Spirit of Hope 2025 Sponsorship by FSWC Mail

COMING TOGETHER IN THE STRAIGHT TALK AND INCISIVE COMMENTARY FROM LEADING THINKERS

IN CANDID CONVERSATION, MODERATED BY JOURNALIST AND TV HOST STEVE PAIKIN OCT. 29, 202 5 | TORONTO FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

CONFRONTING

TODAY’S BRAVE NEW REALITY

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE and

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is thrilled to present Spirit of Hope 2025, our annual marquee event. Taking place in Toronto on October 29, 2025, it will feature two leading thinkers and commentators – CNN’s Van Jones and NYU’s Scott Galloway – in a candid conversation, moderated by journalist Steve Paikin. Their discussion will focus on today’s brave new reality, what it means and the risks and opportunities for Israel and world Jewry.

Also, on the program, in celebration of light over darkness, FSWC will honour our allies. We will pay tribute to extraordinary men and women who, especially over the past year, have shown great courage and moral clarity in speaking out against antisemitism and standing up in support of our community.

Taking place in Toronto on October 29, 2025, Spirit of Hope will pay tribute to six exceptional Canadians whose upstanding values and solidarity with the Jewish community merit our recognition and appreciation.

FATHER DEACON ANDREW BENNETT

is the Director of Faith Community Engagement at the Cardus think tank. Canada’s first Ambassador for Religious Freedom, he’s long been in the forefront of efforts in the Christian community to combat antisemitism and promote Holocaust education.

CATHY CICCOLINI

is a Partner at Masters Insurance where she leads the Commercial/Construction team, fostering industry partnerships. Cathy supports numerous local charitable and community organizations.

DR. EVERTON GOODEN

is President and CEO of North York General Hospital where, over the past 25 years, he’s served in clinical, administrative and leadership roles and has long volunteered in local, national and global humanitarian organizations.

DEBORAH LYONS

recently served as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism and is a former Canadian ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan, with a strong commitment to community support.

MARK MULRONEY

is a banking and capital markets professional and an active community volunteer. He’s involved in a variety of fundraising efforts and serves on several not-for-profit boards.

KAREN RESTOULE

is a Senior Advisor at Oyster Group and Director of Indigenous Affairs and a Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute. She sits on governance and advisory boards of non-profit organizations and works to improve the state of Indigenous communities.

SCOTT GALLOWAY VAN JONES

Van Jones is a U.S. media personality, entrepreneur and world-class changemaker. Jones has a rare track record of bringing people together to do hard things – in areas as diverse as clean energy solutions, criminal justice reform and racial inclusion in the tech sector. In 2007, Van was the primary champion of the Green Jobs Act, signed into law by George W. Bush. In 2009, he worked in the Obama White House as the Special Advisor for Green Jobs. In 2018, he helped pass the FIRST STEP Act, signed into law by Donald Trump; the New York Times calls that legislation the most substantial breakthrough in criminal justice in a generation.

In 2021, Jones was the first recipient of Jeff Bezos’ Courage & Civility Award. He has since founded Dream Machine Innovation Lab and launched RAPPORT.co, which uses A.I. to increase firms’ EQ. A Yale Law School graduate, Van is a CNN host, an Emmy Award-winning producer, a 3X New York Times best-selling author and the creator of the Van Jones Substack.

Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He was named one of the world’s best business professors by Poets & Quants. Scott has founded nine companies, including Prophet, RedEnvelope, L2, and Section School, where he also teaches. He is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Four, The Algebra of Happiness, Post Corona, Adrift: America in 100 Charts, and The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security. His most recent book, Notes on Being a Man will be released in November 2025. Scott has served on the boards of directors of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Panera Bread, and Ledger. He has won multiple Webby and Best Podcast awards, and his books have been translated into 28 languages. Across his Prof G Pod, Prof G Markets, Raging Moderates, Pivot podcasts, No Mercy / No Malice newsletter, and his YouTube channel, Scott reaches millions.

STEVE PAIKIN moderator LAUREN AND BENJIE LEVY campaign chairs

Best known for his long career at TVO where he served for nearly 20 years as the host and senior editor of its flagship current affairs program, The Agenda, Steve Paikin is an award-winning Canadian journalist, author and documentary producer. At TVO, he co-hosts a podcast and is a columnist. He’s written nine books, including his most recent, John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada’s 17th Prime Minister. As a print and broadcast journalist, he’s long been recognized for his fairness, high standards and keen interviewing skills.

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center is honoured to have Benjie and Lauren Levy serve as Co-Chairs of this year’s Spirit of Hope Gala. Benjie is a seasoned business leader with over two decades of experience driving innovation and growth in sports media, technology, and gaming, most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer of theScore. Lauren is an entrepreneur, content creator, and brand builder with over 20 years of marketing experience, who recently co-founded Odd Cookie Snacks.

Together, Benjie and Lauren have championed causes close to their hearts, supporting Jewish advocacy, women’s health, children and nutrition. They are proud and active supporters of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and their work across Canada to fight antisemitism.