Jewish-Christian summit launches year-long national initiative to strengthen interfaith solidarity
Toronto, ON – June 25, 2025 – 100 Jewish and Christian leaders from across Canada gathered in Toronto this week for the inaugural Simeon Initiative Summit, a landmark event aimed at strengthening Jewish-Christian relationships and building a united front against antisemitism.
The Simeon Initiative originated in September 2024, when the Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett, Director of Faith Community Engagement at Cardus, a Christian-led non-partisan think tank, launched the Canadian Christian Declaration on Antisemitism, which was signed by more than 700 Christian clergy from across Canada. This declaration serves as a foundational commitment to stand with the Jewish community in the face of rising antisemitism. The two-day summit marks the second phase of the Simeon Initiative – now a partnership between Cardus and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
“The Simeon Initiative Summit is more than an event – it’s the beginning of a national movement to build lasting relationships between Christians and Jews, rooted in shared values, mutual understanding, and the moral imperative to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against hate,” said Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel, CIJA.
Participants engaged in keynote presentations, expert panels, and roundtable discussions exploring antisemitism, relations between Christians and Jews, and concrete ways to foster solidarity at the most local level. The principal outcome of the summit is the launch of “The Year of Encounter” – a commitment by participants to initiate joint projects between churches and synagogues in their local communities.
“In the face of growing antisemitism, Christian leaders must go beyond dialogue and take action,” said Rev. Dr. Bennett. “The Simeon Initiative is about moving from words to deeds – deepening friendships and making public our shared commitment to stand against hate.”
The initiative takes its name and inspiration from the encounter in the Gospel of Luke between Simeon, a devout Jew, and the infant Jesus – representing the deep connection between Christianity and Judaism. Through this partnership, CIJA and Cardus aim to foster enduring bonds between Jews and Christians and to strengthen civil society by building a national movement to counter antisemitism in Canada.
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Additional Background
- J7 Statement: J7 Releases Inaugural Annual Report on Antisemitism
- Cardus Statement: Anti-Semitic Hatred in Canada
- Cardus Research Brief: How to Stop Union Dues from Going to Hamas Sympathizers
- Cardus Research Brief: Toward a Hopeful Future: Facing Down Religious Hate
Media Contacts
Brendan Steven
Cardus – Director of Marketing
bsteven@cardus.ca
647-513-5014
Nicole Amiel
CIJA – Director, Media Relations and Communications
namiel@cija.ca
416-525-2592
About Cardus
Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.
About the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the advocacy agent of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of Jewish life in Canada by advancing the public policy interests of Canada’s organized Jewish community.