Avi Lewis

Avi Lewis is a Canadian Jewish filmmaker, journalist, and political figure whose career spans broadcasting, documentary filmmaking, academia, and national politics. Born in Toronto, he emerged from a prominent multigenerational Jewish political family and built an early career as a broadcaster with Citytv, CBC Newsworld, and Al Jazeera English, where he hosted programs focused on global politics, social movements, and investigative reporting. His documentary work, including The Take and This Changes Everything, created with Naomi Klein, helped shape international conversations about economic justice and climate change. Lewis later became a central figure in Canadian progressive organizing through the Leap Manifesto and The Leap organization, which advanced climate justice and economic transformation. After multiple federal election campaigns, he was elected Leader of the New Democratic Party in 2026. His public work consistently engages questions of inequality, climate crisis, and global solidarity, and he remains a prominent Jewish voice in movements for social, environmental, and political change.