Niagara Symposium Brings Research, Shlichus and Jewish Pride Together

An international gathering at Brock University combined rigorous antisemitism research with the warmth of a shlucha’s welcome, giving scholars a place to collaborate and feel appreciated.

For Perla Zaltzman, shlucha in Niagara who also serves the Jewish community at Brock University and is a Psychology PhD candidate at that university, the symposium brought her two worlds together: research and shlichus.

As a member of the research community herself, she knows how isolating this moment can be. Jewish academics have felt the weight of rising antisemitism. For those who study it, many of them Jews themselves, there is an added burden: challenges to their credibility within their institutions, in academic publishing and at conferences. As important as strengthening the research was supporting the people doing it.

Asked how she balances her shlichus with her academic career, Mrs. Zaltzman looks puzzled. What is there to balance? Her research, and events like this symposium, are the epicentre of her shlichus.

“The Rebbe taught us that one’s passions become tools for shlichus,” she says. “I feel it throughout the year, but events like these make it one world for me.”

Seeing both the need and the opportunity, Mrs. Zaltzman organized Brock University’s second annual Symposium on Antisemitism, held October 14–15, 2026, alongside symposium chair Dr. Jonah Butovsky, with Dr. Ayal Feinberg serving on the organizing committee. Scholars came from North America, Israel, Germany, France and the UK.

The symposium brought together empirical research on contemporary antisemitism from different disciplines, sparking meaningful discussions about new findings, research methods and opportunities for international collaboration.

The gathering also marked the first CASA Empirical Studies Symposium. Professor David Hirsh of Goldsmiths, University of London, and Director of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, attended the inaugural Brock symposium in 2025 and subsequently proposed that the Niagara symposium serve as the annual conference for the Contemporary Antisemitism Studies Association’s (CASA) Empirical Studies Network.

Alongside the scholarship came hospitality on a scale the academics had never experienced. Drawing on years of welcoming Jewish visitors to Niagara Falls, the Zaltzmans gave participants a world-class experience, with the warmth and personal care at the heart of their shlichus.

For these scholars, many of them Jewish and doing important work to understand and confront contemporary antisemitism, the symposium offered something equally valuable: a chance to feel seen, appreciated and supported.

“The most memorable and important part of the conference was the care that was taken in creating the conditions for us to connect,” wrote Dr. Caryn Block of Teachers College, Columbia University. “As people going through a difficult time, this conference cared for us in every way possible.”

One participant, who asked to remain anonymous, said hearing colleagues’ work brought “renewed energy and commitment to my own research,” adding that “shared conversation over a meal is the best way to get to know someone and feel welcomed in a space.” Another singled out the informal pre-symposium dinner, hosted at the Zaltzmans’ home for participants who arrived early: “It felt like I was part of a pivotal moment in our journey in the fight against hate.”

Dr. Valérie Boussard, a sociology professor at Université Paris Nanterre in France, put it simply: “This is the most incredible conference I’ve attended since the start of my career. I’ve never seen such a wonderful, warm welcome, such quality of service, the reception at the winery was incredible, and the quality of the scientific discussions with colleagues too, the friendliness. I’ve never seen a conference like this in my life.”

The winery dinner, held at Tzafona Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, was another highlight. Special thanks went to the Kazansky family, Dovid Feinberg and Rabbi Gissessin for their generous hospitality during the busy harvest and production season. Rabbi Gissessin, the winemaker, poured wines and explained some of Niagara’s specialties, then surprised participants with a visit to the cellars, where they sampled a preliminary batch of kosher brandy.

The gathering also made room for an open and joyful connection to Yiddishkeit. For some participants, that connection had deepened since October 7. At the symposium, some put on tefillin for the first time, or for the first time since their bar mitzvah, with joy and pride.

The symposium was held in collaboration with Brock University, the University of Haifa, the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Gratz College, with principal funding from Salit Steel, the Roadburg Foundation and the University of Niagara Falls Canada.

Participants left Niagara with new research insights, meaningful professional connections, renewed energy and the promise of future collaborations. For many, the experience also deepened their personal connection to Yiddishkeit and the Rebbe.

Photo Credits: William Andrew
Contributors: Rebecca Shapiro and Sonya Kaplan

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