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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 |
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Much of this starts with younger students, such as those who learn at the 
putting on tefillin for Shacharit, I felt deeply connected to our people and our history. It was an “ah-ha” moment about my place in the Jewish world, and I came home resolved to pursue the leadership roles in high school and then college that set me on a path for life as a Jewish communal professional. It’s exciting to think of how inspiring this visit to Israel will be for these King David students. They are off to stay with local families for the next four nights, which will give them a very real sense of what it is like to live in Northern Israel. When they return home, it won’t be the end of a trip; it will be the beginning of a connection with the people of our partnership region that will last a lifetime. 