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Some Thoughts on the Consulate's Mission
 One of the central themes of the Consulate's work is that of connecting- building frameworks and opportunities for Canadians of all stripes to discover and experience the value they can derive for themselves and their communities from contact and engagement with Israel.
It is all well and good to have an agenda and a message, but if these are not communicated beyond our "home team" in ways which address the interests of those with whom we're speaking, then advancing our goals will prove difficult if not impossible.
The key here is
relevance: identifying what it is about Israel, about our society, our message, which is relevant and compelling to the different audiences with whom we're in touch here in Canada and then tailoring programs and exchanges which allow for that relevance to be cultivated and enriched in ways which benefit all involved.
Building such exchanges requires that we spend considerable time listening to our partners and discerning what interests and concerns them, and then identifying what aspects of Israeli society can best be tapped in order to build the vibrant ongoing mutually beneficial relationships we seek.
The Consulate is engaged in such processes across a
rich array of audiences
here in Toronto and the Western provinces. Our contacts and collaborations with provincial governments, with the business and research communities and the media, as well as our outreach to ethnic and other minority communities and to the cultural milieu all follow this pattern, as do our discussions with Jewish leaders, communal organizations, congregations and movements, advocacy organizations, the expat Israeli community, and so on.
As we go about this effort, we seek always to encourage
authentic, informed and direct contact with the real Israel, not just the Israel of people's dreams and imaginations (and pre-conceptions).
A fascinating illustration of the particular type of discourse needed to engage young Jewish North Americans on Israel in these times can be found here. A further example lies in our consistent focus on Israel's scientific and technological achievements- things which are directly relevant to the interests and needs of people everywhere.
Making Israel and its society tangible, accessible, intelligible and genuinely interesting and compelling to people - particularly the next generation - is the challenge we seek to address and the basis for our partnerships with key local actors from within the Jewish community and beyond.
Real engagement with the real Israel and all its potential for enriching Canadian lives is the platform on which the future of Canada-Israel understanding and friendship will be built.
DJ Schneeweiss |
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Canada has added Israel to the list of countries deemed unlikely to produce legitimate asylum claimants. The new list
released by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney this week also includes Japan, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and Mexico, who join the US and many European countries in the expanded group.
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This week we participated in a series of deliberations together with representatives of Israel's Reut Institute, UJA Federation, the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce and others on how to enhance the connection between the expat Israeli community in Canada, Jewish communal life and Israel. See our Featured Article on the left for more on how the Consulate goes about building common agendas with key partner communities.
 CG Schneeweiss attended the Speech from the Throne at Queen's Park on February 19th, at which Lieutenant Governor Onley spoke amongst other things of the new Wynne Government's commitment to enhancing the work of the Ontario Brain Institute, an initiative built upon Israeli-Ontario collaboration, as well as its desire to continue to build trade relationships with countries in the Middle East, among which Israel is a leading partner. The Consulate is reaching out to the relevant ministers in the new Ontario government to promote concrete initiatives that will further advance these mutually beneficial collaborations.
The Consulate is hosting and facilitating meetings and events for WORDSWAP - a nonpartisan, public diplomacy project sponsored by CIJA which this week is bringing seventeen Israeli students from a diverse range of ethnic, religious, and ideological backgrounds to Canada to engage in student-to-student dialogues on campus, in schools and other organizations in the general community, as well as meeting with various Jewish community fora.
 The visit of Professor Al Krenawi, President of Israel's Achva Academic College, and the first non-Jewish head of a tertiary academic institution in Israel was a resounding success. Prof. Al Krenawi's meetings with members of the Israel Engagement Committee and the Israeli Arab Issues Committee of UJA Federation, as well as with the Jewish media provided an opportunity to showcase practical ways in which cultural diversity, tolerance and peace are promoted on the ground in Israel.
 Israel's diplomats have been working hard behind the scenes and in the public domain to bring about European designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in the wake of the Bulgarian investigation into last year's attack in Burgas. See articles by Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, and Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren. Canada has also been playing an important diplomatic role in this regard.
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 Obama's top security advisor joins the public call for the EU to list Hezbullah as a terrorist organization. A succinct summary of the implications and concerns for Israel of the turmoil and violence in Syria.  Two articles from this month's Policy Options, including one from CIJA CEO Shimon Fogel, defending Canada's Middle East policies against the critique that they have tilted too far towards Israel. On Justice Menahem Elon's life and pioneering integration of the principles of Jewish law into the Israeli legal system. On Rabbi David Hartman's Canadian connections and impact, the key themes of his life's work promoting intellectually rigorous Jewish learning, his dedication to religious pluralism, and his work on interfaith dialogue. A report released by the workers association of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizing the failure of successive Israeli administrations to invest adequately in the country's foreign service and its public diplomacy. See also this piece by Dr. Avi Beker. |
The Israel Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Seminar for Young  Jewish Leaders (June 30th- July 11th, 2013) -a study program conducted annually by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for young Jewish men and women of outstanding leadership potential.The seminar is open to participants aged 26-37 from Jewish communities around the world. Further details and registration forms can be found at the MFA website . Completed registration forms should be submitted to Joyce Ritter at info@toronto.mfa.gov.il no later than April 15th, 2013.
On Sunday March 3, 2013, CG Schneeweiss will address the Second Irwin Green Conference, "Israel's Arab Citizens: The Untapped Potential", organized by UJA Federation's Israeli Arab Issues Committee. This committee is doing important work in promoting engagement with Israeli society as a whole, and identifying ways in which supporters of Israel can help the country fully realize its Jewish and democratic ideals. Please use this link below to register online now and join the action.
CG Schneeweiss will be visiting Calgary in early March for meetings with the local business community, academic leadership, Jewish community, media and political leadership. The trip will focus on tapping the potential for bilateral cooperation in the field of energy and water, and follows on from the CG's visit in the fall to Edmonton and more recent visits to Calgary of Israel's Minister for Water and Energy Resources and Ambassador Miriam Ziv.
 CG Schneeweiss will participate next week in the Mosaic Institute's screening and subsequent discussion of the Oscar-nominated Israeli documentary "The Gatekeepers", a film which has attracted considerable debate and interest regarding both its artistic and its political qualities.
The Consulate is also busy preparing Israel's National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Toronto, which will take place this year on April 14. Details will follow in forthcoming newsletters.
 The Consulate is launching a video competition to mark Israel's 65th Independence Day, in cooperation with UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Budding movie-makers young and old will be invited to submit their own 65-second videos expressing their vision of (or for) Israel and to be in the running for the first prize of two tickets to Israel with EL AL.
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The Mifgash Theatre, the only Hebrew speaking theatre in Toronto presents "A Night in May" by A.B.Yehoshua, directed by Yael Shamir Feingold, February 23 and 24 at City Playhouse Theatre in Thornhill. In Hebrew with English Surtitles. Reserve Tickets Today! Contact Hamifgash@srcentre.ca for more info.
Toronto's Teatron Theatre presents the Canadian Premiere of "Jacob and Jack", a comedy by James Sherman, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts February 27 - March 10, 2013. Tickets available by phone 416-781-5527 or online.
The Koffler Centre of the Arts and Ashkenaz Foundation, together with SKETCH present Simja Dujov & Friends Wednesday, February 27 at Lula Lounge in downtown Toronto.
 Israel's intergalactic Voca People hit North Bay, Brampton and Markham from Feb. 28 to March 2. Click here for dates
and ticket info.
Chutzpah! runs to March 3rd in Vancouver. You can still catch perennial favorite world music act Yemen Blues, and don't miss If at All by Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company.
SAVE THE DATE! Israeli Ethiopian singing sensation Ester Rada makes her Canadian debut in March. Check
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The fourth edition of International Business Week will take place in Israel on March 4-10, 2013. Organized by StarTau, the Entrepreneurship Center a Tel Aviv University, the week-long
 program will expose around 40 potential entrepreneurs and young professionals from around the world to Israel's start-up eco-system, while allowing them and their Israeli counterparts to network and build synergies for future projects. Read More
The Waze mobile navigation application and Isracard's MyCheck for Cellpay application are among four Israeli  nominees in the prestigious Global Mobile Awards competition, taking place next week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Read More
 Israel's telecom giant Bezeq has put its money behind SpaceIL, an ambitious scientific venture that is developing new technologies which may see an Israeli space capsule flying to the moon by 2015. The founders of the project believe that the space drive will help inspire a new generation of young people to take active and creative parts in pushing new frontiers for science and technology.
A Hebrew University breakthrough on chickpea (Hummus) breeding offers potential for food security for hundreds of millions of poor across the world. The University is now looking for partners to facilitate commercialization of the invention.
 Israel Cleantech has produced an interactive map to showcase Israeli companies' projects in the cleantech arena throughout the world. The Facebook application allows visitors to view Israeli cleantech projects and installations anywhere in the world.
For more innovation, business and economic news, visit the Israel Economic Mission to Canada website at www.itrade.gov.il/canada/ |
Herod the Great: The King's Final Journey
 Jerusalem's Israel Museum, the largest cultural institution in Israel, unveiled a new exhibition this week detailing the life and legacy of King Herod the Great, featuring hundreds of ancient artifacts on public display for the first time, through October 5, 2013. The exhibition showcases more than 250 archeological finds from the recently discovered tomb of King Herod, including three sarcophagi, restored frescoes and King Herod's private bath from the palace at Cyprus.
For more tourism news from Israel, check out the Israel Government Tourist Office website at www.goisrael.ca |
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Please feel free to contact us with comments and suggestions at information@toronto.mfa.gov.il
We value your feedback.
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attention was granted to 
Canada and Israel have been ranked by the OECD as the first- and second-most educated countries in the world.