Concerned citizens listen to a panel discussion about human trafficking.

More than 30 men and women gathered on March 3 in West Hartford to learn about the serious problem of human trafficking in Connecticut and beyond – and why it is a Jewish issue.  Rabbi Debra Cantor of Congregation B’nai Sholom, Shaleen Silva, executive director of the Paul and Lisa Program, and Kathleen Liner, a victim specialist with the FBI, led a stimulating discussion about the nature, prevalence and consequences of human trafficking, as well as ways to combat the practice.  Chaired by Elaine Kahaner, the event was sponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Women’s Philanthropy.