Yesterday, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) and the Consulate General of Israel in Toronto hosted a special event, The Mentors, as part of FSWC's generationNOW program, welcoming dozens of under-40 professionals in the community to engage with like-minded people, hear from accomplished and inspiring leaders and gain insight into how to grow their impact in their community and beyond.
The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion featuring three active members of the Jewish community who have made an immense impact through their careers and philanthropy. The panel included Jordan Banks, currently the Executive Chair at Great Canadian Entertainment and on the Board of Directors of Cineplex, the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation, the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation and Black North Initiative; Michael Kalles, President of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. and supporter of over 250 charitable organizations; and Ellen Schwartz, an elementary school teacher, community leader, author and public speaker who is the founder of Project Give Back and co-founder of Jacob's Ladder.
The panelists delved into a series of topics to help empower the young professionals, focusing on their life experiences in business, community and philanthropy, and the importance of finding opportunities to get involved in the community and make a positive difference. They also discussed the issue of antisemitism in the workplace and ways to confront it.
FSWC extends a big thank you to our panelists, Jordan Banks, Michael Kalles and Ellen Schwartz, and panel moderator Jesse Tepperman for a very insightful and empowering discussion yesterday evening. Thank you to the Consulate General of Israel, represented yesterday by Deputy Consul General Shani Azulai, for co-hosting the event with FSWC, our generationNOW co-chairs Ashley Rosenberg and Lexi Alter for helping make the event a great success, and everyone who joined us.
Are you a young professional who wants to get more involved and make a positive difference in the community? Reach out to us today to learn more about FSWC's generationNOW program!