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Dec. 9, 2005
Hanson as CFHU president
Activist brings experience from Red Cross and Expo '86.
PAT JOHNSON
The Vancouver chapter of Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem has scored a prominent local volunteer to lead it through
the next two years.
The new president of the chapter is Sam Hanson, a community activist
whose major volunteer activities up until this point have been focused
outside the Jewish community.
"I haven't had a position at this level in the Jewish community,"
said Hanson, who has served on the regional board of the Red Cross,
as a board member and chair of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre and,
in one of his most memorable gigs, as the official in charge of
volunteers for all the street entertainment during Expo '86. He
has served on the board of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater
Vancouver and on the Camp Hatikvah board.
Hanson, who is trained as a lawyer, has been working in property
development since the mid-1980s.
"I really believe – and have always believed – that
whatever community service work I do I want focused on my own community,"
said Hanson. "I really think Hebrew University does a lot of
good in our own community. It introduces to Vancouver part of Israel
that we, living in Vancouver, never get to see. It offers Vancouver
students a real opportunity to get an education at a world-renowned
university - and, at the same time, enjoy that Jewish or Israeli
experience."
Since 1943, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) has
been a major overseas supporter and fund-raiser for the university,
which was founded in 1925 by such luminous names as Chaim Weizmann,
Albert Einstein, Martin Buber and Sigmund Freud. The institution
prides itself on being open to all women and men, regardless of
race, religion or nationality.
The organization is active in local branches across Canada, not
only in supporting the efforts of the university, but in bringing
the learning of Hebrew University academics to audiences in Canada.
In Vancouver, this includes the annual Best of Hebrew U event, which
brings some of the world's leading thinkers to the city for a weekend
of intensive lectures and panel discussions. The chapter's annual
gala dinner takes place next April and will honor Isaac and Judy
Thau. The gala's keynote special guest will be Dan Gillerman, Israel's
ambassador to the United Nations and vice-president of the UN General
Assembly. Gillerman is only the second Israeli to hold the lofty
position at the international body, joining the illustrious Abba
Eban, who served in 1952.
Hanson hopes his two-year term of service will see the completion
of a long-range plan for the local chapter.
"[The plan] will see us manage what goes on in our chapter
by committees and what that really means is that each of our volunteers
will have less to do and there will be more volunteers involved,"
he said. "That's the main program I want to put in place."
Pat Johnson is editor of MVOX Multicultural Digest, www.mvox.ca.
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