As Vancouver prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches this summer, the Jewish Federation of British Columbia (JFBC) is bringing its concerns about antisemitism into the public eye.
JFBC, formerly known as Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, has put up billboards that spread bright pink public-awareness ads across the Greater Vancouver area. The campaign is in partnership with U.S.-based nonprofit JewBelong and PATTISON Outdoor Advertising, intending to use the global spotlight around soccer during the largest event in the world to urge bystanders to speak up against anti-Jewish hate.
Billboards started appearing on June 8, with messages such as “Whether you call it football or soccer, antisemitism is a foul” and “You don’t need a whistle to call out antisemitism.” They are being featured at transit hubs from Richmond to North and West Vancouver, across Canada and Millennium Skytrain lines, and on billboards sprinkled from Vancouver to Surrey, Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows.
CEO of JFBC, Ezra Shanken, said he hopes the billboards, which he described as a method to raise awareness, catch people’s attention and prompt them to consider how they would respond if they ever witness antisemitism.
“The core message is clear that each one of us has a responsibility to stand up against antisemitism and all forms of hate,” said Shanken, who saw the FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to raise awareness about antisemitism in Canada.
“Sport is intended to reflect fairness, respect, and belonging. However, real sportsmanship isn’t passive. It requires active participation, including speaking up and calling out harmful behaviour,” JFBC highlighted in a press release.
The campaign comes as B.C. has moved to strengthen protections around faith spaces. In March, the Province said it intended to introduce legislation to prohibit interference with safe access to school grounds and create similar protections for places of worship, including synagogues, mosques, temples, gurdwaras and churches.
Cross-border collaboration to combat antisemitism
Shanken said JewBelong, which has been putting up billboards across cities in the U.S., contacted his organization while reaching out to various World Cup host cities.
Shanken asked himself, “Why shouldn’t we be using this premier event to raise awareness about the challenges being faced by Jewish people?
“I hope that people take a picture with it and post it and help to get the message out to more and more people,” Shanken said.
Rise of antisemitism across the world
According to an April report by Tel Aviv University, in 2025 there were 20 casualties killed in four antisemitic attacks in three countries, the highest number of casualties in one year in more than three decades.
The 2025 annual audit conducted by B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish human rights institute, showed Canada had a total of 6,800 antisemitic incidents in 2025, compared to 6,219 in 2024 and 5,791 in 2023.
“Since 2022, when 2,769 incidents were reported, the total number of incidents has increased by approximately 145.6 per cent,” the organization reported, with 847 incidents in B.C. in 2025.
In a community survey conducted by JFBC and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, 62 per cent of Jewish community members have experienced at least one antisemitic incident.
Recently, in Vancouver, antisemitic messages written with chalk appeared on roadsides and poles that equated Jewish people to Nazis, according to the Combating Antisemitism Movement, a U.S.- based global coalition.
On May 1, amid Jewish Heritage Month, Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, said: “antisemitism remains a reality in Canada today and we must remain united in confronting it.”
Jewish community response
Shanken said recent suspected hate-motivated incidents, including an arson attempt at a Montreal synagogue and alleged gel blaster attacks targeting visibly Jewish people in Toronto, are being felt by Jewish communities.
“All of these things, it feels to Jewish people that this is right next door. This is right next door and right on top of them.”
In response to such a situation, the Jewish community leader said the solution is to empower the Jewish population by gathering up the people “who are feeling the sting of antisemitism.”
He said different individuals, such as parents, academics, teachers, doctors and artists, coming together and standing up for themselves with the help of the community, is a really powerful exercise.
With the start of the World Cup today, June 11, and approximately 350,000 spectators attending seven matches at BC Place, Shanken said he wants the tourists to see that antisemitism is a global phenomenon that impacts communities around the world. “No matter where you come from, you can be an aware advocate, an ally of your Jewish community,” he encouraged.
“With memories of the incredible soccer that they’re seeing, [the visitors] should also bring with them an empowering message of how they can protect and support their Jewish communities wherever they’re coming from.”
Jonah Jung
Joonha 'Jonah' Jung is a student journalist from BCIT who is passionate about covering community affairs and cultural issues.
