Do not share harmful or negative images and posts. Not only are you helping the people who created the messages, but you may be accidentally boosting their popularity while exposing your friends and family to hateful content.

We believe it is most reflective of the Jewish tradition and culture in our community to post and re-post inspiring and educational stories, memes, and images. Of course, it’s absolutely up to you, but in keeping with tikkun olam, making sure your online presence is positive is best for all of us. This includes ensuring that you are not being overly dramatic or overstating things in your post: a little bit of moderation goes a long way.

Remember that a lot of people use hyperbole, exaggeration, and half-truths as a communications tool to break through the barrage of information. Being inflammatory may work in the short term, but it does so at a long-term cost: credibility.

Do not respond to hateful messages or attacks. Take a screenshot, block individuals, and report them to the social media platform.

If you are feeling threatened, contact the police and then report the incident to CIJA here https://www.cija.ca/report_hate

Never share personal information online.

Stay safe, stay positive and don’t share the negative
• Try and be positive whenever possible.
• Follow community accounts and friends.
• Amplify (re post, share) others.

Community accounts to follow and share:
Jewish Federation of Ottawa
• Facebook – JFedOttawa
• X/Twitter - JewishOttawa
• Instagram - Jewish_Ottawa

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)
• Facebook - cijainfo
• X/Twitter - CIJAinfo
• Instagram - cijainfo

The Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC)
• Facebook - CJPAC
• X/Twitter - CJPAC
• Instagram - cjpac

Help Each Other Out, Not the Trolls

• Help us extend our reach – follow official community accounts and those of community leaders
• Commenting and sharing boosts our reach, so thank you for your help
• Be thoughtful – try to engage in conversations where you may actually be able to influence someone’s perspective
• Don’t be quick to call someone an antisemite: try and address the challenging content rather than make assumptions about the person posting it.
• If a friend or family member is sharing something untrue or harmful, try reaching out via a direct message as a first step
• Don’t feed the “trolls”: many people are online specifically to provoke a reaction from you. Don’t give them what they want – ignore them, block them, be the bigger person
• Sarcasm isn’t an effective way to convince someone that you’re right

The Truth is Our Friend

here is a lot of false information circulating – make sure you verify things before you share them
• There are some pretty common myths and stereotypes about our community, Israel and the conflict – get to know some of the more common ones
• Some great resources can be found here
• A more detailed info sheet to help debunking falsehoods here

Be Kind to Yourself

• Make sure you know your boundaries, and step away from social media if you need to
• There are mental health resources available to you: reach out if you need help Jewish Family Services offers Crisis Counselling for the Jewish Community.