About 60,000 People Attend This Year’s Walk With Israel in Toronto

The waving flags at this year’s Walk with Israel event on June 7 showed that Toronto Jews did not stand alone in supporting the state of Israel. Besides Israeli flags, other countries’ flags were seen everywhere throughout what organizers said was a 60,000-strong march—the largest turnout in the event’s 57-year history—from the Canadian Maple Leaf to the American Stars and Stripes and the Italian Tricolour, and even the pre-revolutionary Iranian Lion and Sun.

“The walk was energetic, enthusiastic. It was a very well put together. It was a great event to bring Jews and allies,” said Matthew Taub, director of pro-Israel advocacy group Unapologetically Jewish.

“The walk for Israel, to me, isn’t just the walk for Israel. It’s the walk against anti-Semitism. It’s the walk of the unapologetic Jews, as far as I’m concerned.”

According to the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Greater Toronto which organized the event, some 220,000 Jews live in the GTA and its surrounding areas, and the walk this year with about 60,000 people featured about 4,000 more participants than in 2025.

Toronto Police Services Chief Myron Demkiw, who attended the walk, told reporters just prior to the event that the law enforcement presence would be “very significant.”

“Of course, we also have many things happening that you will not see to ensure that we keep this walk safe,” Demkiw said.

According to police, before and after the event, six arrests of anti-Israel protesters were made from—among them, one for “obstruction,” one for operating a drone illegally, one for breaching police, and another for allegedly “assault of a peace officer.”

Over the past 2.5 years, Jewish communities in Canada, including Toronto, have reported a marked rise in anti-Semitic incidents, with B’nai Brith Canada’s annual audit documenting over 6,000 of the cases nationwide, including a record number involving harassment, vandalism, and violence.

Against this backdrop, public events such as the Walk with Israel have taken place amid increased security and heightened awareness of community safety. On June 5, a man was arrested for an attempted arson of a Montreal synagogue, and earlier in the year three Toronto synagogues were shot at.

Toronto-based lawyer Adam Hummel said it’s very significant for people to come out and show their support for the community.

“For me, actions speak louder than words, and it’s very easy to post that you support Israel, or say something to a friend. But to actually wake up early and show up, and take those steps with the community—as busy as hectic as things are—is far more important than anything we can do,” he said.

The nearly four-kilometre walk started at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto on Wilson Avenue, then travelled northbound on Bathurst Street, ending at UJA’s Sherman Campus, near Sheppard Avenue, for the festival portion.

Avi Attali, who is vice-president of the Canadians Antisemitism Education Foundation and founder of OneGlobalVoice, a Toronto-based advocacy group, said he was especially proud that about 40 members of indigenous tribes showed their support, saying it “gave the idea that there are others that stand with us.”

He said, however, he wishes the location of the event was different so that more people could witness it.

“I think that 50 percent of the effect is lost because it’s done in our own backyard,” he lamented, recalling a time years ago when the event was hosted downtown. “It’s like we’re talking to ourselves. But the other side—they have no problems marching in the thousands downtown. Imagine the imagery of 60,000 friends of Israel waving their flags through the downtown core.”

Toronto dentist David Burstein summed up his thoughts, saying that “being on the walk with that sea of Jewish humanity was like a religious experience. I’m so proud of the Toronto Jewish community.”

Sara Lefton, chief development officer with the UJA, said the event allowed the Jewish community and allies to walk “together with strength, unity, and pride.”

“Today was a powerful reminder that hate will not define us. We are far too strong and far too resilient, and that was never more apparent than it was today,” Lefton said in an interview.