about us

The Jewish people

An Eternal People

Throughout our history, the Jewish people have often been said to be eternal. But as history has shown us, in every generation our enemies come for us.

The name La’ad was chosen for those two reasons; Just as the Jewish people are eternal, the word La’ad (לעד) means forever or eternal in Hebrew. The name לעד is also an acronym meaning להגן על דורנו (Lehagen al Dorenu) – defending our generation.

A different kind of organization

Research & Education

La’ad Canada was founded in 2017 by a group of young professionals who saw the need for an advocacy organization focused on the needs of the next generation of Jewish Canadians. Unfortunately, we are at a critical time for the Canadian Jewish community; we are seeing a dramatic and alarming rise in antisemitism, and unprecedented numbers of young Jews disengaging from Jewish life. Today, more and more Jewish Canadians are worried about making sure that their kids get quality Jewish education and Jewish tradition is carried on to the next generation, that our schools and synagogues are safe, and that our interests as a community are represented before lawmakers and government.

Jewish Continuity

Jewish day school is expensive, and it’s not for everyone. Nor is weekly synagogue attendance. But without these traditional pillars of Jewish identity-building, how can our children learn what it means to be a Jew, in order to pass on that knowledge to future generations?

These are serious, somber and thought-provoking days. If a child’s only experience of being Jewish is an onerous synagogue experience, especially in families who lead an otherwise secular life, that child is unlikely to have a positive perception of their Jewish identity, or to continue it into adulthood.

As a non-religious, unaffiliated organization, La’ad offers a refreshing and fact-based approach to Jewish identity, calendar and lifecycle that everyone can identify with.

Fighting Antisemitism

Our professional team has decades of advocacy experience , so we know what works and what doesn’t, and where the other guys are failing.

One thing that anyone working in advocacy can tell you, is that most often, antisemitism is born out of ignorance rather than deliberate malice. That’s why we take a position of education first. We work closely with clients from all areas of the public and private sector, to provide training and anti-racism workshops, in an effort to stop antisemitism before it starts.

For those instances where education isn’t enough, we work closely with law enforcement to ensure that those who break the law are fairly and justly punished.

Government Relations

Legislators and policy makers play an important and often under-appreciated role in how society understands and responds to issues of concern to the Jewish community, such as the rise in antisemitic incidents. That’s why an important component of advocacy, government relations is a pillar in it’s own right.

Our team brings years of experience and carefully cultivated connections to the role of government relations, making sure that the needs of the Jewish community are heard at all levels of government, across the country.

We give a real grassroots voice to the issues and ensure that the concerns of our community are expressed to the people who have the power to make a real difference.

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