The 50th annual UJA Walk with Israel is only five days away and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our community’s bond with Israel on this historic milestone. This year, in honour of the anniversary, the Walk is moving back north to the heart of the Jewish community, starting at Earl Bales Park, and will conclude with the inaugural Bathurst Street Fest, a one kilometre long celebration of Jewish life, culture, food and arts along Bathurst Street – open to the entire GTA community right up to 8 p.m.
Every year, more than 20,000 people – including thousands of families, groups, and individuals representing the breadth of the Jewish community and Canadians from a diverse range of religious and political backgrounds – come together in the largest solidarity walk in support of Israel anywhere in the world. As this is the 50th anniversary, we are expecting people to turn out in record numbers for a day and evening of unity and joy.
We want everyone coming to the Walk with Israel and the Bathurst Street Fest to know that your safety is our number one priority. That’s why we have been working with our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, our elected officials, Toronto Police Service and security for months, as we do every year, to ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place and so that you can enjoy this amazing celebration of our community and of Israel.
If you have not already done so, please register for the Walk and help us raise funds to support the incredibly important and meaningful work we do to care for our partner communities in Israel, including in Sderot, Bat Yam and Eilat/Eilot. And finally, bring a friend, co-worker or relative who has never been before and let them see how strong our community is when we come together in support of the values of peace and unity shared by Canada and Israel.
We are looking forward to the biggest and best UJA Walk with Israel in our community’s history. See you on May 20th!
Adam Minsky,
President and CEO, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto