Journey To: Portfolio

In the heart of downtown Toronto thousands of students gather to protest the rising conflict in Gaza.

In this podcast Hanna Raider, a Jewish student from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and an organizer with the “Fight Back” movement, highlights the power of student walkouts and strikes as effective tools for political action. Raider argues that these actions put direct pressure on universities and governments to take concrete steps, such as divesting from Israeli military funding, by disrupting the status quo. As a Jewish Canadian, she also provides a nuanced perspective on the intersection of Jewish identity and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, insisting that genocide should never be carried out in the name of Judaism. By advocating for a distinction between Judaism and Zionism, Raider challenges the assumption that supporting Israel’s government actions is synonymous with supporting Jewish values, opening a space for more inclusive and critical conversations within Jewish communities and beyond.