Discussions on Jewish Immigrant Aid Service with Jodi Block and Raya Feiner: Gallery Talk

2pm

In the context of The Synagogue at Babyn Yar exhibition and Russia's war on Ukraine, two JIAS staff – Block is Manager of Community Engagement and Feiner is a frontline settlement worker – will speak about their important work responding to the urgent and ongoing needs of Ukrainians fleeing the war and arriving in the GTA, including some from Ukraine’s active Jewish community.

Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, aka JIAS, was established in 1922 to assist Jewish refugees coming to Canada, and it remains the only Jewish social service agency in Canada solely dedicated to providing settlement services to immigrants and refugees. Today, JIAS Toronto is inclusive, LGBTQ+ friendly, and proud to serve all newcomers regardless of faith or country of origin in a variety of languages.

Jodi Block has worked at JIAS for over 15 years, helping to welcome and connect new immigrants to the Jewish community and to Toronto. As Manager of Community Engagement, she has played a key role in planning JIAS’ response to the sudden and ongoing influx of Ukrainians into Canada. Block started her career as a fellow with the JDC/Joint (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) working at a Jewish social welfare centre (“Hesed”) in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Raya Feiner is a settlement worker at JIAS and has been on the front lines of welcoming Ukrainians coming to the GTA as a result of the war in their country. She has immigrated herself – twice. First, from Russia to Israel, and then to Canada in 2018. Feiner has her own personal connections to the war in Ukraine and is deeply committed to supporting newcomers to our community and to Canada.