Event Recap

Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It

Nearly one thousand people, united in the fight against hate and antisemitism, came together in Ottawa October 16-17, 2023, at the Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It conference.

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Over two days, we connected with more than 30 thought leaders, influencers, public officeholders, and experts in the fields of advocacy, political engagement, law enforcement, and social media, to learn how to develop effective strategies to fight contemporary antisemitism.

We returned home better equipped to fight Jew-hatred in our daily lives, knowing that each of us is a vital player in the fight against antisemitism.

We thank every person who showed up, stepped up, and spoke up against Jew-hatred, including many elected officials who expressed unequivocal support from our government and opposition parties and many non-Jewish allies whose attendance proved we are not alone in this battle.

Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It was presented by CIJA, JFC-UIA and Canada’s Jewish Federations. We are grateful to all our sponsors, including Fieldgate Families, Maspik! | JNF Canada, the Azrieli Foundation, the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, Sylvan Adams, Ronald Reuben, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, The Asper Foundation, Metropia, and the Posluns / Zagdanski family. The National Post was the official media partner of Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It.

"It was some of the most important hours I have spent in my life. I am so glad I decided to attend."

"I left the conference with many takeaways but the most important one was that we have to advocate and speak up and stand up for what's right and we cannot afford to stay silent and stay on the sidelines."

"Powerful, engaging and heart-breaking at the same time. Hard to believe instead of going forward and looking into the future we are making major steps back in terms of facing antisemitism again and again."

"Yasher koach on this amazing event."

"Most productive conference I've ever attended – spiritually and emotionally and professionally."

"It was an empowering experience and incredible to be part of this initiative. Thank you!"

"Excellent program. Very impressed!"

"Thanks for organizing such an important conference. All the speakers were excellent, and it was great to re-connect with many people I have not seen for a long time."

"This was a tremendous, complex, essential undertaking."

"I thought overall, the conference was excellent. An opportunity to connect with like-minded people, to share ideas and to learn how to advocate for the Jewish community. The speakers were fascinating, educated and inspiring."

"Mazel tov for organizing such a superb conference – truly Yeoman's work."

"These two days in Ottawa were very impactful and life changing. The cross-cultural connections were also very valuable, and something to build upon into the future."

"Thank you again for this crucial and important congress of Jewish leaders and across Canada. This united stand is key, especially in this time of crisis."

"This was a useful meeting in that I know that now I could now confront any antisemitic comment that would come my way and provide some education and try to change hearts and minds."

"Great conference that provided me with a greater level of comfort, if not hope."

"Excellent conference for teaching us how to empower ourselves, and how to be better leaders in the fight against antisemitism. I feel blessed to have been able to attend and to live in Canada."

"Incredible experience, one of the highlights of my undergraduate degree!"

"CIJA deserves a huge thank-you for the conference that just concluded. I have attended countless conferences and large, multi-day meetings over the years, on a wide variety of topics of professional and personal interest. Without a doubt, the Antisemitism conference stands out as the best of them all. Every detail seemed to flow seamlessly, in what was an extremely difficult time for CIJA, all the attendees, Israel and indeed much of the world."

"The conference was not just Jews talking to each other, but an opportunity to meet and discuss perspectives from attendees who, at least for the two days, were honourary Jews by choice."

"The speakers, both in-person and virtually, brought their own perspectives and stories about their advocacy. They were not merely “talking heads” but a wide range of people whose stories and words were compelling and passionate at all times. I was rapt."

"On a scale of one to ten, I’d rate the Antisemitism conference as at least a 12. Kol hakavod."

"Excellent Conference! I really thought it was informative and very well organized."

"Congratulations on a wonderful and meaningful conference."

"Amazing conference. I’m so motivated to speak out and have been raising the issue with many friends in the last days, leading to some really interesting conversations. Thank you for your incredible work on this. It was a tour de force."

Hon. Irwin Cotler Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The Honourable Irwin Cotler, one of the world’s foremost human rights advocates, received a lifetime achievement award from CIJA on October 17 at the Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It conference in Ottawa in recognition of his enduring commitment to the pursuit of justice for all people and the advancement of human rights for the world’s most vulnerable and oppressed.