Shauna & Rob Walker
Robert and Shauna Walker are young community leaders in Toronto. For more than a decade, they have been involved as volunteers, helping to engage Jewish young professionals across the GTA with meaningful programs. Over the last year, these initiatives have taken on additional value, and they've expanded their efforts to include shidduch (matchmaking) volunteering as well. They live in Midtown Toronto with their three daughters.
When we were newly married moved back to Toronto, we connected to Rabbi Hoch at the Village Shul, someone who really promotes lay leadership. Rabbi Hoch encouraged us to get people out and to run with our programming ideas, so we started doing Shabbos afternoon programs, high holiday programs, and shabbos dinners for Young Professionals. During the pandemic, we’ve transitioned to virtual events, organizing trivia and bingo nights – really anything to make people feel connected to each other. And that’s really the point – to make people feel this is a community where there are lots things to do, people to hang out with, and meaningful content to access. People shouldn’t feel that they are living on their own with no one to connect with. Our goal is to bring people together.