A Father's Heartbreak and Call for Change
Todd Howard, a grieving father and husband, has issued an emotional plea to Canadians following a violent attack that left his Jewish daughter hospitalized. The incident occurred on November 5, 2025, when masked protesters stormed a private off-campus event near Toronto Metropolitan University where Israeli Defense Forces soldiers were scheduled to speak.
Howard's daughter was among the Jewish students targeted during the confrontation. The attackers specifically called her by name as they assaulted her, resulting in injuries serious enough to require hospital treatment. This marked the second time since the October 7, 2023 attack on the Nova Musical Festival that his eldest child has been violently targeted in Toronto simply for being Jewish.
A Family History of Persecution
The recent violence evokes painful family history for Howard. His wife, who passed away just two months after the October 7 atrocities, grew up unable to comfortably express her Jewish identity. Her family lost twenty-three members in concentration camps during World War II, creating generational trauma that affected her entire life.
"My wife lived just long enough to shed bitter tears over those atrocities," Howard recalls. "I remember holding her while she sobbed the morning that she heard that news." Despite this painful legacy, his daughter has chosen a different path—openly embracing her heritage with "love in her heart" rather than fear.
The Cycle of Hatred Must End
Howard reflects on visiting the Nova Exhibition in Toronto with his children, where they witnessed graphic evidence of the violent rapes and murders that occurred at the music festival. The experience left them emotionally raw but strengthened Howard's conviction that hatred only begets more violence.
"I told them, let us not give in to the hating—to do so just leads to more of this," Howard explains. He believes the solution lies in preventing situations that cultivate "blinding hatred of the other" rather than responding with equal animosity.
The father directly addresses his daughter's attackers: "You have a choice. We all have a choice." He urges protesters to engage in civil discourse rather than violence, noting that "when people start shouting at me, I stop listening."
Howard concludes with a poignant wish regarding his hospitalized daughter: "She's a great kid, always has been, always will be. I wish they had gotten to know her and had discoursed civilly with her rather than assaulting and hospitalizing her for having an opinion and a voice."
