Past Interfaith Bridge Events
Then/Now: A Night to Remember - 05/14/25
On May 14, 2025, The Interfaith Bridge, together with St. Paul's Bloor Street, presented our second powerful night of inspiration and allyship to combat antisemitism in our community. The event featured insights from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, live testimony from a Holocaust survivor, as well as personal accounts from descendants of the Righteous Among the Nations – courageous gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. We also heard from descendants of individuals who were hidden and who are here today because of these selfless and heroic acts of our valiant allies. Through these deeply personal stories, we aim to educate, inspire and empower allies to take a stand against hate and build a future rooted in unity and mutual respect.
This unforgettable evening honoured survivors, reflected on history, and reaffirmed our commitment to combating antisemitism through interfaith dialogue and collective action.
Distinguished speakers included Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church; Bishop Jenny Andison, St. Paul's Bloor Street; Rabbi Yael Splansky, Holy Blossom Temple; Nate Leipciger, Holocaust Survivor; Zach Sadowski, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center; Aaron Kucharczuk, Jewish Educators & Families Association, the campus voices of students Raihaana Adira and Justin Chow; Stan Simon and Eva Kolodziejski, Francine and Josh Gerstein, and Alena Drmolová; Righteous Among the Nations; and Mark Mulroney, son of the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney.
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Click here for our initial photo gallery and social postings of the event.
Click here to view the program from the event.
Then/Now: A Night to Remember - 06/24/24
On June 24, 2024, The Interfaith Bridge, together with Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, presented a powerful night of inspiration and allyship to combat antisemitism in our community. Distinguished speakers included Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church; Rabbi Yael Splansky, Holy Blossom Temple; Nate Leipciger, Holocaust Survivor; Joe Gottdenker, Holocaust Survivor, Yad Vashem; Emily Bonnell, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center; Zach Sadowski, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center; and the campus voices of students Raihaana Adira and Justin Chow.
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Click here for our initial photo gallery and social postings of the event.
Click here for a short video recapping of the event.
Click here to view the programme from the event.
Combating Antisemitism in Our City
On February 8, 2024, our first event was an important panel discussion held at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto, Canada.
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With the objective of fostering a dialogue to help building bridges of support within our community, distinguished speakers from the interfaith community came together for an intimate evening dedicated to addressing the recent surge in antisemitism and its disruption of Toronto’s civility and Canadian values. Through shared, evidence-based dialogue, the panel explored ways in which our communities can unite to combat hate and work collectively to restore a sense of security, safety, harmony, and well-being for all citizens in our diverse and pluralistic city.
Panelists:
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Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church
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Rabbi Samuel Kaye, Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto
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Rabbi Steve Wernick, Beth Tzedec Synagogue, Toronto
L-R: Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church; Rabbi Samuel Kaye, Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto; Rabbi Steve Wernick, Beth Tzedec Synagogue, Toronto