Antisemitism national conference an opportunity for meaningful discussion

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This article was published 15/10/2023 (1091 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For Laia Shpeller, attending the Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It Conference in Ottawa is an opportunity to “engage in meaningful discussions about being Jewish in Canada and how our community can work together.”

The Winnipegger, who is studying biomedical engineering at the University of British Columbia, sees the Oct. 16-17 event as a way to “learn from diverse voices within the Canadian Jewish community, and learn about how their experiences, both with antisemitism and in general, have influenced their work.”

As a young adult, she also believes it’s important to have young voices at the conference since they can “bring a unique perspective due to our willingness to challenge norms” and because of their exposure to diverse perspectives during their studies.

At the same time, the conference will allow her to learn more about advocacy and policy strategies so she can improve her efforts to engage politicians.

Noting the event has been in the planning for a long time, she said the rise in antisemitic rhetoric and actions due to the Israel-Hamas war “makes having these conversations right now even more critical.”

Steven Kroft is national vice-chair for Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). Also from Winnipeg, he agreed the war between Israel and Hamas gives the conference “new meaning and a greater sense of urgency.”

Even without that, although Jews make up less than one per cent of Canada’s population they are targets of about 55 per cent of all religious hate crimes, he said.

That’s why, for him, “bringing Jews and others from across Canada together to develop a collective path forward in our fight against antisemitism is so critically important . . . If we don’t stand up and fight for ourselves, who will?”

For Rob Berkowitz, executive director of Winnipeg’s Rady Jewish Community Centre, the Conference is a way to “educate myself on how to best support my staff and volunteers” during a time of rising antisemitism.

Antisemitism, he added, “creates a feeling of isolation and vulnerability so it is important to learn strategies to manage and support these emotions.”

When it is over, he hopes to have “a better understanding why antisemitism persists and to develop an improved skill set to combat its rise in my local community.”

The conference is sponsored by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), with support from Jewish Federations across Canada, including the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.

Conference participants will hear speakers on topics such as “United Against Antisemitism: Confronting the Challenge Together;” “Online Hate: Breaking out and Breaking down the Echo Chambers;” “Countering Antisemitism: Hate vs. the Law;” “Turning Sideline Passion to Frontline Action: Finding your Voice in the Political World;” and “Harnessing Social Media for Good: Done with the Doomscroll.”

They will also fan out to visit politicians on Parliament Hill, asking them to undertake a national campaign to promote social media literacy.

Due to the war between Israel and Hamas, some of the speakers from Israel are unable to attend and the event will have extra security.

The event kicks off Monday morning with an announcement from the Government of Canada announcing the appointment of a new Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.

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