Wilfrid Laurier Student TikTok Video
In this article, I will describe a TikTok video released in 2021 by two female Wilfrid Laurier students. These students posted an antisemitic TikTok video against Jewish people.
From early childhood, my parents ensured I attended Jewish private day schools. Growing up in a predominantly Jewish bubble, the reality of antisemitism had been relatively unknown. This environment insulated me from real-life experiences of adversity in the form of antisemitism. Through my education, I became equipped with coping skills to combat antisemitism. My first eye-opening exposure to antisemitism occurred in my first year at Laurier.
Although accounting for Covid, my entire first year of learning was exclusively online, I did not expect to see blatant signs of antisemitism, which appeared on my TikTok For You Page (FYP). In May 2021, two female Wilfrid Laurier students posted a TikTok video dancing to pop music. In this video, one student held a knife and pretended to stab the other, while the other student carried toilet paper with a Star of David drawn on it. Both these students were holding an Israeli flag on a piece of paper, which they lit on fire. They showcased graphics of the Israeli flag next to bombs as they pretended to vomit in a trash bag. Their video publicly encouraged others to inflict violence on Jewish people. This form of online prejudice has spread hate speech to students at Laurier.
After watching this video, I was frightened to return to in-person studies for my second year. My brain overanalyzed possible outbreaks of antisemitism, from which I became increasingly anxious. It led me to consider that the school I was thrilled to attend may no longer be a safe learning environment. Many Laurier students reposted this TikTok on their Instagram stories, and Stop Antisemitism tweeted that this “incitement for violence & antisemitism must be investigated @LaurierPres - your Jewish students deserve to feel safe at your school.” Only after this video had over four thousand views, Jewish activists like Yehuda Amzallagh, tweeted that “Laurier. You should reply to this publicly. Maybe the premier of Ontario needs to know what the govt is subsidizing." Jim Ferriter also tweeted, "this is antisemitism and racist. Let’s see how officials respond." As the number of Twitter views for this TikTok video increased, Wilfrid Laurier University responded with a public statement. "Wilfrid Laurier University does not condone behaviors that promote hate, induce fear, or threaten people’s safety. We are aware of the reports of a video posted to social media by a student, and we are taking appropriate action." As Laurier took action on this matter, it subdued many of my fears. I commend Laurier for handling this situation, as many colleges or universities would have chosen the road of inaction and passivity. It reassures me that Laurier addressed this issue as they want to work towards creating a more inclusive and tolerant society.
Coming into my second year of studies, I was surprised by the vast Jewish presence on campus. The Rohr Chabad Centre for Jewish Life is located two minutes from campus. The rabbi and his family host weekly Shabbat dinners, holiday meals, and events for Jewish people on campus. For Purim, they hosted an interactive megillah reading and dinner. Most recently, when I attended a Shabbat dinner, I spoke to the Rabbi about whether non-Jewish students are permitted to join events. The Rabbi said that he was delighted for any non-Jewish people to come. I convinced some of my non-Jewish friends to come and they were fascinated by my culture. Ultimately, it made our friendships stronger as fewer barriers existed between us.
My background bubble community provided me with invaluable experience to cultural knowledge as I made many Jewish friends. I have always been curious to discover and learn about opposing viewpoints. Particularly when coping with antisemitism, I have never felt like a target of hate speech or violence. Aside from this TikTok, I have found Laurier students to be inclusive of Judaism. I am delighted that the Laurier Jewish community continues to expand and reach out to people irrespective of their background so that all may learn about Jewish culture.