Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
CIJA leads an extensive portfolio on Unlearning Antisemitism to the public sector, private corporations, non-profit organizations, academic networks, healthcare systems, school boards, and more. Our training is designed for institutions and organizations who want to learn more about Jewish people and the impact of antisemitism, enhance their intercultural competency, and execute truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive anti-racism and anti-oppression strategies that do not marginalize, omit, or exclude Jews.
Read why tokenizing Jews can lead to further harm and antisemitism.
Contact us to learn how CIJA can support your EDI training and resource needs. All training is available in English and French.
We also encourage working with mainstream faculty groups, such as the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA), as they ensure representative academics on every campus can contribute to the institution’s EDI priorities.
Unlearn Antisemitism Online: Unlearn It For Everyone provides educational videos and learning guides for anyone who wants to learn more about Jewish people and the impact of antisemitism. These tools can be used for self-guided learning or in group settings to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our Training Framework
Understanding Jewish identity, anti-Jewish bias, historical and contemporary antisemitism, and affirming Jewish members.
Unpacking Jewish Identity
Before we discuss anti-Jewish oppression, discrimination or antisemitism, we should first know who Jewish people are and where they come from. This section includes the diversity of Jewish people and the multifaceted ways in which Jews connect with their Jewish identities.
Understanding Antisemitism
In order to understand contemporary antisemitism, one must first understand its historical origins. This section takes learners on a timeline from Judeophobia as religious antisemitism, ethnic persecution and anti-Jewish racism spanning from the Spanish Inquisition to the Holocaust, political antisemitism, and erasive antisemitism. We analyze how antisemitism is adaptive, accumulative, institutional, ideological, and how it has managed to persist.
Canadian Specific Curriculum
Although Canada’s Jewish community is a mere 1% of the national population, totalling 400,000 Jews, Canadian Jews have contributed significantly to Canada, and antisemitism has been a barrier for Canadian Jews from unfair districting, legal restrictions on work, university quotas, and immigration intolerance. CIJA balances a global, holistic understanding of Jews and also relevant, contemporary Canadian data and case studies.
A Path Forward
Understanding antisemitism is only the first step along the journey of taking action to disrupt it. What comes next? Jewish people have always been involved in pursuits of racial justice, in seeking equity, and in pursuing freedoms. There’s always a place for Jews at the table, whether that is equity, diversity, and inclusion committees, anti-racism initiatives, or anti-oppression learning. Extensive resources will empower the bold steps needed to protect Jews and denounce all forms of hate, including antisemitism.
Pedagogy
Our pedagogy focuses on affirmation before oppression and is inclusive of the breadth of Jewish experience, including Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Beta, Bene, and operates using an anti-oppressive approach that affirms Jewish peoplehood as a religious, ethnic, cultural, traditional, national identity that is dynamic and doesn’t fit neatly into categories of ‘race’ or ‘faith’. Understanding what makes Judaism unique is imperative to understanding the distinct persecution, hostility and hatred directed at and experienced by Jews.
Curriculum
Our unique antisemitism training sessions recognize that Jewish individuals and collectives are often stigmatized, misrepresented in media, that segments of the community are both under and over represented, and that anti-Jewish racism and antisemitism function much like other forms of oppression, while having distinct, insidious adaptabilities. Curriculum is inclusive of Jewish identity and lived experience, historical antisemitism, contemporary antisemitism, conspiracy theories, hate crimes data, and the social conditions have enabled and perpetuated antisemitism.
Case Studies & Interactivity
Engaged learning, creating the conditions for unlearning, level setting and providing a space for brave conversations, dialogue and confronting our misbeliefs, biases and prejudices is a critical component of learning about marginalized groups. Case studies, discussions throughout the sessions and ongoing interactivity allow participants to feel meaningfully engaged and empower contributions to the ongoing restorative work we are doing together.
Resources
CIJA provides a comprehensive resource package, including free tuition enrolment to our online EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) module with videos, discussion guides, and a multi-media reading, watching and listening list consisting of books, articles, podcasts, journals and films to continue interculturally engaging with Jewish thought and providing multiple entry points to continue learning about the societal impacts of antisemitism.
Extended Support
We understand that having a trusted person to talk to in a foundational piece for team leads, executives, and employees at all levels. Whether that’s a phone call to ask, “What is the difference between International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 29th and Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day) in May?” our team is dedicated to supporting you through workplace challenges, queries, and to engage in thoughtful conversations, committed to ongoing support.
Industry-leading training offered to industry leaders
CIJA has worked with private corporations and public sector clients alike. Here are some of the diverse institutions, organizations, boards, law firms, and global partnerships we have supported with antisemitism training, EDI support and extended education.
