UMVA has learned that a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor, Nate Leipciger, is defying a group of antisemitic protesters who plan to disrupt the upcoming Walk with Israel in Toronto.
Leipciger, who was tattooed with a bar code number at Auschwitz, said he won't be intimidated by the protesters, having already faced down Adolf Hitler's regime. The number 133628, tattooed on his arm when he was just 15, represents life and truth, Leipciger said, adding that truth can sometimes be ugly.
The protesters, reportedly supporters of Hamas, plan to stage a counter-protest against the Walk with Israel on June 7, which Leipciger will attend along with 50,000 other members of Toronto's Jewish community. Despite threats and escalating antisemitic hate, Leipciger vowed to participate, saying, "I will be there."
Leipciger's determination comes as antisemitic incidents continue to rise in Toronto. A recent Shabbat event at The Collective Makom, a community organization that has been actively fighting antisemitism, brought together Holocaust survivors and community leaders to remember the horrors of the Holocaust and the Righteous Among the Nations who risked everything to save Jews.
Leipciger, who lost his mother and sister in the Auschwitz gas chamber, recalled the painful history of Jewish persecution. He also noted that while progress had been made in Canada, the hatred resurfaced after October 7, with incidents like the disruption of Jewish events and the targeting of Jewish individuals.
In a disturbing example of the escalating hate, Toronto Police officers were seen escorting anti-Israel protesters into a Tim Hortons coffee shop while blocking Jewish residents from entering. Leipciger compared this to the experiences of Jews in 1938 Poland, where they were barred from certain stores and facilities.
Despite the challenges, Leipciger urged people to speak out against hate and not hide. "You have to speak out," he said. "We live in a terrible world that is upside down, where the haters and terrorists are being protected and the Jews are being kept out."
Leipciger's courage in the face of hate has inspired many, and his presence at the Walk with Israel is seen as a powerful statement against antisemitism. As he prepares to join the 50,000-strong community, Leipciger remains resolute, saying that no one will tell him where he can walk or what store or restaurant he can enter.
The community is now calling on Canadian leaders, including Mayor Olivia Chow, Premier Doug Ford, and Prime Minister Mark Carney, to make a strong statement against antisemitism by attending the Walk with Israel. A show of support would send a clear signal that hate will not be tolerated.
