AVI leads workshops at BC public school on antisemitism
- Allied Voices for Israel (AVI)
- May 11
- 4 min read
PLUS: AVI/HRC Campus Media Fellow pens op-ed on being a Christian Zionist, AVI university students prepare high school students for campus, and more!
AVI's Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum leads workshops for Grade 11 and 12 students in BC
Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) would like to begin by wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible mamas out there! We hope you are showered with gifts and flowers, and make incredible memories with your families and loved ones today.
We are happy to share that our AVI Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum has continued to make a meaningful impact on Canadian teens and students across the country. Gabriela recently led two workshops on Combating Anti-Jewish Hatred for grade 11 and 12 Genocide Studies classes at a public school in BC.
Students engaged in meaningful dialogue with Gabriela and asked her several questions about antisemitism and how it pertains to the current war in Gaza.
To see what else we have been up to recently in the West Coast, please click here.
AVI Student Ambassadors on campus meet with AVI high school students to prepare them for university
Three AVI Student Ambassadors – Yana Moscovitz at the University of British Columbia, Abhinav Deshwar at Concordia University, and Pe'er Krut at the University of Toronto – recently met with a dozen AVI High School Ambassadors across Canada to prepare them for campus.
Our university students talked about their experiences at their respective campuses and gave practical tips and advice for our AVI High School Ambassadors who are graduating this year. Several new friendships were made and we look forward to seeing these relationships continue to blossom!
The meeting was facilitated by our staff, AVI High School Advisor Zachary Rusonik and Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum.
Our AVI High School Ambassadors participated in a Model Knesset event, organized by AVI, StandWithUs Canada, and Israel Gap Year
AVI, StandWithUs Canada, and UJA’s Israel Gap Year recently teamed up for a fun, hands-on evening in Toronto where they learned about Israel’s government.
High school students, which included several of our AVI High School Ambassadors, dove into how Israel’s political system works, took part in a lively Model Knesset simulation, and earned volunteer hours!
Join us for a Student Solidarity Panel at University of Ottawa
On Wednesday, May 14 in Toronto, in partnership with other incredible Canadian organizations, our AVI Allyship Advisor Justin Chow will be speaking at Then/Now: A Night to Remember, at St. Paul's Bloor Street, hosted by The Interfaith Bridge.
It will be a powerful night of inspiration and allyship to combat antisemitism in our community.
Click on the graphic above to read the op-ed
Our AVI/HonestReporting Canada Campus Media Fellow Tiauna Lodewyk, who will be joining AVI as a Common Ground Ambassador in Israel this June, recently penned a meaningful piece as a Christian Zionist in the Algemeiner.
Please read an excerpt from her op-ed here:
As a student at one of Canada’s most prominent universities, I have witnessed pro-Palestinian rallies at Western University, where participants jeered and targeted my Jewish peers, among other acts of hatred. This has resulted in many Jewish students feeling unsafe or insecure because of their Jewish identity.
Anti-Zionism manifests as acts and rhetoric that targets and harms Jews, rendering it foundationally inseparable from antisemitism, which is the longstanding hate that ultimately led to the Holocaust.
AVI's Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum leading workshops for high school students in BC
Our Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum recently led sessions on effective Israel advocacy and meaningful allyship for high school students at the Chai Club at Congregation Beth Emet in Vancouver.
Students learned about dialogue as an impactful form of advocacy against anti-Jewish hatred and directly tied that into building meaningful coalitions at schools, on campus, and on social media.
To learn about our other recent BC initiatives, please click here.
Click the graphic to read about the historical figures who have shaped Jewish history
In honour of May being #JewishHeritageMonth, every week we will be featuring the figures who have contributed to the Jewish story in significant ways, be it through the sciences, arts, or historical breakthroughs.
Please click here to learn about some key historical figures who have shaped Jewish history.
First-year York University student Lotan Wider is our #AmbassadorSpotlight
Meet Lotan Wider – a first-year Communications Student at York University, and an AVI Common Ground Ambassador.
Please read a testimonial from Lotan about his experience below:
“AVI provides me and so many others with the tools we need to combat Jew hatred on campus, and find a common ground.
I went on AVI’s Winter Common Ground trip to Israel and had an amazing time. We had the opportunity to meet Jews and Arabs that have skin in the game, and heard their insights on solutions for peace in the region. What we saw in Israel is unlike anything you hear in the mainstream media.
My goal today is to fight terror supporters on campus that destroy every chance we have for peace in the Middle East. By proving Jewish Indigeneity to Israel, refuting the lies perpetuated against Israel, and showcasing its contributions to the world, we will clean Israel’s name, which has been spat on by so many over the past 77 years.”