|
|||
This message has 770 words and will take about 3 to 4 minutes to read. This past week we hosted Yossi Tanuri, director general of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA’s office in Israel. He shared his insights with many of our donors, volunteer leaders and staff, all of whom walked away with an enhanced understanding of our impact across Israel. I’d like to share with you some of what Yossi shared with us, along with updates we’ve received from King David High School whose grade eight students are currently visiting the region. There’s more that connects us with the people of our partnership region in the Upper Galilee Panhandle than just our shared traditions. Like Vancouver, it is difficult for children to jump socio-economic strata there. Like Vancouver, there is a significant gap between rich and poor. And like Vancouver, our partnership region is far removed from the country’s spheres of political power and economic influence. Thankfully, one thing we don’t share is the security situation: our partnership region is surrounded on three sides by Lebanon and Syria, and bears the brunt of attacks when tensions flare. Many who live there are under-employed, and their children have limited or no access to the educational opportunities they need to break out of the cycle of poverty. When we invest funds in programs in Israel Yossi and his team are instrumental in developing relationships with local NGO’s, government agencies, and Israeli philanthropists that maximize our support. They leverage these relationships to generate additional funding that is at least triple our initial investment. For example, we are connected to the new medical school in Tsfat, and our Israel team leveraged those partnerships to turn the $10 million generated by the Canadian Jewish Federations into a $150 million total investment. Through the medical school we are avoiding a brain drain by keeping 250 students in Israel for training each year. We have attracted scientists and instructors who demand a high standard of education for their children. And we are fostering scientific innovation through the labs and research centres associated with the school. By funding economic generators like this we are growing opportunities in the periphery.
The King David High School grade eight trip to Israel is the biggest of its kind in North America, and we are proud to support it with funding from the Federation Annual Campaign. The students arrived in our partnership region on Sunday, and, being teenagers, their jet lag was quickly burned off by their excitement. I was about their age the first time I visited Israel, also on a Federated funded trip, and it changed the trajectory of my life. Standing on a hill overlooking the Kinneret, In this week’s parshot, we exit the creation phase of the Mishkan, but it’s a beginning more than an end. The building phase may be complete, but now the Israelites move into its ongoing use and management. Similarly, our work as a people didn’t end with the establishment of the modern State of Israel; that was only the beginning. Now we are in the phase of building social safety nets, bridging differences, and inspiring change. That is the role that remains for us, and since we work on your behalf it is really our role together. Shabbat Shalom, Ezra S. Shanken |
|||
![]() |
|||
---|---|---|---|
This is an official email sent to you from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Federation respects and upholds an individual’s right to privacy and to protection of his or her personal information. We use personal data for providing up-to-date information on our objectives, services, and to process donations. |
|||
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver | Suite 200, 950 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC |