CRA revokes status of another Jewish charity. Audit was due to 'pressure' from 'outside sources,' director says
The national director of a Jewish charity says he was told by the Canada Revenue Agency that it was audited due to being “pressured” by “outside sources.” This week, Herut Canada became the third Jewish charity to have its status revoked since last year.
“This will never stop me from protecting the Jewish community ever,” said Aaron Hadida. “I don’t want them to think they got a win, because they didn’t. It’s laughable.”
Herut Canada describes itself as “unapologetically Zionist.” The charity, which was registered in 2021, is dedicated to a variety of Jewish causes, including providing security and teaching self-defence to the community.
The CRA said in the Nov. 15 edition of the Canada Gazette that it was revoking Herut Canada’s charitable status due to “failure to meet the parts of the Income Tax Act.”
In March, the CRA audited the charity, Hadida said. During his interview, he asked why it was being audited, as it was “a very small charity.” In 2024, its total revenue was $56,111, while its expenses were $42,565, according to the CRA .
“They said, ‘We’ve had complaints.’ I said, ‘So, outside sources basically pressured you to audit me, is what you’re telling me,’ and they basically admitted it,” said Hadida, adding that other charities with ties to terrorist entities were given time to “clean up” instead of being shut down.
“They’re going after Jewish charities, one after the other — just because,” he said.
The CRA acknowledged National Post’s request for details about the revocation but did not respond in time for publication.
An anti-Israel group, Just Peace Advocates, said it welcomed the news that Herut’s charitable status had been revoked. In a joint post on social media with other anti-Israel groups, it said it made “two submissions to the CRA requesting an audit” and community members sent 19,282 letters.
“The CRA must end the Canada to Israel charity pipeline,” the post said.
In August 2024, the CRA announced that the charitable statuses for the Jewish National Fund and the Ne’eman Foundation of Canada were revoked.
MP Melissa Lantsman called out the agency in a post on X on Monday.
“CRA going after a third Jewish charity,” she wrote.
She also mentioned Service Canada “scrubbing Israel off passports” (in reference to a Jewish woman from Montreal being told she couldn’t put Israel as her birthplace ) and “Global Affairs listing the embassy address in ‘Palestine.’ ” Canada’s embassy in Tel Aviv was listed as being in Palestine, rather than Israel, after Canada recognized Palestinian statehood, the Toronto Sun reported in September.
CRA going after a third Jewish charity. Service Canada scrubbing Israel off passports. Global Affairs listing the embassy address in “Palestine.”But don’t worry, I’m sure all of this is just one big, totally innocent coincidence. https://t.co/r7cf1omgv6
— Melissa Lantsman (@MelissaLantsman) November 17, 2025
“But don’t worry,” wrote Lantsman. “I’m sure this is just one big, totally innocent coincidence.”
Jewish advocacy group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it was “pressing the federal government for clarity and will continue advocating for full transparency and fair, consistent processes,” in a post on X .
“At a time when extremists have a coordinated campaign to delegitimize our community and our organizations, this development understandably raises serious concerns,” CIJA said.
Although the future of Herut Canada is up in the air, Hadida said he knows he has the support of the Jewish community. He said he will continue to work with them to keep them safe.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists committed the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, murdering 1,200 people in Israel. As well as sparking a war in the Middle East, it emboldened protesters to intimidate and target the Jewish community in Canada and beyond, taking over university campuses and parading through Jewish neighbourhoods .
There was an increase in antisemitic hate crimes across Canada in 2023, compared to the previous year. The majority of hate crimes targeting a religion reported by police in 2023 (70 per cent) were directed at the Jewish community, according to Statistics Canada.
B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy group, said 2024 was a record-breaking year, reporting the most antisemitic incidents — 6,219 — since it started keeping track in 1982.
Most of Hadida’s work involves organizing patrols in Jewish areas at night, during high holidays, at events, on campuses and at synagogues.
Hadida, who also runs a security company, said he must remain “steadfast” in his work, especially “until we can get a proper government in place that actually does something about it and directs the police to be able to do their job.”
“Money, no money, pennies, millions. It makes no difference to me, truly,” said Hadida. “I’m really not sure what’s going to happen (with the charity), but I can tell you for sure, the work will always continue.”
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