What We Can Learn from the Fight Against Antisemitism around the World

Wendy Kahn is the National Director of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, a position she has held for 18 years.

She responds to antisemitic incidents, working with various authorities to ensure that SA retains its relatively low levels of antisemitism.  The majority of SA antisemitism hails from the anti-Israel/ BDS groups in the country, something that she has been involved in exposing and acting against for nearly two decades.

Since Oct 7, Wendy, together with the leadership of the SAJBD have addressed the many challenges facing SA Jewry in the face of an increasingly hostile government.  Some of the challenges have been addressing government’s hostility to Israel and the SA Jewish community, responding to anti-Israel aggression in the media, protests and on campuses and supporting the SA Jewish community during this difficult time.  The SA government’s ICJ case and other manifestations of government’s contempt for Israel have had practical implications for local Jewry.  The SAJBD has worked to assist the community in addressing these issues.

A large part of Wendy’s work involves ensuring that SA campuses provide safe spaces for Jewish students, that observant Jewish students are not disadvantaged with exams on shabbat or chagim and that antisemitic incidents or sentiment on campus are addressed.

Phil Rosenberg is the 49th President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. At 38, he is the youngest ever President in the Board’s 264-year history. Phil is the Deputy for Brondesbury Park Synagogue. A consultant specialising in government relations, media, faith and diplomacy, he has served as an elected local councillor in the London Borough of Camden and was previously Director of the Faiths Forum for London. Phil is married to Frances.

A lawyer and member of the Barreau du Québec and of the Law Society of Ontario, Richard Marceau is a graduate from Québec City’s Université Laval Law School, the University of Western Ontario Law School and France’s École Nationale d’Administration.

Elected to the House of Commons in 1997 and twice re-elected, Richard now works as CIJA’s Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel.

He is the author of Juif, Une histoire québécoise, and its English-language adaptation A Quebec Jew: From Bloc Québécois MP to Jewish Activist published at Les Éditions du Marais, for which he received the Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award in 2012.

With Montreal-based Rabbi Adam Scheier, he compiled and edited the Canadian Haggadah Canadienne, published in 2015, which received positive acclaim in Canada and worldwide.

Richard was awarded the Canadian Jewish Congress’ Saul Hayes Human Rights Award in 2004 and the Republic of Poland’s Silver Cross of Merit in 2013.

He has been published in The Globe and Mail,The Toronto Star, The National Post, The Toronto Sun, The Hill Times, The Ottawa Citizen, US based Forward, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Montreal’s La Presse and Le Devoir, Quebec City’s Le Soleil and in a variety of other publications. He has appeared on Radio-Canada, RDI, TVA, LCN, CBC, CTV, Global and other media outlets.

As Vice President of International Policy, Susan Heller Pinto oversees ADL’s advocacy, research and education work combatting global antisemitism, promoting the security of Jewish communities around the world, and advocating for a safe, Jewish and democratic State of Israel.

Susan joined ADL in 1993 as Assistant Director of Middle Eastern Affairs and has worked for over three decades to develop and implement ADL’s international affairs priorities.