Tens of thousands of people joined the 55th annual UJA Walk with Israel on Sunday in Toronto, Canada, including former Israeli hostages, their family members, survivors from Kibbutz Be’eri and others affected by October 7th.
The event had the largest number of participants in its 55 year history. The Walk is Canada’s largest Jewish community event and the world’s largest Israel solidarity walk outside of Israel, according to UJA.
What good is the walk doing?
UJA said that the walk, which has become a tradition for many Jewish families, is an opportunity to reflect on the resilience of the Jewish community both in Canada and abroad.
In addition to being an opportunity to reflect, funds raised at the Walk with Israel support the work of UJA’s partner NGOs in Israel. Some of the NGOs offer programs to support victims of terrorism and those struggling with mental health.
After the Walk, people were invited to a Solidarity Festival at UJA’s Sherman Campus, where there were various exhibits and tributes, including one dedicated to the victims of the Nova Music Festival massacre.
The campus also held a “Wall of Hope” where people shared messages and pictures of solidarity, as well as a Kibbutz installation where people were invited to learn about how the communities were affected on October 7th. DJ Shalos also entertained the participants, with his emotional performance after October 7th, where he embodied the message of "We can dance again."