The rising number of anti-Semitic incidents reported to B'Nai Brith Canada's anti-hate hotline shows an "ill wind blowing through our society," the Jewish advocacy group's national lawyer says.

Marvin Kurz said the 2008 audit of anti-Semitic incidents released yesterday reflects a growing trend across Canada in which Jews are being scapegoated for the economic downturn.

"Often when there is an economic crisis, any problems having to do with financial matters are often laid at the doorsteps of the Jews," Kurz said yesterday.

INCREASE OF 8.9%

The report states in 2008 B'Nai Brith received 1,135 reports of anti-Semitic incidents from across Canada. That's an increase of 8.9% over 2007.

Just under half, or 47.4%, of those reported incidents happened in the Greater Toronto Area, likely because there is a larger Jewish community here, Kurz said, adding that the Toronto total was 538.

Although Kurz acknowledged the numbers are derived from unscientific data -- calls to the B'Nai Brith hotline -- the numbers themselves adequately reflect a growing sense of unease among Jews because of activities like Israeli Apartheid Week at Canadian university campuses, as well as what Kurz said was resentment toward Jews stemming from the recession.

USED AS SCAPEGOAT

Frank Dimant, B'Nai Brith Canada's executive vice-president, also suspected that Jews are being unfairly targeted because of the economic downturn but also because of convicted fraudster businessman Bernard Madoff, who orchestrated a Ponzi scam said to be the largest investor fraud ever perpetrated by a single person.

"The picture that emerges in 2008 is one of the Jew again being used as a scapegoat, this time by disgruntled citizens impacted by an ailing economy," Dimant said in a statement.

BRETT.CLARKSON@SUNMEDIA.CA