The Riot at Christie Pits Contributor(s): Levitt, Cyril (Author), Shaffir, William (Author) |
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ISBN: 1988326087 ISBN-13: 9781988326085 Publisher: New Jewish Press OUR PRICE: $25.16 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 1987 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Jewish - General - History | Canada - Post-confederation (1867-) - History | Social History |
Physical Information: 0.8" H x 6" W x 9" (1.10 lbs) 320 pages |
Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - Jewish - Cultural Region - Canadian |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Ethnic tensions had been rising in Toronto throughout the hot summer of 1933. Hitler had recently come to power in Germany and some residents of the eastern beaches neighbourhood had formed Swastika Clubs to protect their community from undesirable elements. On August 16, at Toronto's Christie Pits, a baseball game between two local teams - one made up of Jewish players - ignited the simmering resentments. Some troublemakers unfurled a huge swastika flag, shouting, Heil Hitler! Retaliation from Jewish spectators and players was swift and reinforcements for both sides poured into the park. The result - never experienced in Toronto before or since - was a four-hour race riot. The riot at Christie Pits remains a disturbing, even legendary part of the city's history. Authors Cyril Levitt and William Shaffir, carefully sifting fact from fiction, provide a compelling perspective on how ordinary Canadians reacted to the intensifying antisemitism in Europe. |
Contributor Bio(s): Levitt, Cyril: - Cyril Levitt is a professor in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University. Shaffir, William: - William Shaffir is a professor in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University. |