Advocacy @ HBT: Deborah Lyons at Holy Blossom

The week of November 22, 2024

Deborah Lyons, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism spoke at Holy Blossom last week. 

• Watch the recording of this important programme

Holy Blossom Temple was proud to host Deborah Lyons, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, last week.  The Advocacy Committee knows that bringing Deborah Lyons to speak to our greater community was both timely and vital. Her visit helps reinforce the knowledge that synagogues have an important role in building interfaith alliances against antisemitism.  

In a fireside chat with our very own Tom Friedland, the Special Envoy discussed the recent release of the Government of Canada’s Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, her role on the federal stage, working with our non-Jewish allies, and how we can all participate in combatting antisemitism in schools, the workplace, and the public square. It was an inspiring evening that included active participation from non-Jewish clergy, Jewish and non-Jewish university students, and members of our congregation. 

You can find a video recording of the event here:

Click here to see the Handbook

Learn more about Advocacy@HBT here.