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Israel's Rita Rocks the UN
(From the JPost, 6/3/13):
Israel and Iran may not have much to agree upon these days, but if anyone can bring the two countries together, it's Rita.
The Israeli singing star performed in the UN General Assembly Hall on Tuesday night, in an exceptionally rare event.
Joining the Iranian-born singer, whose full name is Rita Yahan-Farouz, were Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon, who called for closer cultural ties between the peoples of the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic.
Rita sang in Persian, Hebrew and English to the packed hall during an event that sent a very intentional message from Israel to Iran that its strategic enemy is a nation rich in culture and in search of peace, Prosor told The Jerusalem Post.
"It's saying, through music, that we have nothing against your people," Prosor said. "And while you play the drums of war, we're playing songs of love and peace. That's a different message, and I'm sure that to people in Iran who listen to this, this will make a difference."
Rita's family was among tens of thousands of Jews who fled Iran during and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rita told the Post that performing in the very forum where Israel's statehood was debated gave her an extraordinary feeling of satisfaction, despite the fact that her father - a school teacher in Tehran before he moved his family to Israel when she was eight - died a week ago.
It was a concert he didn't want to miss, she said.
"The people there - the real people there in Iran, not the government - they want to live normal lives. They are like us.
They are the same," Rita told the Post. "So we have to remember that, and remind them of that."
She hopes that Iranian television outlets will air portions of the performance.
The 50-year-old singer's latest album, My Joy, consisted of traditional songs sung in Persian, and besides turning gold in Israel, became an underground hit on pirate radio station in Muslim countries including Lebanon and... Iran.
"I believe that if we, the people, will try to reach each other, something will happen," she said. "We are really the same."
Israel's permanent mission to the United Nations hosted the event, titled Tunes for Peace, which was sponsored by the New York and Los Angeles chapters of the Iranian American Jewish Federation and the UJA-Federation of New York.
Rita's performance was the third-ever full concert in the UN General Assembly Hall.
Ban attended with his wife, Yoo Soon-taek, and Prosor noted that he and the President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic were dancing in their seats as Rita performed old hits as well as songs from her newest album.
"The United Nations is usually united against Israel. And here this evening, the United Nations united behind Israel, under Rita's wings," Prosor said, alluding to her hit song "Admit Me Under Your Wing."
"She really, through her music, transcends borders and continents, and through her singing reaches the hearts and minds of people. And there could not be a stronger message," he said. |
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Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird, condemned this week the recent comments of Turkey's premier equating Zionism with crimes against humanity. See the full text of Minister Baird's interview with the Jerusalem Post here.
 Canada has assumed the chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental coalition of over thirty countries that works to promote Holocaust remembrance, education and research. Dr Mario Silva, a long-serving Canadian diplomat, will serve in the role of Chair through till March 2014. A major conference is being planned for Toronto in the fall.
 Israeli app 'Waze' wins top award at Mobile World CongressEarlier this week, Waze Ltd. won the Best Overall Mobile App at the Barcelona World Mobile Congress, beating out Dropbox, Flipboard, and hundreds of other leading brands. The world's fastest-growing community-based traffic and navigation app, Waze can determine where traffic is flowing or slowing, based on user-generated data from the phone's GPS. "This dynamic navigation app ticks all the boxes - great user interface, community/crowd-sourcing base, saves time, saves money, saves fuel - a masterclass in how to exploit the potential of mobile devices," read the judges' comments from the competition, now in its 18th year.  Ethiopian immigrant Yityish Aynaw was crowned Miss Israel 2013 on February 27. Aynaw is the first Ethiopian woman to win Israel's national beauty pageant. She came to Israel with her family when she was 12 and had no previous modelling experience. Meanwhile, in a different kind of recognition, Israeli policewoman and mother of three Sharon Gal has become the first woman (and the first Israeli) to be elected first VP of International Police Association, which represents over 430,000 police officers from 69 countries. Read more about Sharon and the IPA here.  A group of young hockey players from the Canada Israel Hockey School (CIHS) in Metula, Israel, are coming to Winnipeg this March and, in addition to having lots of hockey practice with Canadian coaches, will test their skills against the Corydon Comets Minor Peewee team. The Israeli team of about 20 Jewish and Arab boys between the ages of 11 and 15 come mostly from Metula, Nazareth and the Druse village of Majdal Shams in northern Israel. There are girls at the school too, and last fall an all-girls' team played in Finland, while a mixed team of boys and girls recently played in L.A. The Canada-Israel Hockey School is one-of-a-kind in Israel, with over 400 youngsters of different backgrounds playing hockey at the Canada Center ice rink in Metula.
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CG Schneeweiss with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary, March 6, 2013
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CG Schneeweiss visited Calgary on March 5-6. The visit focused on harnessing local interest in the myriad business, investment and research opportunities now appearing as a result of Israel's new off-shore gas reserves, as well as advancing research and commercial ties in water technologies and other fields. While in Calgary, the CG met with Mayor Nenshi, the President of University of Calgary, Jewish community leaders and business leaders, as well as appearing in local media.
 Consul Gad Alon visited Vancouver on March 1,
to participate in the Vancouver International Wine Festival, an annual gathering of over 180 wineries from 16 countries. While in Vancouver Alon also met with JCC and UJA officials to discuss consular-related matters, particularly regarding the Israeli community in Vancouver.
CG Schneeweiss urged Jewish community members to support efforts to help integrate Israel's non-Jewish minorities, in his remarks before the UJA Federation Committee on Israeli Arab Affairs conference on March 3, stating that "Israel is not just another Jewish community; it is a Jewish society, with a completely different set of considerations and obligations than what the Jewish people have become used to through the generations....
It is profoundly Zionist and supportive of Israel - and profoundly and inherently Jewish - to work for the full and equal integration of Israel's minority communities into Israeli life".
 CG Schneeweiss met on February 28 with Mr. Yogesh Sharma, chair of the Rajasthani Association of North America,
to discuss possible avenues of cooperation and partnership. Commenting after the meeting, CG Schneeweiss said "Toronto, by virtue of its multicultural make-up, offers us rare opportunities to reach out to important global communities and build friendship and understanding that can advance not only local and bilateral partnerships, but also build bridges for peace and understanding in the Middle East as well. It would be profoundly irresponsible to Israel's interests if we didn't try to seize these opportunities".
The consulate, in partnership with UJA Federation, has launched a special video competition to mark Israel's forthcoming 65th Independence Day. The i65 competition encourages you to make your own 65 second video of Israel and then get people to vote for it online. The competition winner will receive a pair of tickets to Israel courtesy of El Al. For details on how to join the fun, see here. |
 An excellent article from HonestReporting Canada taking the Toronto Star to task for its lazy and unfair lumping of Israel together with China and Saudi Arabia as an abuser of religious minorities. Compelling NYT article by Ed Husain decrying Arab and Islamic groupthink and urging Arab and Muslim leaders to embrace dialogue and engagement with Israel - for the Palestinians' sake, not Israel's. An inside look into the hard-working and far from glamorous lives of Israel's hi-tech heroes. The human side of Israel's hi-tech miracle. The Asset Test - an interesting initiative by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy to illustrate the value Israel brings to the US. Coverage of an interesting initiative of the Miami Federation to promote investments in Israel - not as philanthropy but as good management of community endowments. An engaging article by Daniel Gordis of Jerusalem's Shalem Institute on pluralistic shifts in Israeli discourse on religion. |
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CG Schneeweiss will visit Winnipeg later this month, for meetings with local political, Jewish, Church, academic and business leaderships. His visit will coincide with the visit of the mixed Jewish and Arab Canada Israel Hockey School team from northern Israel.
On March 21, CG Schneeweiss will meet with Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley, to discuss the work of the consulate to build mutually beneficial ties between Ontario and Israel.
The Consulate is busy gearing up for this year's Yom Haatzmaut Israel Independence Day celebrations, which will include flag-raising ceremonies at Queen's Park, Toronto City Hall, and Markham, special school and congregational events, as well as the official reception to mark the day. Further details of public events will follow in our next newsletter.
 This year's official Yom Hazikaron Memorial Ceremony for Israel's Fallen will take place at Beth Zedec on Sunday 14 April at 7:00 pm. Consistent with our view that this central day in Israel's national calendar should be made accessible to Israel's friends and supporters around the world, the moving ceremony will take place in both Hebrew and English. Please do join us.
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 Israeli Ethiopian singing sensation Ester Rada makes her Canadian debut between March 18 to 21 in a showcase at Canadian Music Week or check out her Ethio-Groove, Ethio-Jazz, Funk, Soul, RnB style at these exciting Size Doesn't Matter shows on March 19, (Hamilton), March 20 (Waterloo) and March 21 (Toronto - Bang & Olufsen Yorkville) On Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 3:30 PM the Koffler Centre for the Arts presents Fuguing Around with Bach, Mozart and Beethoven conducted by the legendary Jaques IsraeliavichThe Gladstone Hotel in downtown Toronto. 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. In Toronto the Harold Green Theatre Company presents "The Whipping Man" in association with Obsidian Theatre Company; March 16 to April 14 Tickets Here Call for Submissions "In the Beginning" Jewish Playwriting Competition (closes March 15, 2013) "I65 competition" 65 second film competition "What does your Israel look like? (closes March 21, 2013) |
The Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (CIIRDF) launched the Canada-Israel Energy Science and technology (CIEST) Fund on February 13, to facilitate the bilateral development and commercialization of innovative technologies and processes applied to the energy sector. Details can be found here. In collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and Alberta Innovates, CIIRDF will host a Canada-Israel Energy R&D Workshop and Technology Partnering Mission in Calgary on March 19 and Toronto on March 21, to learn about new R&D funding opportunities for Canadian companies. The workshop will provide information on opportunities for research collaboration in areas of energy priority with over ten leading technology-based Israeli companies.
 Tel Aviv has been ranked the world's second "most innovative city" as part of the Wall Street Journal magazine and Citibank's City of the Year contest, organized by the non-profit Urban Land Institute. Tel Aviv was among the three cities which made it to the final out of 200. The winner was Medellin in Colombia. New York City came in third. The results were determined by online voters and Urban Land Institute judges.
 Seventeen Israelis have made it onto Forbes' Billionaires List. Idan Ofer heads the list with an estimated net worth of 6.5 bilion dollars. See here for details.
For more innovation, business and economic news, visit the Israel Economic Mission to Canada website at www.itrade.gov.il/canada/ |
New Organic Farming "Voluntourism" Program Launched
WWOOF Israel, a new "voluntourism" initiative offering more than 70 agricultural and farming programs, is now available for travelers to Israel. WWOOF Israel is the active local branch of an international organization called Willing Workers on Organic Farms that was launched in the early 1970s in the UK.
Participants of WWOOF Israel can enroll in hands-on volunteer programs in a variety of fields, including permaculture, organic garden, green building, cheese- and wine-making and animal husbandry, among others. The programs, which range from one week to three months in duration, will also allow participants to choose amongst more than 80 farms and host families around Israel, from the Golan Heights and the Galilee in the north, to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Negev Desert in the south.
"The new WWOOF Israel program offers an insider's view into farming in Israel unlike any other," said Ami Allon, Consul for Tourism, Israel Government Tourist Office - Canada. "We hope the program will attract a new wave of travelers to visit Israel this year."
For more tourism news from Israel, check out the Israel Government Tourist Office website at www.goisrael.ca
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