AVI educational resources distributed at First Nations conference in Winnipeg
- Allied Voices for Israel (AVI)
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
PLUS: A recap of our "Shalom Namaste" event, Rawan Osman is in Vancouver tonight, AVI students are leading panel on antisemitism, and more!
Click on the above photo to see more pictures from the 2025 International Nations for First Nations gala and conference
We are proud to share that over 135 of our Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) educational resources were distributed to attendees at the International Nations for First Nations gala and conference at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg this week.
First Nations and Indigenous leaders and attendees from various backgrounds clearly enjoyed reading our resources on Jewish indigeneity to Israel, as well as our glossary of terms on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
It is great to see our resources resonating with our allies in First Nations communities from across Canada!
To see more photos from the conference, please click here.
Click on the above still to check out more photos from our recent Shalom Namaste yoga event!
On Sunday, AVI hosted our inaugural yoga event, Shalom Namaste, bringing together like-minded Canadians for connection, reflection, and peace for an evening of mindfulness and meditation. 🧘🏻🧘🏽♀️🧘🏼♂️
The event featured a diverse lineup of instructors offering something for everyone—from restorative to high-energy movement. Here are a few highlights:
🪷 Yana Schekoldin guided participants through calming Restorative Yoga, set to the healing sounds of crystal bowls by Rhonda from Mindfulness and the Lotus;
🪷 Randi Bergman led an energizing Power Yoga session;
🪷 Neeva, owner of She Pilates and Yoga and one of our proud sponsors, brought her signature strength-meets-serenity style;
🪷 A special Laughing Yoga experience led by Ragini and Pooja of the Canadian Organization of Hindu Heritage Education (CoHHE) helped us all breathe a little easier.
Click on the above still to check out more photos from our recent Shalom Namaste yoga event!
Guests enjoyed a fresh juice bar, kosher fare, and meaningful conversation, all in a space designed to nourish both body and spirit.
In moments of challenge and grief, AVI remains committed to building community through creativity, compassion, and solidarity.
A huge thank you to our generous sponsors Carole & Dr. Bernard Zucker and Family, and Wendy & Elliot Eisen and Family!
To see more photos from the event, please click here.
Click on the above graphic to register!
Two of our AVI Common Ground Ambassadors will be leading a panel at today's Confronting Antisemitism in Canada Conference!
The panel will take place at 1:45pm ET and will focus on the challenges and opportunities of education in Canada. Our AVI students will be sharing their experiences as Canadian university students, and will be joined by Mika Hackner discussing integration of anti-Palestinian racism in educational curriculum, and Heidi Berger discussing a need for renewing Holocaust education.
We are so proud of our AVI Student Ambassadors for taking on leadership roles in the fight against anti-Jewish hatred.
To register for today's conference, please click here.
Click on the above graphic to register!
Also today is our event in Vancouver with Syrian-Lebanese advocate Rawan Osman, generously sponsored by Pollock Clinics.
Raised in a Hezbollah stronghold, Rawan Osman once viewed Israel through the lens of conflict. Her firsthand experiences shattered that narrative — transforming her into a powerful voice for peace between Israel and the Arab world. From addressing the UN to founding Arabs Ask, Osman challenges extremism and inspires change.
📅 Thursday, June 12, 2025
⏰ 6:00 PM VIP | 7:00 PM Main Event in Vancouver
📍 Location shared upon registration
To register for today's Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the World's Oldest Hatred event in Vancouver, please click here.
Click on the above graphic to see which Canadian leaders and allies have spoken out against the defacement of Ottawa's National Holocaust Monument
AVI appreciates our incredible allies, including politicians, speakers, and experts from across the political spectrum, who have condemned the vandalism of Canada’s National Holocaust Monument that took place earlier this week.
This act of vandalism is an attack on the memory of six million murdered Jewish souls, and the “never again” vow and it must be condemned.
To see what these allies have said in regards to this heinous desecration, please click here.
We have a limited number of tickets to give away to allies interested in attending Toronto's Nova Exhibit!
Do you want complimentary tickets to the Nova Exhibit in Toronto?
We are giving away a LIMITED number of tickets, specifically to encourage allies to attend. If you know someone who needs to understand the war and what happened on October 7th, whether it is a teacher, coworker, friend or classmate, this is for them.
TO ENTER:
1. Follow us on Instagram
2. Comment on our post, share your support for Israel or tag an ally
3. DM us FREE NOVA – we will reply and ask for your name, email, how many tickets, and the time and date you want to go.
Spots are limited and the exhibit closes June 22nd – so please don't wait and register today!
(Left to right): Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah Snajdman, MP Kevin Vuong, AVI Allyship Committee Chair Kristin Berry, and AVI Marketing Coach Ofra Nissani
AVI joined a delicious breakfast at United Bakers to recognize former MP for Spadina-Fort York Kevin Vuong and his family for their unwavering support of the Jewish community.
Former MP Vuong, a proud Catholic, has stood consistently with the Jewish community, not just in office, but in principle. His moral clarity and courage have inspired countless others to speak up in the face of hate and injustice.
Being an ally isn’t always easy. It often comes with personal cost. We’re grateful for Vuong’s leadership and proud to celebrate the power of allyship in action.
Our #AmbassadorSpotlight is Irshad Manji, a Ugandan-born Canadian Muslim author and activist
In honour of Pride Month, we are highlighting some of our incredible LGBTQ+ allies! This week we are spotlighting Irshad Manji, a Ugandan-born Canadian Muslim author and activist.
A former journalist and television presenter, Manji is an advocate of a reformist interpretation of Islam and a critic of literalist interpretations of the Quran.
Her latest book, Don't Label Me (2019), proposes methods on how to heal political, racial, and cultural divides. The ideas in the book are related to the Moral Courage Project, which Manji founded at New York University in 2008 and expanded to the University of Southern California (USC) in 2016, when she was a senior fellow at the Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.
After leaving USC, she founded Moral Courage College with the goal of teaching “young people how to engage honestly about polarizing issues rather than shaming or canceling each other.” Manji lectures on these themes as a senior research fellow with the Oxford Initiative for Global Ethics and Human Rights.
She is a recipient of Oprah's Chutzpah Award for boldness and is a New York Times bestselling author.
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