Unabashedly Jewish: Proud Out Loud After October 7.
An experience focused on ideas, identity, creativity & connection
October 8, 2026 from 9:00am – 2:30pm
Carleton University, Ottawa
In person and live-streamed. (RSVP below to receive details.)
Kosher lunch included.
At a time when conversations about Jewish identity are too often a response to antisemitism, confrontation and the need to defend or explain who we are, this Proud Out Loud event offers something different. This is an opportunity to explore what it means to live confidently and positively as a Jew today, and to connect with others who feel the same.
Join Jewish students, young professionals, community members and non-Jewish allies to explore ideas, personal reflection, the arts and conversation. Not just another event where an audience simply listens to speakers, Proud Out Loud is designed to move from learning to reflection, expression and connection. You’ll come away with new ways of thinking about the current times, greater confidence in your own voice and identity, and new connections with people across Ottawa’s campuses and broader community.
Featured speakers
Gil Troy (joining from Israel) is a historian, author and leading scholar of Zionism, American history and contemporary Jewish identity. His work explores how history, ideas and collective memory can help us understand what it means to be Jewish in the contemporary world.
Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster and author known for her commentary on antisemitism, Israel, Western culture and contemporary political life. She will challenge us to consider the broader forces shaping today’s conversations about Jews and Israel.
Adam Hummel, an immigration lawyer, brings the perspective of a younger generation to questions of Jewish identity in Canada, contemporary antisemitism and how Jews navigate an increasingly polarized social and political environment.
The event will culminate with Vanessa Hidary, internationally recognized spoken word artist. Hidary, creator of The Hebrew Mamita, is a writer, performer, and educator. Through spoken word, humour and personal storytelling, Hidary explores Jewish identity, stereotypes, belonging and what it means to claim one’s identity unapologetically.
Vanessa will perform and then lead an interactive, identity-affirming writing experience, inviting participants to explore their own stories and find language for experiences that can be difficult to express. No writing or performance experience is necessary, and sharing will always be optional.
Throughout the day, facilitated conversations will create opportunities to meet other participants, exchange perspectives and build connections. There will also be opportunities for audience discussion and Q&A with the speakers.
Proud Out Loud brings together multiple disciplinary perspectives to affirm for Jews and non-Jewish allies a positive and reality-based identity and sense of well-being despite an adverse socio-political context.
Please save the date and share this invitation with students, young professionals, interested community members and allies in your networks who would benefit from being part of this conversation.