Tema Smith (she/her) is a writer, educator, advocate and community builder. She currently serves as Director of Jewish Outreach & Partnerships at ADL, where she leads the agency's work in partnering with Jewish organizations across the United States to fight back against antisemitism and all forms of hate. Prior to joining ADL, she was Director of Professional Development at 18Doors, and before that, Director of Community Engagement at Holy Blossom Temple, where she is currently a member.
A recipient of the 2022 JPro Young Professionals Award, Tema speaks and trains frequently on racial equity, diversity and antisemitism for synagogues, Jewish organizations, and community groups across North America. She serves on the Board of Trustees at the Union for Reform Judaism and the Board of Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy.
Before beginning her career in Jewish communal service, Tema was a graduate student in Religion and Politics and Early Judaism under the supervision of the former Canada Research Chair in Modern Jewish Thought at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
The proud daughter of an Ashkenazi Jewish Torontonian and a Bahamian-American New Yorker, Tema lives in her hometown of Toronto with her sidekicks - two extraordinarily stubborn shih tzus named Tashi and Padma, her pour over coffee gear, and way too many books.
