In response to the unprecedented rise in antisemitism in Canada, the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) and its Toronto Section have developed a grassroots response entitled Fighting Antisemitism: The Power of Small Conversations through the receipt of a $250,000 grant from Heritage Canada.
The initiative is designed to build confidence among Canadians of all backgrounds, races and religions to initiate and engage in meaningful and often difficult conversations about antisemitism, racism and the Holocaust. By creating space for open dialogue, the project aims to move participants from confrontation toward alignment and community building grounded in shared Canadian values.
Guided by a commitment to collaboration, thoughtful planning and engagement, volunteers are involved in shaping every aspect of the project.
A Steering Committee, made up of NCJWC members across the country provides guidance on the overall direction of the project.
An Advisory Circle of prominent individuals who lead Canadian organizations that are deeply committed to combatting antisemitism will be the first to host conversations during our pilot phase in the Spring 2026, by reaching into their membership bases to recruit and train hundreds of volunteers to facilitate small conversations.
Significant progress has been made on a comprehensive Conversation guide which will also be translated into French, background notes on key topic areas and evaluation tools to evaluate the experience of participants and facilitators and to track participation data. This learning will support ongoing improvement and help meet the reporting requirements to Boards, the Government of Canada and information sharing with key stakeholders about our findings.
A full launch for this multi-year project is planned for this fall.
Linda Steinberg
NCJWC President
