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October 15, 2004
Does diversity matter?
Student finds an appreciation for Israel and Canada.
DIANA GINSBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
It has been more than a month since my Canadian Hasbara Fellowship
trip returned to Pearson Airport in Toronto after our two-week experience
in Israel. Sitting in my apartment in Ottawa awaiting the new school
year to start, I was determined to write an article about what I
had seen and felt in Israel, but I had no idea what to write.
Would people be interested to know that there were 35 university
students from across Canada with entirely different Jewish backgrounds
and views on Judaism, congregating in Israel to become well-informed
advocates about issues concerning Israel?
Is it possible that people would be interested that I learned more
about my Judaism during my two-week stay on a kibbutz in Ha'On or
on my night in Tel-Aviv and my week-and-a-half stay in the Old City
of Jerusalem than I have during my whole Jewish existence?
Could there be people who would be willing to set aside their preconceptions
and open their minds to the possibility that everything they see
in the media may contain a bias against Israel regarding the conflict
in the Middle East?
Do people even care?
If you are overwhelmed with all of these questions, welcome to my
mindset. I returned to Canada with many more questions than answers.
One in particular had accompanied me and my skepticism as a soon-to-be
Israel advocate on my fellowship trip. It travelled back with me
to Canada and follows me around Ottawa on a daily basis: Do people
even care?
Apparently, they do.
During my stay in Israel, we listened to a number of speakers, including
Caroline Glick, a journalist from the Jerusalem Post, Raanan
Gissin, the advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Shimon Peres,
former prime minister and current leader of the Labor party, just
to name a few. A common thread was woven from speaker to speaker:
Israel has shared values with Canada and it has made compromises
for the sake of its ultimate goal of peace. Above all else, the
message that I not only heard, but saw with my own eyes, is that
Israel is a democracy that values diversity.
While I sat with an open mind and allowed myself to hear the information
and opinions being presented, I couldn't help but wonder, would
people who are not Jewish really care? Would a non-Jew come to the
same conclusions I had?
The ultimate test for me occurred on Sunday, Sept. 19. I noticed
that Irshad Manji was coming to Carleton University to speak on
the topic Islam, Israel and Diversity. Manji, a Muslim "refusenik,"
is the author of The Truth About Islam and she was invited
to Israel by a Jewish organization; to see the country through her
own eyes, not only as a journalist, not only as a Muslim but also
as a Canadian.
I arrived at the Azrieli Theatre on campus at 7 p.m., thinking that
there would be hardly anyone there, given that the Emmy Awards were
on television that same night, except for struggling journalism
students who had a last-minute story to write. I was wrong.
Not only were people there, but some ended up sitting on the stairs
to hear the speech. The audience included various age groups, students
and senior citizens who were speaking different languages, from
Hebrew to Persian, setting aside all of their preconceptions, allowing
themselves to be open to the ideas in Manji's speech.
On her trip to Israel, Manji, a non-Jew, felt and saw the very same
things I felt and saw as a Jew visiting Israel. This feeling is
what essentially allows us grow as Canadians and what allows one
flourish as an Israeli, which is our need to defend diversity and
democracy.
Most likely, not everyone in the audience agreed with all of the
ideas that Manji presented about many religious and political issues.
In some way, that comforted me. It's a comfort to know that, as
a Canadian society, we would rather listen to the ideas of an individual
even if we disagree with their opinion because we continuously strive
to question.
It's only now that I've realized the message I need to advocate
to Canadians – to defend democracy, to defend the diversity
of both Canada and Israel and to continuously question whether what
you are seeing or hearing is being accurately presented.
There is one question that you hopefully will ask yourself one day
– do you care?
I know I do.
Diana Ginsberg is a third-year journalism student at Carleton
University in Ottawa.
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