A Jewish human rights association is offering $2,500 for information that could lead to the arrest of the author of the hateful graffiti found on campus.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) announced the reward Monday afternoon.
“This graffiti did not arise in a vacuum,” wrote Avi Benlolo, president and CEO of FSWC, in the press release.
Benlolo expressed concern that student unions were “intentionally and systematically” nurturing hateful sentiments.
“Witness the anti-Semitic graffiti found at Ryerson, which would have been unthinkable in previous generations,” the release reads.
On Oct. 16, a student told security of the graffiti found on the inside of a bathroom stall on the third floor of the Library Building.
The message mentioned the “stealing of Palestine’s land” and told Jews, Israel and its supporters to “burn in hell,” alongside other hateful statements.
University staff covered the writing when it was first reported and had it removed Monday.
President Sheldon Levy issued a statement condemning the act and promising the university was investigating.
Toronto police confirmed to The Ryersonian that they are conducting their own investigation. The Ryerson Students’ Union launched a petition Thursday to stand up against hate on campus.
The FSWC is a Toronto-based organization that addresses anti-Semitism, advocates for human rights and provides education about the Holocaust. It runs the Wiesenthal Campus Initiative, which, among other programs, strives to counter “anti-Israel defamation” on campuses.
This article was published in the print edition of the Ryersonian on Oct. 28, 2015.
Lana Hall is in her final year at the Ryerson School of Journalism. News tip? Reach her on Twitter: @curiouslana