Students also hear from Khaled Abu Toameh, Ashager Araro, and others!
AVI Student Ambassadors meet with Member of Knesset Dan Ilouz at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem (January 2024)
Our cohort of student ambassadors are arriving home to five cities (and 13 campuses) across Canada after taking part in our Common Ground educational program through Israel.
Students took part in daily workshops led by AVI staff, learned about the tapestry of cultures and identities that make up Israeli society, and explored Israeli cities such as Jerusalem, Rahat, Sderot, and Tel Aviv.
Students also had the opportunity to meet with high-profile experts, journalists, and politicians, visit religious sites including churches, mosques, and synagogues, and experience how the Oct. 7th attacks have impacted residents of the country.
A few highlights of the trip included:
Meeting with Canadian-Israeli Member of Knesset Dan Ilouz and discussing challenges facing members of the Jewish community both in Israel and Canada;
Hearing from Rafat Reistman, a survivor of the Nova Festival, and Noa Reuveni, a proponent of the Bring Them Home movement, at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv;
Having an authentic Shabbat experience thanks to the hospitality of a local host family in Jerusalem;
AVI Student Ambassadors meet with Noa Reuveni at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv (January 2024)
Experiencing the magic of Jerusalem during Chanukah (and not only because of the sufganiyot);
Visiting the Tkuma Car Memorial and visiting Sderot and the Gaza Envelope with Colonel (Res.) Grisha Yakubovich;
Hearing from Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh about his work with the Jerusalem Post and as an Arab in Israel;
Exploring the Museum of the Jewish People at Tel Aviv University;
AVI Student Ambassadors Lary Ephstein, Jonathan Doyle, and Noah Kales at the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv (January 2024)
Meeting interfaith first responders and Israeli Paramedics from Magen David Adom, visiting Save A Child's Heart (and meeting the incredible children there), and learning how to dance with Ashager Araro at the Ethiopian Cultural Centre in Tel Aviv (all in one day);
Meeting with Jonathan Elkhoury, an Israeli-Lebanese media and public diplomacy adviser;
And much more!
AVI Student Ambassadors meet with interfaith first responders at Magen David Adom (January 2024)
Now that they are back on their respective campuses, this cohort of brave and tenacious students will serve as ambassadors for Israel and human rights and look to establish long-lasting partnerships on campus. We look forward to seeing everything they will accomplish!
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