For Toronto-based model and former Miss Slovakia Miriam Mattova, speaking out against antisemitism is nothing new. Since October 7, she has used her platform to defend Israel, stand proudly in her Jewish identity and challenge hatred - with conviction, and an unwavering sense of purpose - refusing to stay silent even when doing so comes at a personal cost.
But following an antisemitic incident involving Uber, Mattova found herself the target of a frightening wave of online abuse, including death threats that transformed her fight against antisemitism into a deeply personal battle.
"I began receiving an enormous amount of death threats, antisemitic harassment, just because I'm Jewish," she said, speaking with Israel Hayom.
The backlash began affecting her everyday life and has made her fear for her safety. Mattova reported the threats to Toronto police and the hate crimes unit, but says the experience left her questioning whether the system could protect her.
"I have 24-hour security because of this," she said, adding "I don't leave my apartment after dark, you know, my life changed drastically."
Among the horrendous messages she has received was one that read, "I hope someone finishes what Hitler started."
Other comments have targeted her loved ones, with one telling her that Hitler should have killed her entire family. The abuse is not confined to private messages, either. Mattova says hateful comments appear beneath her public photographs, where her mother, grandmother and others can see them.
The frequency of the threats has become particularly disturbing because she has grown accustomed to them, said Mattova.
"And you know what the worst thing is? That I'm actually used to it now. Like, I'm not even shocked by it."
Online hatred has become so normalized, she warned, as many feel comfortable hiding behind screens, but it must be taken seriously. As she put it, "the internet did not create antisemitism, but it can make hatred feel consequence free."
"We're normalizing death threats. We're normalizing harassment."
Speaking out and demanding change
The Uber matter has since been settled. For Mattova, however, the case was only the beginning of a larger conversation about discrimination, accountability and social media platforms.
"This is not a me problem. This is a much bigger problem," she said.
Working with her lawyer, Howard Levitt, Mattova has raised concerns with Meta about online harassment and the difficulty of holding people accountable for threats made behind anonymous profiles.
"Deleting comments is not a solution. It doesn't change anything," she said.
Asked what change she would like to see, Mattova said that online platforms should respond to credible death threats within 24 hours, remove accounts responsible for them and flag their IP addresses to prevent offenders from creating new profiles.
She has also advocated linking verified identification to social media accounts to make it harder for people to threaten others anonymously.
Her discussions with Meta's legal team remain ongoing, she said, and she hopes media attention will have an impact.
"We are here to hold people accountable for their actions," said Mattova.
"This is not about censorship," she explained. "People must be free to disagree, criticise, debate, including on difficult political issues, I agree. But there's a difference between expressing an opinion and threatening or intimidating someone."
Mottava stressed that the issue extends beyond antisemitism to bullying, harassment and threats against other vulnerable people, including children.
But she does not want her story to be understood simply as one of victimhood. She wants people to take action when they witness discrimination, whether by reporting threats, supporting those being targeted or refusing to remain silent.
"I don't want my story to be about being afraid. I want it to be about what we choose to do when someone tries to intimidate us into silence."
"I'm not looking for empathy. I'm not looking to play a victim," she said. "I'm here to tell people that they need to wake up before we lose that chance to speak up, before we lose that freedom."
She also acknowledged that the threats directed at her may discourage others from speaking out.
"People are scared to speak up because people see me and they're like, I'm not saying anything because this is what's going to happen to me after that."
Her message remains crystal clear however: "If you see something happening, report it. Don't stay silent. Be loud and proud. Don't hide your Stars of David."
She is grateful to Levitt, whom she describes as both her lawyer and a close friend who has stood by her throughout the process. But she believes lasting change requires collective effort.
"We cannot do this on our own," she said. "It's so important to always come together and fight this fight together."
Her decision to speak out has come at a professional cost too. Mattova described losing out on several professional opportunities after becoming more outspoken about Judaism and Israel. Her public relations agency even ended its relationship with her on October 9 because it felt she had become "too political."
"I remember asking myself, since when did condemning terrorism become political?" she said.
A legacy that compels her to speak out
Faced with the choice of staying silent or continuing to speak out, Mattova says she often thinks about her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor whose experiences shaped her understanding of Jewish identity and responsibility.
When Mattova once asked her grandmother how the Holocaust could have happened, she responded simply: "because people were silent."
That sentence has stayed with her ever since.
"My grandmother's generation paid an unimaginable price for what happens when hatred is allowed to grow in silence. I don't want my generation to make the same mistake."
Mattova's grandmother's family lived in the mountains of Slovakia before being discovered and deported to concentration camps. Her great-grandfather was sent to Sachsenhausen and never returned, while her grandmother and great-grandmother were deported to Perezino. Today, at 91, her grandmother continues to visit high schools to share her story.
Mattova stressed that she would never equate her experience with her grandmother's suffering during the Holocaust. But she believes the responsibility to challenge hatred remains relevant across generations.
"I couldn't speak about the importance of remembering history and then remain silent when antisemitism affected my own life," Mattova said.
Her career has given her a platform, but her grandmother helped her understand the responsibility that comes with it.
"My career in modeling gave me a platform. My grandmother helped me understand what that platform should be used for."
She also acknowledged the responsibility she feels towards her audience, and how she is very aware how her words and choices influence others.
"I couldn't tell young people to be proud of who they are and then become quiet the moment it became uncomfortable for me personally. It just wouldn't make sense."
Identity, Israel and belonging
Mattova's commitment to speaking out is rooted in her relationship with Israel. She describes Jewish identity and support for Israel as inseparable parts of her life, shaped by history, family and a sense of belonging.
After October 7, visiting Kibbutz Be'eri and seeing the devastation firsthand made the attacks feel more immediate than following the news from abroad.
"I'm proud of my Jewish heritage, and I believe Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its citizens," she said.
She recalls being approached by a woman in Canada who asked whether she was a Zionist or a Jew.
"Jews pray to the land of Zion," she replied. "In the Torah, we pray to the land of Israel. We face that direction."
She says she feels safe in Israel in a way she increasingly struggles to feel in Toronto, where she lives without family nearby. Her relatives are in Slovakia, and despite receiving support, she says the fight can feel isolating.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat things. It really gets hard."
Yet despite the threats and hostility she has faced, Mattova refuses to let hatred dictate how openly she expresses her identity.
"I know who I am. And I refuse to let other people's hatred dictate how openly I live my Jewish identity."
