Sept. 2025
Wendy Schneider

Two new initiatives aimed at developing the next generation of lay and professional Jewish leaders in small and mid-sized Canadian communities — including Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, Ottawa and Winnipeg—are now underway, backed by funding from The Asper Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation, the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.

The initiatives are being led by the Shalom Hartman Institute of Canada, which provides leadership training for both professionals and volunteers, and the Wexner Heritage Program, a two-year intensive in Jewish learning and leadership for lay leaders. The Wexner program is directed by Rabbi David Russo, a former Hamiltonian with deep roots in the local Jewish community and grandson of the late Rabbi Israel and Gloria Silverman. In recent conversations with the HJN, both Russo and Karen Kollins, director of the Shalom Hartman Institute of Canada, shared their perspectives on the most pressing challenges currently facing the global Jewish community.

Kollins believes that the Jewish community is facing many of the same issues affecting the wider world. “One of the biggest challenge that we see facing the Jewish world today, and I would say specifically in Canada is this issue of polarization and division,” she said.  Following the events of October 7, she notes that many Jews — both inside and outside traditional denominations — are rethinking their connections to Judaism or Israel, often because they feel their views and beliefs are not fully recognized.“There’s a real lack of nuance and the ability to hold that multiple truths can be held at the same time,” she said. With so much global focus on Israel and Jews, it’s no surprise, she said, that Jews are wrestling with the question of what truly defines Jewish peoplehood — whether through religious practice, cultural identity, ethnic heritage, or a connection to Israel. 

These complex questions are exactly what Shalom Hartman programs encourage participants to wrestle with. “We believe that leaders are the agents of change, and that if we bring the right ideas to the right leaders at the right time, we have the power to help with these challenges,” she said. 

Recently, Hartman has developed programs aimed at young Jewish leaders aged 15 to 25, recognizing their important role within the Canadian Jewish community. Kollins notes that the focus has shifted away from preparing Jewish teens “to become soldiers on campus,” their goal is provide them with “a better understanding of who they are as Jews and as Canadian Jews.”

For his part, Russo has found that one of the most notable shifts in the post-October 7 Jewish landscape is a renewed engagement among young Jews who had previously been distant from Jewish life — many are now diving into Jewish articles or tuning into podcasts about Jewish identity. However, he also recognizes that a significant number of young Jews still “feel like the mainstream Jewish community isn’t there for them.”

“We’re not interested in brainwashing anybody,” said Russo, “but we want people who will genuinely be curious to learn from another person’s view … That’s foundational to our leadership work.”

Russo is delighted to see Hamilton become a beneficiary of te Wexner program,  especially since his own early Jewish experiences were rooted there. As an eighth grader, he traveled with a Canadian delegation to Washington, D.C.’s Holocaust Museum on a trip supported by the Winnipeg-based Asper Foundation, and by age 18, he became the first Canadian to serve as USY international president.

That sentiment resonates strongly with Mark Gurvis, CEO of the Vancouver-based Ronald S. Rodburg Foundation. Gurvis told the HJN that his foundation prioritizes funding programs designed to support individuals identified as having strong potential to become future leaders within their communities.

“We felt we could make a unique impact by focusing on capacity building needs, inside the Jewish community,” he said, adding that it’s harder for small communities like Hamilton to provide “a rich spectrum” of innovative Jewish educational and experiential offerings.

Hamilton’s inclusion in this initiative reflects a growing recognition that many young Jewish families are choosing to settle in more affordable, smaller communities like Hamilton.

“I feel very proud that Hamilton is part of these programs aimed at strengthening mid-sized Jewish communities,” said Hamilton Jewish Federation CEO Gustavo Rymberg. “It’s a sign that others see what we see — a vibrant, expanding community with strong leadership potential.”

For more information or to apply to parrticipate in the Wexner Heritage Program, email [email protected].

Caption: Rabbi David Russo (left) engages with community members at JHamilton in August during a discussion about the Wexner Heritage Program.