league banner

Rochelle Wilner
President

Frank Dimant
Executive Vice-President

Prof. Stephen Scheinberg
National Chair

Blacks & Jews in Dialogue

NEW YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER
B’NAI BRITH’S BLACK-JEWISH DIALOGUE AND
THE CONCERNED KIDS OF TORONTO

The Black/Jewish Dialogue of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights has announced the launch of an exciting new social action program aimed at bridging the growing ethno-cultural divide between young people today. The League, which has long been involved in anti-racism initiatives and human rights education, is proud to have as its primary partner, The Concerned Kids Charities of Toronto, an organization that specializes in communication through puppetry in the context of multiculturalism and diversity training.

This outreach program is specifically designed to provide schools and teachers with an exciting new teaching resource in the field of anti-racism and anti-discrimination. In its initial pilot phase, the project will reach 12 schools in the Toronto area, bringing together an elementary school audience from many different religious and ethnic groups.

The forty-five minute interactive puppet show, which will be followed up with a discussion and dialogue component, will consist of four puppeteers and a back-up team of understudies. The cast will be comprised of teenage volunteers from both the Black Muslim and Jewish communities, reflecting the make-up of the Black-Jewish Dialogue, as well as additional trainee puppeteers from other ethnic groups. Each of the actors will play the part of a character of another ethnicity than their own.

Other community partners include The Somali Canadian Club, Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO-Hamilton), Toronto Residents in Partnership (TRIP), and Toronto Police Services. Members of these organizations will comprise an Advisory Board and provide on-going monitoring and formative evaluation.

At the end of the pilot project, the plan is to extend this initiative first provincially and then nationwide.

Articles:

BLACKS & JEWS IN DIALOGUE MISSION STATEMENT

When Blacks and Jews stood together, the two communities achieved significant advantages for all citizens, and helped open the door to opportunities, by

  • preventing discrimination in housing and public places
    (The Fair Accommodations Act)
  • preventing discrimination in hiring
    The Fair Employment Practices Act
  • leading to the establishment of a tribunal to deal with the issues of racism and antisemitism
    The Ontario Human Rights Commission

The recent rise in incidents of racism and antisemitism calls once again for the Black and Jewish communities to unite in common cause to eliminate such evils. It is our purpose to initiate a reaching out to each other of these two communities for their mutual benefit, and for the good of society as a whole.

What we may not be able to do alone, we may be able to do together; and what we do together will affect everyone.

BE PART OF THE PROCESS!

 

To contact the Blacks & Jews in Dialogue, League for Human Rights,
email us at bjd@bnaibrith.ca

B’nai Brith Canada