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READ: My 10 Days in Israel as a Christian Student

Allied Voices for Israel (AVI)

PLUS: AVI students take part in #BraidsForAgam campaign, U of T event cancelled, and more!


Click the above post to read University of Ottawa student Katie Mbakulo's blog on her experience as a Christian ally on our Common Ground Israel trip!


We are proud to share that our Common Ground Ambassador Katie Mbakulo, a University of Ottawa student, was recently published in Crossmap Blogs! In the piece, Katie describes her experience touring Israel with AVI as a Christian ally.


“I experienced Israel's inclusivity firsthand by freely visiting significant holy sites such as the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, attending Shabbat dinners, and lighting Hanukkah candles for the first time—all while proudly wearing my cross necklace as a symbol of my faith throughout the entirety of the trip,” writes Katie.


“In a region so dark and hostile, Israel stands alone as a beacon of hope- a place where Christianity is not only tolerated but embraced and protected. Israel fights tirelessly against the same extremist forces that seek to harm Christians worldwide.”


To read Katie's column, please click here.

AVI students take part in #BraidsforAgam campaign


When four young Israeli soldiers were released in Gaza over the weekend, the first thing many people noticed about them was their defiant gestures in front of their Hamas captors.


The second was their braided hair.


Some close observers of the hostages concluded that the braids — also seen on some of the children released during a week-long truce in November 2023 — were the handiwork of Agam Berger, who had become the only Israeli woman soldier left in Gaza.


Now, with Berger being released Thursday after 482 days, her supporters are returning the gesture, crafting braids of their own to celebrate her freedom and inspiration.


We are proud of our AVI Student Ambassadors who also braided their hair in solidarity with Agam. May we see all of the hostages safely home soon!

Click the above graphic to see what our Concordia Student Ambassadors had to say about the Concordia Student Union's anti-Israel BDS vote


Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) strongly condemns the Concordia Student Union for its passing of an anti-Israel BDS vote Wednesday night. In particular, by distributing anti-Jewish materials and pro-BDS flyers, the CSU made its political bias blatantly clear.


Two of our allied students at Concordia denounced the discriminatory vote and the CSU. “This isn't about justice or progress; it's about pushing a divisive political agenda with no regard for the consequences,” said Abhinav Deshwar, a Concordia student and AVI Common Ground Ambassador.


“Universities should be places of learning and progress, not ideological battlegrounds where a handful of activists dictate policies that hurt everyone else. Real change comes through informed dialogue and collaboration – not through misguided boycotts that do more harm than good,” he said.


“Not only is BDS morally inconsistent, but it is also functionally useless – it has minimal financial impact on Israel while harming our own university's fiscal health and academic freedom. Instead of fostering hatred on campus, let's stand for unity, understanding, and justice,” added Ryan Michon, a fellow Concordia student and AVI Common Ground Ambassador.


To read Abhinav and Ryan's statements in full, please click here.

The event set to take place at the University of Toronto Jan. 30th has been cancelled, following an outcry from various organizations, including AVI


An event platforming convicted terrorist Shadi Shurafa at the University of Toronto was cancelled this week following advocacy from several Canadian organizations, including AVI.

Shadi Shurafa was convicted in Israel for plotting to bomb a Jerusalem bus during the Second Intifada. He is also a self-professed member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a listed terrorist entity in Canada. One of the groups that planned to host him was the officially recognized U of T Muslim Students’ Association (UTMSA).⁠

We commend U of T administration for cancelling an event that, as quoted by AVI/HonestReporting Canada Campus Media Fellow and Iranian ally Amira Zolghadri, “violates the principles of safety, inclusion, and respect that the University of Toronto is committed to upholding.”


To read Amira's full statement condemning this egregious event, please click here.

AVI Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum spoke to High School and Grade 8 students at Holy Blossom Temple


High School and Grade 8 students in Toronto recently attended an AVI workshop on “Navigating Campus Life” at Holy Blossom Temple, led by AVI’s Director of Education Gabriela Rosenblum. ⁠

Gabriela gave the students valuable tips and resources for when they are ready to venture into campus advocacy in college or university.⁠

Happy Lunar New Year!


AVI wishes everyone celebrating a happy and auspicious Lunar New Year!

Our Allyship Committee Member Serena Lee shared this image, and had a beautiful message about the year of the snake 🐍:⁠

“Gong Hei Fat Choy! May the Year of the Snake bring you all good health, happiness and prosperity. Sharing this pic as a little nod to a shared theme of gelt = lai see 🧧. Also a time centred strongly around family and reunions. May we all be reunited soon with all our hostages.”


To read An Ally's Guide to Lunar New Year, put together by Montreal Allyship Advisor Raihaana Adira, please click here.

Click each respective graphic to register for these upcoming events


 Join members of the Chinese, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Toronto on Feb. 6, 2025 at 7pm for an evening of bridge-building through humour with Yukyuk Comedy Club’s Founder Mark Breslin!



If you're an OCAD student, please join AVI and the OCAD Jewish Club for their first event of winter semester! Come join us for a Challah workshop and a potluck dinner to follow. Registration will close Monday, February 3rd.


This week's #AmbassadorSpotlight is University of Montreal student and Common Ground Ambassador Ilan Kojdan!


This week's #AmbassadorSpotlight is Ilan Kojdan, who is completing his Masters in Management of Hospitals at the University of Montreal. ⁠Please read a testimonial from Ilan below:


I was born in Israel, but my identity as a Jew only emerged much later in my life. Having moved to Canada at a young age and not having grown up in a Jewish community, I never felt a sense of belonging. Everything changed three years ago when I decided to reconnect with my community after a Taglit trip. Since then, I feel at home, and the people I’ve met have become closer than some long-time friends.⁠

This has been even more true since October 7th, as I felt the need to support my fellow Jews. For the first time, I experienced nationalism for Israel and for the Jewish people like never before. Seeing what is happening on my campus, I decided to join the AVI team to defend my country with real arguments that I have witnessed myself.⁠

I am very grateful to AVI for giving us the opportunity, during a war, to meet different actors from all sides, whether they are left or right-wing Israeli Jews, Arab Israelis, or Palestinians. This has allowed me to understand the complexity of the conflict and bring that understanding back to my university’s campus.

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