“After High School (in Orlando, FL) I did a gap year in Israel and then I decided to go to Ryerson for university. I didn’t grow up wearing a kippah or being like visibly Jewish and I decided to go to Ryerson (now known as Toronto Metroplitan University) because I knew that Toronto had a strong Jewish community,” said Brother Zach Rusonik (Toronto Metropolitan University, 2026).

Zach’s story since October 7 of 2023 is representative of many Canadian Jewish students and should be told, not just to document the difficulties that students are facing but also to highlight the leadership being shown by AEPi brothers as they push back against intimidation and threats to demonstrate their Jewish pride and advocate for Israel.

“Even before October 7th there were little issues here and there but after October 7th everything changed. I found that I would walk into a classroom and people would kind of give me certain stares. They wouldn’t really want to sit near me or want to work with me in a group. Last year, I was a Stand with Us Emerson Fellow, so I was super active on campus and doing events and programming and stuff, and I was also the vice president of Students Supporting Israel (SSI), as well as on the AEPi and Hillel board. So, I was super active last year and because of that, I was recognized. I definitely felt like I had a target on my back.”

AEPi was destined to play a role in Zach’s college life. When he arrived on campus in Toronto and found AEPi, he knew he was home. “Growing up in the States, I was very familiar with AEPi. I went to a bunch of conventions and stuff with USY and BBYO and saw a lot of AEPi involvement.” Zach has served the Pi Rho chapter in several ways during his three years including terms as exchequer (treasurer) and rush chair. His AEPi involvement has also been instrumental in supporting his activism and leadership on campus.

“During the first month of the war in Gaza, my mom warned me to try to ‘lay low.’ I guess I haven’t done a great job of that…”

“In November of 2023, I was on campus outside of the main building. Some protesters were outside and one of them had a sign alleging that Israel had bombed this many hospitals, schools and mosques and then there was a Jewish student nearby who had a sign asking how what Hamas did could be considered resistance. And, all of the sudden, this girl was being swarmed by like 50 Palestinian students waving their flags and screaming in her face. I took off the hat I had on and had my kippah on underneath it and I went and sat with this girl. Eventually about four other Jewish students joined us. It was like 50 protesters screaming at the five of us, but we stood together. Eventually, it got so heated that the police had to come and escort us out. No one at the school seemed to care. It was the Hillel staff who called security to get us out.”

“From then, it was clear that the protesters knew who I was on campus, and I thought I may as well just keep it going, just keep showing people what I believe. After that first incident, I was tabling at least once a month, just setting up tables and talking to people about Israel. And every single time you would get swarmed, just completely swarmed, people screaming in our faces, yelling horrible things.

“But I felt a responsibility because I knew the vast majority of Jewish students were scared and didn’t know what to do. A lot of Jewish students here live at home and so they would just avoid hanging out on campus in general or they would go to Hillel and kind of just hide at Hillel.”

“And I was like, we shouldn’t have to hide. We shouldn’t have to avoid hanging out on campus.”

“My mom was worried about my safety in downtown Toronto…I mean she’s Jewish mom so of course she’s worried. I wasn’t that worried but then last April there was a situation where I had a stalker, and we had to file a police report. A guy followed me around. I was completely incognito, wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses> The only thing that showed that I was Jewish were my dog tags, but he recognized me, and he said, ‘You are a Zionist at TMU and you are killing babies.’ I just kept walking, and he started following me. And it was like this whole thing. Anyway, I finally got away, but he started posting my picture and my name on social media. I filed a police report and even the officer thought this was crazy and the university should be doing more.

By the end of last year’s spring term, though, the challenge had taken a toll. “Last summer, I went to summer camp and turned off my phone, kind of deleted social media and took a break for three months. It was a refreshing summer.”

Coming back to campus in the fall, Zach was refreshed but had a new mission. “I haven’t been quite as active this year, but I’m still involved with SSI and AEPi. It’s really important for me to be active and be an advocate but I’m really focusing on fostering new leadership to take over.”

That’s important because Zach now plans to join the IDF in August.

While the protests have been quieter over the last few months, the impacts on the campus Jewish community have been significant. “I still know a lot of students who don’t feel comfortable wearing tzitzit or just being physically and visually Jewish on campus. I feel like a lot of Jewish students are now less keen to get involved in other campus clubs that aren’t Jewish or Israel related because they just feel like they can’t openly be themselves.

“AEPi has been super supportive and important to me and my campus. AEPi is my stable friend group, my community. If I was tabling last spring and I was getting swarmed by protesters, I would text into our group chat and a group of my brothers would come and join me and help out as much as they could.”

“We shouldn’t have to avoid hanging out on campus. So, it’s really important for me to be active and be an advocate. For me and for everyone.”

#ProudtobeaPi