Over 400 Gather at Limmud FSU Canada Program

Some 400 people gathered on Sunday for Limmud FSU Canada, a special event for young Russian-speaking Jews, at the Schwartz Reisman Centre in Toronto. Limmud FSU Canada featured an array of programs and speakers from around the world and included an opening Sept. 11 ceremony for victims of terrorism worldwide.

A dynamic and pluralistic Jewish festival of culture, creativity and learning, Limmud FSU Canada was one of the most significant local Jewish gatherings in recent years. This one-day event – only the third Limmud FSU Canada ever – featured more than 30 inspiring speakers and 40 panels, workshops and discussions on subjects ranging from art, to Jewish culture and tradition, history, politics, academics, business and lifestyles.

Limmud FSU Canada, sponsored by the UJA-Federation of Greater Toronto, explored a diverse array of topics including Jewish views of organ transplants, Jewish relationships, countering terrorism and challenges of Russian-speaking Jewish communities. That last topic is especially critical, with Canada among the most active centers of Soviet and Russian-Jewish immigration over the past four decades. Young Russian-speaking Canadian Jewish adults are growing increasingly interested in Jewish life, activism and volunteerism as an expression of Jewish identity.