Building a better future with
lessons from the past
Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter with his grandson, Dan Gutter, from FSWC’s Legacy Portrait Project
Building a better future with
lessons from the past
Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter with his grandson, Dan Gutter, from FSWC’s Legacy Portrait Project
STRENGTH
IN NUMBERS
A statistical snapshot of some
of FSWC’s activities in 2023
In 2023, amid a dramatic surge in antisemitism in Canada, especially post-October 7, FSWC was more engaged than ever through a wide range of activities and other initiatives, both in person and online. The following fast facts provide a glimpse into our work in education, advocacy and outreach during the past 12 months.
01.
Education
TEACHING
IMPORTANT
LESSONS
Equally active in person and online, FSWC educators teach about the past to provide timely lessons for the present for people of all backgrounds
As one of the main pillars of FSWC, our education programs are central to the organization’s raison d’être. In 2023, as schools – public, Catholic and private – booked hundreds of sessions conducted by members of our team, government agencies and private corporations increased their requests for FSWC educators to provide DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion)-related workshops and other programs, some with live testimony of Holocaust survivors. This in addition to our popular special annual programs such as Freedom Day and Speaker’s Idol.
As always, the focus of our workshops, lesson plans and other activities was on tying past atrocities to current events with the aim of influencing people to advocate for greater respect for protecting human rights and a more equitable future for all. FSWC educators presented lessons on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and other forms of racism and discrimination in Canada, along with conversations about how to change the cycle of hate and intolerance through the power of standing up and speaking out. Here are some highlights from 2023.
In December, FSWC’s Tour for Humanity mobile education centre celebrated its 10th anniversary, during a busy year that included a special visit to Parliament Hill in Ottawa
"I believe there is no other solution than to constantly engage with the past and to learn from it." - Simon Wiesenthal
Canadian students raise their voices at Speaker’s Idol competition
In May, 12 student finalists took the 2023 Speaker’s Idol stage to address human rights issues that matter to them and how they envision creating positive change. More than 200 students from across Canada submitted speeches, based on Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal’s quote, “I believe there is no other solution than to constantly engage with the past and to learn from it.” Thousands of students, teachers and community members tuned in online to listen to the finalists, (six in the elementary school category, six in the secondary school category), whose topics included racism, women’s rights and the war in Ukraine. Speaker’s Idol is FSWC’s annual student public speaking competition, which promotes the empowerment of youth by providing them a platform for speaking out on current human rights issues.
Conference highlights how to best teach about the Holocaust
In January, in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, FSWC hosted our annual Holocaust Education Conference in Toronto, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Valerie Hébert and author Kathy Kacer. Other speakers included Holocaust survivors and educators, who discussed their best practices in Holocaust education. Representatives from boards across Ontario and from all levels of education, administration through to classroom teacher, were in attendance at the one-day event.
Compassion to Action takes group on intense educational journey
In July, FSWC brought 20 Canadian leaders in law enforcement, education, municipal government and in the Indigenous community to Poland and Israel for our annual Compassion to Action educational tour.
DURING THEIR 10-day trip, they gained a deeper Understanding of the Holocaust and Israel – and their relevance today in the fight against racism and intolerance.
Participants returned to their respective communities and workplaces with newfound knowledge and tools to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate. A few months earlier, FSWC invited 24 public and private school teachers and other education professionals from Ontario for an 8-day educational trip to Poland to learn about the Holocaust and the centuries-old Jewish life there destroyed by the Nazis. Participants in both trips remain engaged with FSWC, sharing their education plans, along with their progress in implementing Holocaust education in their classrooms and workplaces.
FSWC publishes educational book on Simon Wiesenthal
With a grant from the Ontario government to produce a children’s picture book about the life of Simon Wiesenthal, FSWC published The Long Road to Justice: The Story of Simon Wiesenthal in May, with separate editions in English and French. Written and illustrated by FSWC educators, with input from students, the book is designed as a classroom resource, offering an age-appropriate introduction to the Holocaust and antisemitism. More than 8,800 English and 4,200 French copies have been distributed so far to schools across Ontario.
Teacher training for change in Ontario Grade 6 curriculum
In response to the new Ontario Curriculum Grade 6 Social Studies expectations on the Holocaust, FSWC received many requests from school boards across the province for teacher training. To meet the demand, we conducted customized half-day and full-day professional development programs for public and Catholic school boards and a number of private schools.
"I’m a firm believer in the power of one," Hedy Bohm told the students after recounting her poignant story of having her freedom brutally taken away by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Freedom Day motivates students to stand up for freedom and human rights
In September, FSWC hosted the 14th Freedom Day, its biggest annual educational event. Commemorating the life and legacy of our organization’s namesake, Simon Wiesenthal, it educates and inspires youth to be upstanders against hate and take a stand for freedom, justice and human rights in their communities. Hundreds of students from the Greater Toronto Area assembled at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto for the event, with thousands more from across Canada tuning in virtually from their classrooms. MCed by TV personality Rick Campanelli, the program featured uplifting speakers and performers. These included Indigenous social media influencer and traditional hoop dancer Notorious Cree, Holocaust survivor Hedy Bohm, Juno Award-winning reggae musician/singer Kairo McLean and Speaker’s Idol finalist Sonya Kovtun.
Tour for Humanity heads east
In the spring, FSWC’s Tour for Humanity specially equipped mobile education centre visited eastern Canada for the first time. During the month-long journey to schools in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the bus and educators engaged with more than 2,500 students. Designed for those in grades 3-12, the educational workshops covered a range of topics including Holocaust and genocide education; residential schools; Japanese internment camps; antisemitism and the turning away of the MS St. Louis ship with Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis; the story of Simon Wiesenthal; hate crimes today; online safety and cyberbullying, and encouraging students to stand up against hate, antisemitism, racism and discrimination in all forms. The trip to Atlantic Canada followed Tour for Humanity’s successful visit to schools in Ottawa and Montreal.
Ontario ministers and MPPs celebrated the Tour for Humanity’s 10-year anniversary at Queen’s Park.
NOW
MORE THAN
EVER
Unprecedented spike in reported hate crimes in Canada in 2023, especially in number and gravity of antisemitic incidents post-October 7, underscores need for FSWC’s advocacy efforts and community engagement
The scope of FSWC’s advocacy work takes in a lot of territory. It starts with raising Holocaust and genocide awareness and includes a focus on human rights, hate crime, racist and extremist groups, hate propaganda and online hate. Given the prevalence of antisemitism today, it dominates our prolific advocacy and community engagement initiatives involving a wide range of parties, from politicians to educators, police officers to journalists and allies in other communities. As part of our work in this field, we also assist people who are victims of anti-Jewish hate.
Often, we draw much-needed attention to issues in our purview. To that end, we engage legislators, law enforcement officials and university leaders along with public institutions in government and civil society, stressing the seriousness of antisemitic incidents as human rights violations and the need for action. Here’s a selection of both our ongoing advocacy work and specific initiatives in 2023.
FSWC empowers non-Jewish university students to combat misinformation about Jews and Israel through an immersive tour and advocacy program.
FSWC Fellowship Program brings students to Israel
In August, FSWC hosted a group of Canadian university students for an immersive 8-day educational tour of Israel. The inaugural trip is a key component of the year-long FSWC Campus Advocacy Fellowship program in which participants gain relevant knowledge and skills to combat antisemitism and champion human rights on their campuses and beyond. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and predominantly non-Jewish, the fellows were selected for their interest in Middle Eastern affairs, Jewish history and culture, and Israel, and for their leadership qualities and desire to strengthen their abilities in advocacy and allyship-building. We launched this initiative in response to the growing misinformation about Jews and Israel on campuses.
Tackling issues pertaining to Nazi war criminals in Canada
In the midst of the Hunka affair, in which Parliament unknowingly honoured a Nazi war veteran, FSWC met with Member of Parliament Ivan Baker to push for the declassifying of the decades-old Deschênes Commission files on Nazi war criminals in Canada, which months later finally took place. When it was revealed that the University of Alberta had several endowments named after Nazi collaborators, FSWC wrote to the university to express our dismay and call for the cancellation of said endowments. FSWC also called on the Governor General to apologize for the Order of Canada having been awarded to one of the individuals in question, and to institute a policy to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Enlisting our allies when it counts
Following the October 7 Hamas atrocities in Israel, FSWC coordinated the signing of a solidarity statement by many community and religious organizations in Canada. The diverse list ranged from the Canadian Polish Congress to the Filipino Heritage Council of Canada and Hindu Forum Canada. A month later, many FSWC allies attended our annual Spirit of Hope marquee event in Toronto.
"Confronting the Evolving Challenges of Hate Crime Policing"
Hate crime conference for police from across Canada
In February, FSWC organized its third annual Building a Case Against Hate conference, hosting hundreds of law enforcement officials, both in person in Toronto and virtually. This year’s theme was “Confronting the Evolving Challenges of Hate Crime Policing.” From the Vancouver Police Department to the Saskatoon Police Service to the Toronto Police Service and the Halifax Regional Police, officials represented dozens of police departments from across the country. Featured speakers and panel discussions delved into important past hate crime cases in North America, providing insight into how to better investigate and build a case against those perpetrating hate crimes and other cases of extremism.
FSWC makes its voice heard on Nazi in Parliament scandal
In September, after Canada’s Parliament inadvertently honoured Ukrainian-Canadian Nazi war veteran Yaroslav Hunka with two standing ovations during an official visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, FSWC immediately denounced the embarrassing oversight and soon called for the resignation of Speaker Anthony Rota, who had invited Hunka to the House of Commons. Amid the fallout, FSWC established itself as the go-to Jewish advocacy organization for comment and background on what became a full-fledged scandal, providing insight to national and international media.
FSWC responds to antisemitic attacks on Jewish targets
Especially since October 7, businesses either owned by Jews or those in Jewish neighbourhoods around the country have been repeatedly targeted in antisemitic actions, which FSWC has been at the forefront of speaking out against. We denounced the targeting of Aroma and Starbucks locations in Toronto by anti-Israel protesters, and worked with police to ensure continued vigilance in the face of this disturbing trend. After an Indigo flagship store in Toronto was targeted with antisemitic vandalism on the anniversary of Kristalnaacht, we spoke with the media and issued statements calling for the law to be upheld. We then called for a “Buycott” to counteract the boycott of Indigo initiated by anti-Israel activists. Following other attacks on diverse Jewish sites in Toronto and Montreal, FSWC highlighted the incidents and stressed the need for a strong law enforcement response and allyship from other communities.
Calling for government action to address rash of on-campus Jew-hate
Amid the increasingly hostile situation Jewish students are facing at Canadian universities, FSWC has been advocating for the creation of a federally funded and coordinated Task Force on On-Campus Antisemitism. To that end, we submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office, and gathered support from requisite provincial ministers and staff for the creation of a national body to set best practices standards for responding to antisemitism on-campus, create a national database of antisemitic incidents at universities, and establish a national action plan for addressing antisemitism targeting students and/or faculty.
Making the Festival of Light shine brighter
FSWC responded to several Hannukah-related incidents in Canada. After the city of Moncton, New Brunswick said it was ending its 20-year tradition of displaying a menorah outside City Hall, FSWC wrote to Mayor Dawn Arnold to condemn the action and call for its immediate reversal. After the decision was reversed, FSWC issued a statement commending the move.
the decision was wrong and reeks of discrimination.
Out west, when Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced she wouldn’t be attending the city’s annual menorah lighting, FSWC denounced her decision and called for her to attend.
"In Ottawa, thousands of Jewish Canadians come together in show of unity for israel"
FSWC lends its voice to Canadian Jewish rally in support of Israel
On December 4, FSWC was in Ottawa to stand in solidarity with thousands of Canadians who assembled on Parliament Hill for the Canadian Rally for the Jewish People in support of Israel. Members of the Jewish community and allies assembled in the nation’s capital to advocate for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza and to express collective opposition to surging antisemitism in Canada. After CTV News blatantly mischaracterized the rally as pro-war in its coverage of the event, FSWC reached out directly to CTV leadership and the anchor in question to denounce its framing of the gathering and called for a correction and apology.
Helping propel a positive development forward
As more provinces institute mandatory Holocaust education in their schools, FSWC has continued to lead the charge pushing for other provinces to adopt this initiative. We have written to each provincial education ministry in the Maritimes, and met with Newfoundland/Labrador government officials to discuss mandating Holocaust education at younger grades. In the fall, we also commended the governments of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan for joining other provinces which had already mandated Holocaust education.
FSWC monitors potential danger from far right
As part of our work keeping close tabs on the threat from far-right extremists in Canada, FSWC has established a reputation as a go-to source on the issue among Jewish advocacy organizations. Throughout the year, we closely monitored the Canadian Active Club movement, and endorsed the charging of members with terror-related offenses. The Canadian Forces Military Police approached us to collaborate in developing resources for identifying signs of far-right extremism among recruits and enlisted soldiers. To that end, we provided a list of extremist signs, symbols, and explanations for resources to be used by Military Police offices across the country.
THE
FUTURE
IS NOW
Bringing in younger audiences for the future of FSWC through our generationNOW program
Engaging the next generation of young professionals is an important goal of FSWC. That’s why we created our generationNOW initiative. Among our activities in 2023, we brought more than 100 young professionals to a mentors program at the Israel Consulate in Toronto and celebrated Chanukah with more than 200 people at an ‘influencer’ event. Most significantly, these initiatives also prompted a number of young professionals to reach out to FSWC to get involved with future activities.
FSWC’s generationNOW initiative, launched in 2021, engages young professionals under 40 through events, workshops, and educational opportunities, focusing on Holocaust education, volunteerism, and engagement.
Rabbi Steve Leder makes lasting impact on young professionals
In early July, FSWC hosted a special event in Toronto aimed primarily at young professionals. Its success, with more than 300 people in attendance, bodes well for the future of our organization. Held at the Prosserman JCC’s Leah Posluns Theater, it featured guest speaker Rabbi Steve Leder, a highly respected American Jewish leader and bestselling author. We first met Rabbi Leder during our generationNOW young leadership trip to Los Angeles in Feb. 2023. He made such a strong impression on members of the group that they recommended we host him for an evening in Toronto. In the spring, when we announced the event, it sold out in 48 hours. An acclaimed motivational speaker, Rabbi Leder shared his insights about Judaism and living a Jewish life with a sense of purpose. With his words of wisdom and warm manner, he left a lasting impact on the audience, both during his initial presentation and in a Q&A with TV host and producer Jesse Rubinoff.
Mentors event spotlights making philanthropy a part of a successful life
As part of FSWC’s generationNOW program engaging young professionals, we hosted a special evening in May called The Mentors, at the Israeli Consulate in Toronto. Dozens of under-40 professionals attended to hear from accomplished, inspiring leaders and gain insight into how to grow their impact in their community and beyond. A panel discussion featured three members of the Jewish community who’ve been highly successful, both in their careers and in philanthropy – Jordan Banks, Executive Chair at Great Canadian Entertainment who’s on the board of several major charities; Michael Kalles, President of Harvey Kalles Real Estate and supporter of many charitable organizations; and Ellen Schwartz, a schoolteacher, community leader and founder of Project Give Back and co-founder of Jacob’s Ladder.
Timely insight from Enlightened Voices CHANUKAH panel event
In mid-December, on the 6th night of Chanukah, FSWC hosted a special evening in Toronto for its young professional community, called Enlightened Voices: A Chanukah Panel Event. More than 120 people came out for a timely and lively panel discussion with three local social media influencers – Rivki Berkovits Rabinowitz, Danielle Michaelov and Marlie Cohen – and MP Kevin Vuong, all of whom pivoted to use their platforms to speak out against antisemitism since October 7. TV producer and Sportsnet on-air host Jesse Rubinoff moderated the informative and animated conversation which included participation from audience members. Holocaust survivor Andy Réti and FSWC’s Michael Levitt lit the menorah at the start of the evening. Special thanks to FSWC generationNOW co-chairs Jordana Teperman, Ashley Rosenberg and Lexi Alter for their ongoing participation in our generationNOW program and their dedicated efforts in inspiring our next generation of leaders.
STRIKING
A CHORD
Captivating events in person and online help FSWC broaden its reach and connect with our constituents
Over the past year, FSWC has made its presence felt through an engaging mix of original programming and compelling outreach that address current events from our perspective on human rights, antisemitism and other forms of hate. We organize these initiatives both in person and online for maximum impact, often partnering with other community organizations. Each endeavour, in its own way, spotlights the importance of learning the danger of racism and the lessons of the Holocaust, while underlining our commitment to combat hate wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head.
Collectively, our events send a strong message to our supporters and far beyond that FSWC is in the vanguard standing up, speaking out, raising awareness and taking action against intolerance, antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and working for positive change in Canadian society.
We will not back down from those driven by hate targeting our community and who seek to demonize and harm the world’s only Jewish state.
Importance of allyship prevailing theme
of speakers at 2023 Spirit of Hope EVENT
In early November, FSWC hosted its annual marquee fundraising event, Spirit of Hope, in Toronto. More than 1,250 people attended the evening, which featured keynote speaker Helen Mirren, the much-acclaimed actress who’s a long-time friend of Israel and the Jewish people, who received FSWC’s 2023 Humanitarian Award. Taking place in the shadow of the Hamas atrocities in Israel on October 7 and amid an alarming surge in antisemitism in Canada and around the world, the event highlighted the importance of unity, allyship and resolve, especially during a time of crisis for the Jewish community.
The program also included a powerful speech by Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism, compelling words of solidarity from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, and the presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to three police chiefs – Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah and York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween – for their work in keeping the community safe at a time of rising antisemitism. The event raised important funds for FSWC programs and other activities, in large part thanks to a stellar Fundraising Committee, with Chair Eddie Weisz, Ron Baruch, Michael Bregman, Judith Finer-Freedman, Paul Bronfman, David Cynamon, Matthew Gottlieb, Jill Reitman and Fred Waks.
"we have a bumpy road ahead."
Straight talk from former Israeli prime minister naftali bennett on the state of the nation
In mid-June, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett headlined FSWC’s annual State of the Union event. Held at The Symes venue in Toronto, it attracted more than 350 Jewish community members and allies. In a Q&A with Indigo founder Heather Reisman, Bennett addressed the political situation in Israel, its internal and external threats, his experience forming the country’s first-ever coalition government with an Arab party, and what the future holds for the Jewish state. While discussing the widespread protests against the government’s proposed judicial reforms that dominated public life in Israel in 2023 until Oct. 7, he said, “Democracy has prevailed in Israel” while cautioning that “we have a bumpy road ahead.” Despite attempts by anti-Israel activists outside the venue to silence Bennett and intimidate attendees, including the use of antisemitic invective, the event went on uninterrupted.
‘IN CONVERSATION WITH’ SERIES RETURNS, FEATURING POWERFUL TESTIMONIES
In the fall, FSWC resumed its monthly virtual In Conversation With a Survivor series on Zoom, where survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides are interviewed about their life experiences by FSWC’s Senior Educator, Elena Kingsbury. The first two featured Holocaust survivors Gershon Willinger and Renate Krakauer, both of whom spoke poignantly about what they lived through as children and its lasting impact, while also discussing related issues, past and present.
The Legacy Portrait Project: From triumph over tragedy to the timeless bond of generations
POIGNANT EVENT MARKS International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023
At a special evening event at the Leah Posluns Theatre in Toronto, FSWC, in partnership with the UJA Holocaust Education Centre and the Azrieli Foundation, brought together Jewish community members and allies form other communities to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It featured the premiere screening of The Legacy Portrait Project, FSWC’s documentary film that captures the unique relationship between Holocaust survivors and their grandchildren. The moving ceremony also included special remarks from Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter and then-Toronto Mayor John Tory, a panel discussion with the documentary filmmakers and participants in their film and a candle-lighting ceremony.
POWERFUL PHOTOS FROM EXHIBITION SHOWn AT DIFFERENT PLACES IN TORONTO
Originally conceived of as a way to commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), this digital project brought together 12 Holocaust survivors in Toronto and their grandchildren and greatgrandchildren for group photos, which then became a mobile exhibit. The portraits provide a glimpse into the triumph of each survivor, having prevailed over evil by building families, finding love and joy after the Holocaust. Poignantly, it will be this next generation’s responsibility to share their grandparents’ legacy and tell their stories. After being first shared across social media, and used to create a special video, the striking portraits were shown at Toronto Police Service headquarters, Toronto’s City Hall, Forest Hill Public Library, Thornhill Secondary Public School, and later at the Schwartz Reisman Centre during Holocaust Education Week.
Small posters, big impact
In response to the kidnapping of hundreds of Israelis and foreign nationals by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and held in captivity in Gaza, FSWC launched the Poster Project to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages. On several Sundays in November and December, we met with more than 75 people in Toronto, and put up hundreds of posters in different neighbourhoods.
Exposing the role of major German brands in the Holocaust and their cover-up
In March, FSWC and Toronto’s Congregation Darchei Noam hosted an in-person conversation with Dutch author David de Jong about his recent non-fiction book, Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest Dynasties. Attended by more than 100 people, the discussion – moderated by Carson Phillips, a specialist in Holocaust studies – focused on de Jong’s landmark work of investigative journalism. His book reveals how Germany’s wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich and barely, if ever, acknowledging this inconvenient truth, even all these years later.
ANTISEMITISM:
THEN AND NOW
New DEI workshop makes auspicious debut
FSWC’s new DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) project to fight Jew-hate made excellent progress since it began in the spring. We have given numerous presentations, some with Holocaust survivors, to many government agencies, private companies and not-for-profit organizations. These include the CBC, Telus, UCC students and teachers, and Goodmans and Fogler Rubinoff law firms. To help promote this initiative, we created a special digital brochure to distribute to a target list. A special page at www.fswc.ca showcases information online about Antisemitism: Then and Now, allowing for better search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive more leads. We also prepared a digital standalone exhibition based on our Antisemitism: Then and Now workshop that will be made available to publicly accessible spaces across Toronto. We are working with the Toronto Police Service to create an antisemitism modular training program for all officers, with plans to expand it to other police services in Canada.
ANTISEMITISM:
THEN AND NOW
New DEI workshop makes auspicious debut
FSWC’s new DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) project to fight Jew-hate made excellent progress since it began in the spring. We have given numerous presentations, some with Holocaust survivors, to many government agencies, private companies and not-for-profit organizations. These include the CBC, Telus, UCC students and teachers, and Goodmans and Fogler Rubinoff law firms. To help promote this initiative, we created a special digital brochure to distribute to a target list. A special page at www.fswc.ca showcases information online about Antisemitism: Then and Now, allowing for better search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive more leads. We also prepared a digital standalone exhibition based on our Antisemitism: Then and Now workshop that will be made available to publicly accessible spaces across Toronto. We are working with the Toronto Police Service to create an antisemitism modular training program for all officers, with plans to expand it to other police services in Canada.
GAINING
SUPPORT
Donors rise to the occasion, responding strongly to FSWC fundraising events and other efforts, enabling us to broaden our multi-faceted work
Given the evolving challenges that Canada’s Jewish community and other minorities are facing due to rising antisemitism and other forms of hate, the need for FSWC’s advocacy and educational programs is increasing. With that, the financial resources required to carry out our expanding work are more substantial. Thankfully, we are fortunate to receive generous support from our community – from individual donors to corporate sponsors and government bodies – all of whom have shown their devotion to the purpose and passion of FSWC. Of course, our fundraising efforts are critical to our future. Equally meaningful, the symbolic impact of so many donors, big and small, stepping forward to support FSWC, is significant as a source of further motivation for our entire team and for our work. In addition to our donor stewardship of existing supporters, here are some of our initiatives in 2023 that have generated funds to make our actions possible, attract new supporters and grow our impact.
Collectively, our events send a strong message to our supporters and far beyond that FSWC is in the vanguard standing up, speaking out, raising awareness and taking action against intolerance, antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and working for positive change in Canadian society.
New initiative strengthens fundraising results
In 2023, FSWC launched a year-round fundraising campaign that offers sponsors prominent recognition at all our events throughout the calendar year. These include our annual marquee events, such as Spirit of Hope and State of the Union, along with generationNOW programs and other activities. The campaign, which attracted a range of participants, including banks, other major companies and many of Canada’s philanthropists, raised $1.2 million.
The post office comes through: Direct mail delivers results
In addition to FSWC’s extensive digital communication and marketing content distributed online and via email, we still believe in the value of printed material for select purposes, such as direct mail fundraising campaigns. Based on results, many of our donors seem to like receiving our direct mail pieces in printed form given the positive response and the contributions they generated.
MAKING IT
KNOWN
FSWC keeps people informed and engaged through lively content in our multi-channel approach to communication and outreach
In today’s “content-is-king” world, the success of an organization or business is tied directly to the quality of material it produces and shares with its intended audience. In 2023, FSWC created timely, relevant content that both kept people abreast of the organization’s activities in the field and informed them about pertinent news stories. In the process, it enhanced the perception and credibility of our brand while strengthening trust with supporters.
We do this on multiple platforms with diverse forms of content. From our regular posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to short videos on TikTok, to media statements to regular op-ed columns in Canada’s largest circulation newspaper (Toronto Star) and eblasts, we tell “our stories” and get our message across in a compelling way. In providing accurate, reliable information while speaking out on important issues, we reinforce FSWC’s relationship with existing supporters and followers and attract new ones. Here are some highlights from our communication and outreach efforts in 2023.
Making a point in Canada’s largest-circulation newspaper
In 2023, Michael Levitt, FSWC’s President and CEO, wrote numerous columns in the Toronto Star, which appeared in both the online and printed editions. These op-eds, focusing on timely, relevant issues, inspired thoughtful debate and enhanced the organization’s visibility and credibility. Here are a few of the columns.
Earning the attention of the media
As antisemitic incidents unfortunately occurred with greater frequency, FSWC’s advocacy work was widely covered in the media. As part of FSWC’s strong presence in the media in 2023, we did many TV and radio interviews. Two memorable ones featured Michael Levitt on Breakfast TV in April discussing our event at Toronto City Hall for Yom HaShoah while in early October, he spoke on CBC News about the issue of Nazi war criminals in Canada.
"It is so critical... to keep being able to provide their testimony, their stories."
DEAR
FRIENDS,
Such is the intensity of news and relentless pace of events that take place, it’s easy to lose sight of the full scale of one’s achievements in a given year. That’s certainly the case when it comes to the actions of FSWC and its calendar packed with initiatives from the beginning of January to the end of December.
In preparing the 2023 Impact Report that you now have before you, we sought to both share with the FSWC community highlights of what its critical support makes possible, and to allow us at the organization to take a step back and learn from a review of the most recent year behind us.
Of course, 2023 will be forever remembered for deeply disturbing reasons we wish did not exist – the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust on October 7, the war it triggered in Gaza and the alarming surge in antisemitism in Canada and abroad. All of which made FSWC’s work more relevant and more needed than ever.
It’s for good reason that what you have before you is called an “Impact Report.” At FSWC, our team is all about making a difference in multiple ways through our extensive education programs and advocacy work. Both of us take great pride in the important role our organization plays in Canadian society, intervening in issues involving antisemitism, Holocaust education, racism and the protection of human rights, as reflected in this report.
We are tremendously grateful for the generous support we receive from Canadians across the country. We see every donation, big and small, as a vote of confidence in the organization and its work promoting tolerance, inclusion and countering all forms of hatred. Please know your support is a source of inspiration for the engaged, passionate staff at FSWC as they fulfill its mandate.
For both of us, we’re honoured to be involved in such a worthy organization and connected to action so vital in today’s world.
We hope you enjoy reading this report and learning more about the good work of FSWC. Given the current reality, there’s every reason to expect our organization to be equally, if not more, busy in 2024. There’s too much at stake to do otherwise.
With much appreciation,
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