Jackie Brown, far right, poses with friends, from left, Roxie Lewin, Sydney Couldwell, Talia Salzman and Alyza Weinberg at the CFJS retreat in Guelph earlier this month.

Earlier this month, about 70 Jewish student leaders from coast to coast gathered in Guelph, Ont., for the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students’ annual leadership retreat.

CFJS, which was founded in 2004 to empower Canadian Jewish students, invited presidents of Hillels and other Jewish campus groups as well as “up-and-coming” Jewish leaders to take part in sessions and seminars focused on pluralism, inclusiveness, Israel advocacy and effective media communication.

Jackie Brown, 19, a first-year McMaster University student in the arts and science program, was one of the up-and-coming Jewish leaders who attended the conference from Oct. 16 to 18.

Brown, a first-year representative for Israel on Campus at McMaster, a student group that advocates for Israel by focusing on its achievements and its commitment to peace, said she was motivated to become involved in the Jewish student community after taking part in a nine-month volunteer program in Israel last year.

While there, Brown volunteered for three months with Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service. She spent another three months teaching English at an elementary school, and spent the last third of her program taking courses and travelling throughout the country.

“After the amazing experiences I had, I knew I wanted to get involved when I came to McMaster,” she said.

Brown, who was encouraged by the president of Israel on Campus at her school to take part in the CFJS retreat, said that the “great atmosphere” throughout the weekend reinforced her to desire to be part of the Jewish campus community.

“Something I had always thought about that was reiterated at the conference was how important it is to reach out to everyone on campus – Jews and non-Jews – and to hold events for everyone. It really promotes a tolerant and inclusive atmosphere,” said Brown, who is originally from Toronto.

She added that there was also an emphasis on the importance of portraying the non-military aspects of Israel.

“Most people only hear about that, but having spent so much time in Israel, I can really attest to the amazing culture and people and all the exciting things about Israel.”

The sessions, some led by leaders from organizations such as the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA), focused on ways to respond to anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments on campus, how to cater to as many students as possible when planning events and how to be more inclusive.

“We talked about different programming ideas and the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter in Israel advocacy,” Brown said.

Eyal Kraut, a 20-year-old, third-year science student at the University of Manitoba, would be considered one of the veteran leaders at the Guelph retreat.

Kraut, who was born and raised in Winnipeg and serves as Winnipeg’s Jewish Students’ Association (JSA) president, said the retreat gave students from across the country an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

“There was also a forum to allow us to see where the [National Committee for Jewish Campus Life, CIJA’s campus organization] is headed with its initiatives and everyone was there to discuss what we can do through our organizations,” Kraut said.

He said he was particularly impressed with an initiative that’s in the works to develop a website that will help Jewish student leaders share their experiences with Israel advocacy programs that worked on their campuses.

Kraut said that as a JSA leader, he enjoys attending Jewish student conferences because it’s a great way to connect and network with his peers.

“I really felt like we were part of one big Jewish community. Canada is a huge country, but at this conference, I really felt like the Jewish community in Canada is tight knit. We all know each other, people from different cities, and we all have mutual friends.”

He said that although he has ambitions to pursue a career in medicine, he hopes that there will always be a place for him in Jewish community leadership circles as a volunteer.

“I went to a Jewish high school in Winnipeg and I was pretty involved there, and I’m involved at the university level, so I can definitely see myself being involved in the community as an adult.”

Brown, on the other hand, said the idea that she could pursue a career in Jewish leadership wasn’t something she thought about before, but the retreat influenced her to think seriously about it.

“I really love doing this and I really love being involved in the Jewish community, so it is a possibility.”

For more information about CFJS, visit www.canadianfederationofjewishstudents.com/site.html.