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AVI students BUYcott Aroma at York University

Allied Voices for Israel (AVI)

Updated: Jan 28

PLUS: Uniting Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Iranian students at Concordia University in Montreal

Please click on the photo above to hear more about our Common Ground Ambassador Michael Mandel's #BUYcott initiative at Aroma at York


This week, our amazing Common Ground Ambassadors at York University learned that anti-Israel students organized a boycott in front of Aroma at York, and they immediately organized a BUYcott where they handed out Aroma gift cards to York students, sponsored by Allied Voices for Israel (AVI).


Well done to our amazing Common Ground Ambassador Michael Mandel for leading the charge. This is your sign to BUYcott your local Aroma today!


We also encourage you to BUYcott Second Cup today after it issued a principled statement announcing it had shut down a franchisee who was filmed making Hitler salutes and chanting antisemitic statements during the riots in Montreal this weekend.


To watch Michael relay this incredible initiative, please click here.

Click the above photo to watch a recap of our successful solidarity panel at Montreal's Concordia University


On November 14th, AVI co-hosted a Solidarity Panel of Jewish, Hindu, Iranian, Muslim, and Christian students at Concordia University. Three of the allied students on the panel are AVI Student Ambassadors.


Each Montreal-based student brought their own unique perspective as a student navigating an increasingly divisive, hostile, and discriminatory Canada. The aim of this panel was to ignite a spirit of allyship and honest dialogue in the face of what has become a cultural and intellectual monolith on campuses in Montreal and beyond.


Students unanimously condemned the antisemitism and anti-Israel violence that continues to take place at Concordia and Montreal.


We are so proud of our panelists for using their diverse voices and experiences of discrimination as a vehicle to fuel positive change. Bravo to our Montreal partners for partnering with us on this groundbreaking event. Our aim is to make more of these panel events happen on universities across Canada – they are certainly needed now more than ever before!


To watch some snippets of wisdom from our incredible panelists, please click here.

Our incredible 2024 cohort of AVI High School Ambassadors with our High School Advisor Zach Rusonik and Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum 


We are so proud of our AVI High School Ambassadors who participated in our High School Symposium last Sunday. Our Ambassadors participated in educational team-building activities, and prepared for what will be a year of empowering and educating themselves to be amazing advocates for Am Yisrael!


A huge thank you to our Director of Operations Lea J. Bloom for opening up your home to our students.


To listen to AVI's Founder and Executive Director give an excellent pep talk to our new cohort of High School Ambassadors, please click here.

WATCH: Yoseph Haddad invites you to join us on his Canadian tour!


We are under two weeks away until Arab-Israeli advocate Yoseph Haddad arrives in Canada! Presented by AVI and generously sponsored by Israeli Mall & Dr. Steven Stein, you are invited to United We Stand: An Evening with Yoseph Haddad in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.

⁠⁠

Yoseph will be speaking on the following dates:

🏙️Montreal on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024⁠

🏙️Toronto on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024⁠

🏙️Calgary on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024⁠

🏙️Vancouver on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024⁠

All tickets and sponsorships will receive a full charitable tax receipt. Get your tickets today before they run out!


Left to right: Common Ground Ambassador Sarah Dishy and High School Advisor Zach Rusonik at an AVI tabling at Toronto Metropolitan University


At Toronto Metropolitan University, Common Ground Ambassador Sarah Dishy hosted an AVI tabling in partnership with Students Supporting Israel (SSI). Sarah and our AVI staff interacted with students and distributed our new TMU Loves Israel stickers.

Left to right: Senior Campus Advisor Idaliah Snajdman; incoming Common Ground Ambassador and Co-President of the OCAD Jewish Club Emily Shoam; Common Ground Ambassador and Co-President of the OCAD Jewish Club Zach Gross


At OCAD University, our Common Ground Ambassador Zach Gross and incoming Ambassador Emily Shoam, co-presidents of the OCAD Jewish Club, hosted an AVI tabling alongside our Senior Campus Advisor Idaliah Snajdman. The students handed out kosher donuts and promoted awareness of the over 100 hostages still in Gaza.


Zach is a Common Ground Ambassador who joined us in Israel this summer – and Emily is set to embark on our upcoming Common Ground Israel program later next month! It is very rewarding to see our students taking active leadership roles in promoting Jewish and Israeli pride on campus.

Click the above image to read the JNS article


Our Founder and Executive Director Daniel Koren was quoted in a Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) article by Dave Gordon, titled Jewish groups applaud Canada’s new resource on Jew-hatred.


The article discusses the Canadian government's recent launch of a handbook on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, being the first country to release such a comprehensive resource on the topic.


“All institutions at the municipal, provincial and federal levels” ought to use the guide to “combat anti-Jewish hatred whenever it rears its ugly head,” Koren said.


“The antisemitism on Canadian streets is motivated by anti-Zionist and anti-Israel hatred... We just want to make it clear that the demonization of Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, is indeed a form of anti-Jewish hatred.”


“Legitimate criticism of Israel, however, is not only encouraged but shared by Israeli civilians, politicians and the like,” he added.


To read the full piece, please click here.

Click the above image to read Dawson College student and AVI High School Mentor Sarah Shaykhian's statement on the college's recent antisemitic vote


On Thursday, November 14th, the Dawson Student Union voted on a proposed anti-Israel strike.⁠ The majority voted in favour of the strike moving forward, and on November 21st, it was allowed to take place. After a flurry of concerned emails from community members in response to the rally, the school shut down so it could move forward without interruption, disrupting classes for all students.

AVI High School Mentor and Dawson College Student Sara Shaykhian made a powerful statement regarding the vote, and the current climate of anti-Jewish hatred on campus.⁠


To read her statement, please click here.

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