Anti-Racism Committee Past Programs
Continuing the Conversation: A Special Shabbat service honouring Jews of all Hues
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Click here to view the recording of this event
Speech begins at 1 hour, 43 minutes (1:43)
What's an anti-racist synagogue, anyway?
Monday, February 28th, 2022
Tema Smith, a diversity advocate, writer and Jewish community builder, ran a workshop to help us, the Beth David community, explore what it means to be an anti-racist synagogue, to reflect on what we may have done historically, and may do today, that inadvertently makes some people feel less welcome in our Jewish Community and specifically at Beth David.
Click here to view recording for this event
Letter to Alexander Brown, Chair of the TDSB Board of Trustees
December 7, 2021
Click here to read the letter.
Enjoying Prayers with a Different Flair: A Special Shabbat with Congregation BINA
Nov. 27th, 2021
With over 150 participants (in person and virtually), we had a lovely Shabbat service
with Congregation BINA, a community of Jews from India, who shared their customs and melodies with us led by Elder Victor Abraham.
Click here to learn about the History of Congregation BINA, as told by Fleur Samson.
Click here for the livestream of the Shabbat Service. Scroll down to November 27, 2021.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (also known as Orange Shirt Day)
Sept. 30th, 2021
A group of Beth David members joined Indigenous communities at Dundas Square to show our allyship and honour the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Welcoming the Stewards of the Land to our Sukkah
Sept 26th, 2021
Eric Johnston, Cultural Program Manager at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto provided an introductory teaching comparing European and Indigenous world views through storytelling, song and drumming. This event was held with limited in person members in Beth David’s Sukkah, as well as on Zoom.
Click here to view the recording of this event. Please note that the drumming is not recorded out of respect to our Indigenous friends.
No Silence on Race
April 12, 2021
In April 2021, we held a Zoom presentation by No Silence on Race founders Sara Yacobi-Harris and Akilah Allen-Silverstein. They enlightened us about their initiative, their experiences in the Jewish community, and also spoke about steps we can take as a part of our organizations to be more anti-racist.
Anti-Racism panel
August 26, 2020
In August 2020, we hosted “Our Prayer for Canada” zoom webinar which featured the personal experiences of 3 Beth David members (Neeli Moses, Fleur Samson and Essien Udokang). Essien spoke about his experiences after converting to Judaism. Fleur spoke about her experiences being a first generation Canadian growing up in Toronto. Neeli spoke about her experiences in Israel after moving there from India.
Click here to view the recording.
Anti-Black Racism in Canada
August 5, 2020
In August 2020, we held our first program, a Zoom webinar focused on learning about anti-black racism in Canada with Nigel Bariff (President of Urban Alliance on Race Relations), narrated by Bernie Farber.