Rabbi David Mivasair is a Canada-based rabbi, activist, and community leader. Having served pulpits in Vancouver and Hamilton, he is a leading voice for progressive Jewish thought in Canada and is currently active with organizations such as Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV).
Rabbi Mivasair is renowned for his “on-the-ground activism” in the field of social justice. He has long focused on transparency within the Canadian Jewish community, specifically spearheading legal challenges against the tax status and funding activities of JNF Canada. He excels at using symbolic protests to draw public attention to marginalized groups and is dedicated to fostering interfaith peace initiatives. Rather than remaining confined to the pulpit, he is frequently seen in the streets and courtrooms advocating for refugee rights, Indigenous sovereignty, and economic equity.
Mivasair is one of the most prominent pro-Palestinian Jewish leaders in Canada. He resolutely opposes the occupation of Palestinian land and has been arrested multiple times for participating in non-violent civil disobedience. In 2021, he gained national attention for splashing red paint at the JNF Canada offices—symbolizing blood spilled in Gaza—to protest its funding of activities in occupied territories. He has stated: “As a rabbi, I’ve spent my life teaching justice; when I see my religion being used to mask the dispossession of another people, I must act. The occupation is not just a political issue; it is corroding the soul of Judaism from within.”