canadian Jewish Labour Committee to explore labour-focused avenues to ensure Jewish voices are properly represented.

Although IJV brands itself as a “progressive” Jewish voice, it is a fringe political organization whose rhetoric and alliances consistently promote extreme and highly politicized position that reject Jewish self-determination and perpetuate antisemitism, undermining meaningful efforts to address hatred.

The group categorically rejects Zionism, labelling it inherently racist, white supremacist, and genocidal. Zionism – the belief in the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland – is a core part of Jewish identity for Jews in Canada and globally. By attempting to redefine and demonize this foundational aspect of Jewish identity, IJV excludes most Jews, and lends cover to harmful antisemitic narratives.

Granting this group credibility and a platform within the education system is not merely misguided – it is dangerous. Jewish students, educators, and staff in Ontario public schools have already faced severe challenges simply because of who they are. Jewish members within ETFO have long expressed concerns regarding the representation of Jewish identity. Allowing IJV to provide antisemitism training to union leadership risks further marginalizing Jewish members while intensifying and normalizing the already present antisemitic and exclusionary narratives that fuel the very hate such training is meant to prevent.

We call on ETFO to reconsider its decision and to engage instead with its Jewish members or with one of the many mainstream Jewish organizations that truly represent the Canadian Jewish community and reflect the mission and values to combat antisemitism.