WATCH: Interviewing Arab residents of northern Israel

PLUS: Meeting with members of Sharaka in Calgary, upcoming events with Rob Roberts in Vancouver and Ottawa, and more!

Click the above still to watch the latest from our AVI Alumna and Israel Content Lead Ora Bar!

Even amid ongoing tensions and a fragile ceasefire along Israel’s northern border, a powerful story of daily coexistence is quietly unfolding.

Ora Bar, our Israel Content Lead and Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) Alumna, recently returned to her hometown of Ma’alot Tarshiha, a diverse community located right along the border with Lebanon. She went back to interview the Jewish and Arab citizens who, despite regional conflict, continue to live, work, and thrive together.

For Ora, this wasn't just a reporting trip. Walking through the market, she was flooded with fond childhood memories like taking gymnastics classes alongside local Arab girls, and buying fruit with her family where a vendor warmly gifted her a watermelon.

Ora reflected that it felt incredibly personal to conduct these interviews, striking a deep chord that reminded her firsthand of their shared humanity. Amid a constant barrage of sensational headlines and convoluted narratives, this video brings us back to what matters most: the real people, real stories, and real lives on the ground.

During her visit, she spoke with locals of various backgrounds who shared their stories.

“We are believers that are not afraid; not from sirens or anything,” said Nader, a local Christian man selling books at the market. “I have nothing against the people of Lebanon. I think they are just like us – victims of Hezbollah,” added a local woman named Yulia.

“Inshallah, there will be salaam [peace],” declared Hayat – who hails from Lebanon – over a hearty meal she shared with Ora. “

To watch this heartwarming segment, please click here.

AVI Founder & Executive Director Daniel Koren and our Calgary Advisor Jean-Luc Mudingayi joins a Sharaka delegation of advocates from Morocco, Bahrain, and Syria in Calgary

AVI had the opportunity to meet with a delegation of peace advocates in Calgary this week as part of our ongoing partnership with Sharaka, an organization that fosters peace and bridge-building between nations that are part of the Abraham Accords.

Delegates included Syrian human rights advocate Hayvi Bouzo, Bahraini advocate Fatema Al Harbi (who recently appeared on our Common Voices podcast), Morroccan peace activist Youssef Elazhari, and Israeli advocate and Managing Director of Sharaka Noam Meirov. 

AVI partnered on an allyship-themed Shabbat dinner and also attended The New Middle East: Voices of the Abraham Accords at Calgary's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Both included powerful conversations about fostering coexistence and exploring the potential of the Arbraham Accords.

Click the above still to watch!

McGill University student and social media advocate Justice, an incoming AVI Student Ambassador, has created several clips on his social media that encourage standing up against antisemitism and hatred on campus.

In his latest clip, he calls out the school's heinous double standards when it comes to hate crimes against Jewish students and their allies on campus.

“Fighting for democracy starts with speaking out for what’s right,” says Justice. “Our Western values will prevail, as we stand up for our right to speak.” 

To watch the powerful video, please click here. 

Click the above flyer for tickets - be sure to use our code AVI20 for 20% off!

Join the Leah Posluns Theatre on Wednesday, June 3rd for an intimate Live In-Theatre Podcast Experience with Jonah Platt – host of the #1-ranked podcast Being Jewish. This discussion will feature stories and moments you won’t hear anywhere else.

From entertainment and culture to identity, creativity and navigating today’s world, this promises to be a night filled with insight, humour, and meaningful dialogue. Being Jewish with Jonah Platt is a currently ranked #1 on Apple Podcasts in Judaism.

For tickets (be sure to use the code AVI20 at checkout for 20% off), please click here. 

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Click the above flyer to register for our Vancouver event with Upstanders Canada, National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts, and journalist Dave Gordon

AVI is thrilled to share that we are collaborating with Upstanders Canada, an allyship organization that mobilizes Canadians to stand with Jewish people and Israel, on two live events in Vancouver and Ottawa!⁠

The events, titled Media Bias: How Media Has Mainstreamed Antisemitism ... And What to do About It⁠ will feature both Rob Roberts, editor-in-chief of the National Post, in conversation with journalist and writer Dave Gordon. ⁠

Our Vancouver stop takes place today at 2:30 p.m. and will also feature Janet Dirks, a retired CTV National News reporter, Pat Johnson, President of Upstanders Canada, and our AVI Student Ambassadors at the University of British Columbia.

To register for our Vancouver program, please click here.

Click the above flyer to register for our Ottawa event with Upstanders Canada, National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts, and journalist Dave Gordon

Then, for our Ottawa event on Tuesday, May 26th at 7 p.m., Johnson will open the evening with a look at the vital advocacy work of Upstanders Canada. You will also hear directly from our AVI Student Ambassadors at the University of Ottawa about what they are experiencing on the ground.

We are incredibly proud to bring this program to the capital alongside Upstanders Canada and our wonderful friends at Hillel Ottawa.

To register for our Ottawa program, please click here.

Click the above graphics to register!

We are partnering with the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) on a webinar series celebrating Jewish Heritage Month and Asian Heritage Month – two cultures that share similar values and are serendipitously highlighted in May.

The events are also being sponsored by Doctors Against Racism and Antisemitism (DARA), Toronto Asian Parents Association (TAPA), and The Jewish Therapist Collective.

This morning (Sunday, May 24th) at 11 a.m., Dr. Vera Schwarcz will lead a discussion with Dr. Elliott Malamet on Jewish moral thought and the ways it has been shaped through sustained engagement with Chinese civilization. 

To register for Truth and the Way / Tao, please click here. 

On Sunday, May 31st, Dr.  Jack Daniel will draw from his book A Universe Made for Two, inviting a cross-cultural exploration of Genesis as a relational, dynamic act of creation, viewed through the complementary wisdom of Jewish tradition and ancient Chinese cosmology, with a particular focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

This session will highlight how the Genesis creation narrative resonates with the Chinese understanding of yin and yang, qi, balance, and the generative cycles of nature. Rather than static creation ex nihilo, both traditions describe a universe brought into being through polarity, differentiation, rhythm, and relationship. 

To register for A Universe Made for Two: Genesis Through the Lens of Chinese Cosmology and Traditional Chinese Medicine, please click here.

On Sunday, June 14th, our very own Founder and Executive Director Daniel Koren will moderate a panel discussion featuring AVI Student Ambassador at the University of British Columbia Brandon Lu, Dr. Weidong Pei, and AVI friend Karen Woods of the Canadian Chinese Political Affairs Committee (CCPAC). 

Each panelist will relay their personal story of connecting wth the Jewish community and fighting antisemitism, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

To register for Why I Stand with the Jews and Israel: Chinese Canadian perspectives, please click here.

(Left to right) Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah Snajdman, Founder and Executive Director Daniel Koren, and Communications Associate Sharon Krasni show off their cheesecake-making prowess

In honour of Shavuot, the AVI staff recently celebrated with a festive cheesecake tasting, sampling a variety of impressive flavours whipped up by our talented team. From homemade Oreo and dulce de leche creations to a strawberry cheesecake that may or may not have been store-bought (we will let you be the judge), everyone had a blast indulging.

While we ate, our Director of Education, Gabriela Rosenblum, shared a brief lesson on the deep connection between the receiving of the Torah and the tradition of eating dairy on this meaningful holiday.

We hope you enjoyed celebrating Shavuot with your friends, family, and loved ones!

To listen to Gabriela's speech and drool at our staff's delicious creamy creations, please click here.