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Jewish Diversity

As of 2017, this committee is not currently active.

 

As part of our commitment to Jewish diversity and inclusion, Congregation Darchei Noam provides a forum for educating the Toronto Jewish community about the many faces of  Jews both at home and around the world, including isolated Jewish communities, LGBT Jews and Jews with disabilities.

We address these values in several ways. Our speaker series features high profile leaders who share stories of their diverse Jewish communities. Synagogue programming emphasizes the myriad of cultural backgrounds in our midst. Synagogue policies and a general welcoming of diversity results in a warm, welcoming  and inclusive atmosphere. Darchei Noam provides full accessibility for people with disabilities, including the provision of hearing devices for the hard of hearing and large print siddurim for people with visual impairments. Our ushers are oriented to assist all visitors who need assistance.

Highlights of our past Jewish Diversity speaker series include:

  • Rabbi Capers Funnye, spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation of Chicago, Illinois
  • Israel Siriri, former chair of the Abayudaya of Uganda
  • Rabbi Barbara Aiello, founder and director of the Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria and spiritual leader to the Anusim community of Southern Italy
  • Shi Lei, member of the Kaifeng Jewish community
  • Professor Xu Xin, founder and director of the Glazer Institute of Judaic Studies at Nanjing University
  • Dr. Jack Zeller, founding president and senior member of the board of Kulanu, Inc.
  • Remy Ilona, a leader of the Nigerian Igbo Jewish Community

Darchei Noam has hosted programs on other aspects of Jewish diversity, including LGBTQ issues, Jewish responses to mental illness, and Shabbat Itanu (Jews with disabilities). We have featured films of Israel’s diversity and we are planning a series of programs on Jews from Arab Lands.

Tue, 19 March 2024 9 Adar II 5784