Limmud FSU Canada Celebrates Continuity and Resilience
300 Jews gathered for a weekend-long conference
Limmud FSU Canada had planned a conference of Jewish learning in late 2023, but the plans were disrupted by the events in Israel. Many of the conference activists flew to Israel to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, as both volunteers and former Israelis now living in Canada, and the community was ambivalent about mounting a large-scale event in view of the growing antisemitism in Canada.
It was therefore particularly meaningful that an event took place, as planned, in November 2024. Among the more than 30 sessions, were lectures on antisemitism and efforts to combat it in Canada, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, Torah values in marriage and parenting, the US election results, coexistence between people and AI, the history of the Jews in Jamaica and the roots of Israel’s war with Hamas and Hezbollah, alongside workshops on cookery, stand-up comedy, and weight loss.
In her session on “Defending Israel to Adversaries and Critics in Ottowa,” member of Canadian parliament, Melissa Lantsman, noted the importance of Limmud. “As long as we are united, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. That is exactly the role Limmud FSU plays, uniting a community whose strength is unmatched… when our adversaries attack us, belittle us, and deny our right to exist – we show them we are not going anywhere.”
Dr. Raheli Baratz, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism at the World Zionist Organization, also discussed the challenges facing the Canadian Jewish community, and warned of the troubling development in Canada: “While antisemitism was previously concentrated mainly in Western Europe and the United States, it is now taking root in Canada, posing a significant risk to the country’s Jewish community.” The consequences of this phenomenon, she noted, extend beyond the Jewish community: “The spread of antisemitism undermines the foundations of democratic society as a whole. When a society allows such expressions of hatred to grow, it erodes the fundamental values of equality, freedom, and tolerance—the cornerstones of any healthy democracy.”
Limmud FSU founder, Chaim Chesler, struck a more positive note: “Limmud FSU Canada could not mount a large-scale conference last year because of the October 7th events, but the organizing committee and activists maintained continuity of engagement, despite the complexities the situation presented. Now too, despite the challenges facing Israel and the Jewish world, we see a real enthusiasm for Jewish learning, for community, for being together.
Limmud FSU was founded in 2006, and is led by its Chair, Matthew Bronfman, and President, Aaron G. Frenkel. Since then, over 80 events have been mounted by some 15 volunteer teams, and Limmud FSU events and have reached out over these years to more than 80,000 Jews across the globe. It is also supported by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany, World Zionist Organization, Jewish National Fund – KKL, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Wilf Family Foundation, Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, Diane Wohl, Bill Hess and others.
In the best tradition of Limmud, the event was made possible by its team of local leaders and volunteers, led by Limmud FSU Executive Director, Natasha Chechik, Canada project manager, Mila Voihanski, committee chairs, volunteers, and many more.