The Elephant in the Room
A gathering for Jewish women who want to begin conversations with non-Jewish friends about antisemitism
Wednesday, October 28, 7:00 pm
A gathering for Jewish women who want to begin conversations with non-Jewish friends about antisemitism
Registration coming soon
Many Jewish women are imagining conversations they wish they could have.
With a friend who has gone quiet.
With a neighbour who does not understand why this moment feels so fraught.
With a colleague who wants to be supportive but does not know what to ask.
With someone we care about but are afraid to speak to honestly.
We may want our friends to understand more about antisemitism, Jewish life, or what this moment feels like in Canada and in our city. We may want them to ask better questions, stand closer, notice what we see, or simply stay in relationship with us when the conversation is hard.
But many of us hesitate to initiate the conversations that can enable these actions.
We worry we will say the wrong thing or that the conversation will become tense or political. We worry we aren’t prepared, are too tired, or too angry.
This evening is designed to help us begin.
Join Women’s Advocacy Group of Women of Holy Blossom for a practical, thoughtful, and hopeful program about having difficult conversations with friends, neighbours, and people in our wider circles.
Rather than offering a lecture or a script, the evening will focus on real examples of conversations that have worked. We’ll hear from pairs of friends who have navigated these moments together: why they chose to have the conversation, what made it possible, what felt difficult, and what helped them stay open to one another.
Together, we will look at what made those conversations successful, including how expectations were set, what preparation helped, and what practices allowed the conversation to remain honest, respectful, and human.
Participants will also have time for guided table discussion to reflect on what we hope our friends might know, do, or feel after a conversation and why that matters. We’ll also talk about what holds us back from taking the first step.
The evening will close with practical resources and next steps.
This program is for women+ and gender fluid and nonbinary folks who want to move toward conversation, not conflict, and who want to speak with more confidence, listen with more curiosity, and build bridges where trust may still be possible.
If you’re willing to consider that a conversation you have been avoiding may be worth starting, this is a great next step.
Participants will leave with:
- A clearer sense of what they hope a conversation with a friend could make possible.
- Real examples of how difficult conversations can be opened with care.
- Practical tools for preparing, setting expectations, and staying grounded.
- Resources to support future conversations.
- A first step toward beginning a conversation in their own life.
