REGISTER: Jewish and Christian students unite at University of Calgary

PLUS: Hear from our High School Ambassadors, engaging students in Vancouver and Montreal, and more!

Click the above graphic to register

Witnessing people from every corner of the world stay up together to witness the miraculous, long-awaited release of the 20 living hostages demonstrated the power of unity in the face of darkness.

It is in this spirit of solidarity that a few of our Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) Student Ambassadors at the University of Calgary are hosting a Jewish & Christian Unity Social! Students will celebrate faith, friendship, and two communities standing together as one.

This event is organized in partnership with the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry of Canada, Students Supporting Israel (SSI) University of Calgary, and Passages. Location will be sent upon registration.

To register, please click here.

WATCH: Click the above still to hear from our Common Roots Ambassadors

In a new video, a few of our AVI High School Ambassadors share about their experiences in our Common Roots program and how it enabled them to develop their leadership and advocacy skills, while making friends and having fun along the way.

Here’s what you get:⁠

• Monthly webinars with incredible guest speakers⁠

• Build your writing, advocacy & leadership skills⁠

• Volunteer hour opportunities⁠

• Open to ALL backgrounds & religions⁠

If you are a high school student, don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow, connect, and make your voice heard!⁠ The program runs from October – May, but ⁠applications are CLOSING SOON!

To become a Common Roots Ambassador, please click here.

Click the above still to hear Indigenous ally, Grand Chief Lynda Prince

Our Indigenous allies continue to be vocal and supportive of Israel and the Jewish people and AVI is proud to shine a light on their stories. Please make sure you are following us on Instagram as we highlight voices from our First Nations allies.

One of the new videos features Grand Chief Lynda Prince, who received the AVI Allyship Award at our United We Stand event in Vancouver last winter. The event was part of our tour with Arab-Israeli Journalist Yoseph Haddad this past December.

To watch, please click here.

This week, as we celebrated the release of the hostages after two long and difficult years, Cedarvale Park was vandalized with hateful graffiti.

To stand in solidarity against hatred, AVI friend and stakeholder Kim Smiley invited locals to Cedarvale Park in midtown Toronto for a peaceful gathering to spread light and unity. AVI Founder Daniel Koren was proud to speak to the crowd about the importance of taking back the light and building bridges through education and conversation.

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Click the above still for an excerpt from the episode

For the first time ever, we had two of our AVI Student Ambassadors on episode 8 of the Common Voices podcast!⁠

Host and AVI Founder Daniel Koren engaged in a meaningful conversation with York University student Michael Mandel and Toronto Metropolitan University student Liat Schwartz on their experiences as Jewish students on campus today.⁠

In this clip, Liat describes her experience with a Professor who openly celebrated the October 7th attacks and proudly espoused hateful and false rhetoric against Israel and the Jewish people. 

To listen to Common Voices episode 8: Canadian students speak freely about campus Jewish hate, please click here.

Director of Quebec and Atlantic Canada Noa Peretz Benchaya (second from left) with members of the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club

Director of Quebec and Atlantic Canada Noa Peretz Benchaya led a presentation at the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s club about AVI’s mission and initiatives to over 70 people in person and 50 over Zoom!

Noa shared more about AVI's educational programs, coalition-building initiatives on campus, and workshops for students of all backgrounds and ages across the country.

Noa (right) with AVI Common Roots Ambassador Batya

That same day, Noa also hosted a tabling at Montreal’s Hebrew Academy with our AVI Common Roots Ambassador Batya to connect with students and engage them about how to get involved in the fight against antisemitism as high school students.

Building a better tomorrow at the University of British Columbia

To celebrate the release of all 20 living hostages, BC Campus Advisor Stefanie Broit tabled in partnership with StandWithUs Canada to ask students at the University of British Columbia what building a better tomorrow means to them!

We are still waiting and praying for the remaining 19 deceased hostages to be released and brought home to rest in peace. 

To see more pictures, please click here.

Click the above graphic to register

We’re excited to invite you to a special Makom Information Night ️ Learn what Toronto's new social and cultural hub for Jews and allies has to offer!⁠

• Learn about Makom’s five streams (Business, Culture & Celebrations, Arts & Entertainment, Social Mixers, and Education & Seminars)⁠

• Discover opportunities to join as a founding member, vendor in the Shuk, program partner, or event collaborator⁠

• Explore membership options for individuals, organizations, and non-profits⁠

• Hear from a panel of Makom Partners, including Tomer Markovitz from Romi's Catering, Sarah Kleindar from MSC, and Alex Dechune of Meesh Meesh Media⁠

• Ask your questions in an open Q&A with the Makom team⁠

• Network with other change-makers who want to help build this movement⁠

W️hen: Wednesday, October 22 from 7 – 9:30 pm ET⁠

Where: The Collective Workspace – 14 Leswyn Road

To register, please click here.