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Tag: Israel

Urban warfare training

Urban warfare training

An Israel Defence Forces patrol. The mural on the right was painted by Batsheva Schneider when she was doing her military service. (photo by Gil Zohar)

Fans of Fauda may recognize the Tze’elim Urban Warfare Training Centre (UWTC) in the western Negev Desert near Kibbutz Tze’elim. The base – where Israel Defence Forces infantry and commanders train in the type of house-to-house and subterranean combat expected in the Gaza Strip, but also in the West Bank, southern Lebanon and other Middle East locations – was used as a set for the hit TV series. But, while faudameans “chaos” in Arabic, the disarray in this sprawling 24-hectare base has been finely calibrated to accustom troops to real-life conditions of fighting in Arab cities and villages.

photo - Soldiers in the midst of operations training.
Soldiers in the midst of operations training. (photo by Gil Zohar)

Located inside the larger Tze’elim Training Base, the UWTC simulates the maze of a multi-storey Middle Eastern urban environment. Established in 2005, it was built at a cost of $45 million.

The warren of 600 structures includes garbage-strewn streets, storefronts, schools, houses, shacks, an eight-storey apartment block and mosques. The muezzin’s call blares from the minarets, which are illuminated with green Islamic lights. Garages advertise cars for sale. Jeeps patrol the dusty streets. Holes blown in walls allow soldiers to avoid entering a building via the doorway, which may have been booby-trapped.

Most striking are the murals and graffiti scattered across the site, some painted by Batsheva Schneider when she was doing her military service. The images include Islamic Jihad fighters firing RPGs, Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Qassam rockets from Gaza, and guerrillas with their faces covered by a keffiyah scarf marked “shahid” (martyr). One Arabic sign just says “death.”

photo - Murals and graffiti are scattered across Tze’elim
Murals and graffiti are scattered across Tze’elim. (photo by Gil Zohar)

Entering a mock-up of a claustrophobic Gaza terrorist tunnel, this writer felt the palpable panic among my fellow journalists behind me as they urged me forward in the pitch-black darkness.

photo - Images include Qassam rockets from Gaza
Images include Qassam rockets from Gaza. (photo by Gil Zohar)

Other buildings are decorated to replicate a salon in a private home. The verisimilitude extends down to framed family photographs, flowers in a vase, recent newspapers from Gaza and art with Quranic verses. Simulators showing mortar strikes and explosions suggest to soldiers what they might witness outside the living room window.

In addition to the IDF, Israel’s “Mini Gaza” has been used for urban warfare training by U.S. Army soldiers and United Nations peacekeepers. The project was developed to meet the need for better urban warfare training by the IDF, as a response to the challenges of the Second Intifada of 2000-2005. It is regularly updated as new terror strategies evolve.

Training exercises here are meant to help soldiers and their officers distinguish between combatants and civilians, and prepare them for situations where terrorists exploit civilians as human shields.

This writer was part of a delegation of international journalists on a tour organized by the Israel Government Press Office. The invitation came before the recent military operation in Jenin.

Gil Zohar is a writer and tour guide in Jerusalem.

Format ImagePosted on September 1, 2023August 29, 2023Author Gil ZoharCategories IsraelTags Israel, warfare

מאתיים יהודים עלו החודש מארה”ב וקנדה

עולים חדשים מארה”ב ומקנדה עלו בחודש אוגוטס לישראל בטיסה מיוחדת של אל על וארגון נפש בנפש המעודד עלייה של יהודים לישראל. כרבע מתוכם הם צעירים וצעירות שצפויים להתגייס לצה”ל כחיילים בודדים. לראשונה העולים עברו הליך קליטה מלא במהלך הטיסה, והוענקו להם תעודות העולה על המטוס

זו הטיסה השישים וארבע שהוציא עד כה ארגון נפש בנפש בשיתוף משרד העלייה והקליטה, הסוכנות היהודית, קרן קיימת לישראל וג’י.אן.אף בארה”ב. בסך הכל מדובר בכשבעים וחמישה אלף יהודים שעלו עד כה לישראל בפעילות זו

נוסעי הטיסה הזו מתווספים ללמעלה מאלף שלוש מאות יהודים מצפון אמריקה שעלו ארצה מתחילת השנה. הם הגיעו מרחבי מדינות בארה”ב וקנדה. מניתוח נתוני העולים החדשים עולה כי הערים המרכזיות בהן בחרו להתיישב הן: ירושלים, תל אביב-יפו, רעננה, בית שמש, חיפה ועוד. מקצועות התעסוקה המובילים בקרב העולים הטריים הללו הינם: רפואה, חינוך, הנדסה, הנהלת חשבונות, עבודה סוציאלית, ריפוי בעיסוק ועוד

לראשונה הוחלט לבצע את הליך קליטה המלא לכלל העולים במהלך הטיסה עצמה: הם מילאו את כל הטפסים הרלוונטיים ותעודות העולה ניתנו להם כבר על המטוס. ולפיכך הדבר חסך עבורם זמן רב וטרחה בירוקרטית עם הגעתם ארצה

מנכ”ל נפש בנפש, הרב יהושע פס, ציין כי זהו המשך הגשמת החלום הציוני, והוא צופה שהעולים בטיסה זו ישתלבו בפסיפס המדהים של מדינת ישראל. הטיסה הנוכחית מרגשת במיוחד כיווו שהיא כוללת עשרות צעירים שעזבו את החיים המוכרים מאחור, כדי לעלות בגפם לישראל. הם בחרו להתגייס לצה”ל, לצד אנשי רפואה מנוסים שיחזקו את תשתיות שירותי הבריאות במדינה, אנשי חינוך, תעשייה והייטק ועוד. ואילו שר העלייה והקליטה, אופיר סופר אמר כי הוא שמח לפגוש את העולים החדשים עם נחיתתם בישראל. לדבריו תמיד מרגש לראות משפחות עם ילדים, צעירים ומבוגרים, שבחרו לעשות ציונות ולעלות למדינת ישראל. הוא איחל לעולים הרבים הצלחה רבה וקליטה קלה ומיטבית בארץ, ברוכים השבים הביתה

בסך הכל השנה צפוויים לעלות לישראל כאלפיים יהודים מארה”ב וקנדה. בנוסף לטיסה זו חודש, צפויות עוד תשע טיסות השנה בהם יגיעו כחמישים עולים בכל פעם

לקראת גל העלייה הצפוי, ערך ארגון נפש בנפש שלושה אירועי הכנה חגיגיים בהם השתתפו כשש מאות מועמדים לעלייה מארה”ב ומקנדה. כאמור כולם עתידים לעלות לישראל עד סוף השנה הנוכחית. האירועים התקיימו בניו יורק, מיאמי וטורונטו. האירוע בניו יורקי התקיים בנוכחותם של מנכ”ל נפש בנפש, שר העלייה והקליטה, שר העבודה, יואב בן צור ומנכ”ל משרד העלייה והקליטה, אביחי כהנא. במסגרת אירועים אלו, למשתתפים ניתנה ההזדמנות להיפגש באופן עם צוות מקצועי של נפש בנפש במטרה לקבל מידע וסיוע אישיים לקראת עלייתם הקרבה

שר העלייה והקליטה אמר שהוא התרגש לברך באירוע את מאות העולים החדשים שיעלו בקיץ הקרוב. העולים שיוצאים לדרך חדשה קיבלו החלטה לא קלה, אבל הוא בטוח שהיא ההחלטה הטובה ביותר. כשר העלייה והקליטה, הוא רואה את משימת קליטת העולים החדשים כמשימה עליונה וחשובה ביותר. יחד עם משאבי המשרד, הם ידאגו לקליטה טובה עבור העולים

מנכ”ל נפש בנפש ציין שלחגוג עם מאות עולים עתידיים ומשפחותיהם, שהגיעו לאירוע, בתמיכה וגאווה של בני משפתחם, זהו ללא ספק רגע מרגש ומחמם. אנו זוכים להיות חלק מסיפור העלייה של אלפי עולים היוצאים למסע הזה ומצפים בקוצר רוח לקבל אותם בקרוב מאוד ובזרועות פתוחות בביתם החדש שבישראל

Posted on August 30, 2023Author Roni RachmaniCategories עניין בחדשותTags aliyah, immigrants, Israel, Nefesh b’Nefesh, ישראל, נפש בנפש, עולים, עלייה

To give up is un-Israeli

Israelis might be among the world’s most resilient people. Across 75 years of constant war or threats of war, terrorism, geopolitical isolation and global political assault, the Israeli people have built one of the world’s strongest democracies and most powerful economies.

Faced with an endless succession of external existential threats, not to mention internal divisions, Israelis have fought hard to survive and build the sort of state that accommodates, however imperfectly, the diversity of Jewish (and non-Jewish) identities encompassed by the population.

This is now under threat. The current government’s efforts to chip away at democratic structures is a grievous concern. And the political disruption is having demonstrative economic impacts as well. The “startup nation” has seen investment nosedive this year. In the first half of 2023, private financing fell 29% from the previous six-month period and 67% from the same period a year earlier.

While the economic numbers are the most tangible measure of the dangers of political instability and skirmishes, an opinion poll number stands out as at least as grave. A survey last month indicated that 28% of Israelis are considering leaving the country.

A recent feature story about a colony of expat Israelis who have made Hebrew a common sound on the streets of Thailand cited affordability and a laid-back lifestyle as among the draws that have brought more than 100 families to the town of Ko Pha Ngan in the last year alone. These families joined hundreds of Israelis who had already set up homes there. The Times of Israel reports most migrants cite Israel’s “pressure cooker” atmosphere as a leading reason for their move. We get that. People deserve to live the lives they want.

What is more challenging to understand is Israelis who are motivated to quit the country because they don’t like its political direction. The same opinion poll that said more than a quarter of Israelis are considering emigration showed that the current government would be headed for (by Israeli standards) a decisive defeat if an election were held now. Shouldn’t that count for something?

A plurality of Israelis seems poised to oust the government (if given the chance) and yet, rather than seeing this poll as a harbinger of hope, the children and grandchildren of those who persevered against enormous and impossible odds to rebuild the Jewish homeland are ready to give up the fight. (And, of course, we mean “fight” figuratively. Despite the fact that 56% of Israelis worry about civil war, the institutions the current government is attacking, though battered, are still strong and should not yet be dismissed as ineffectual.) If 28% of Israelis left, you can bet that the government that most of them oppose and which led them to abandon their homeland would be reelected in a landslide and be given a free hand to remake the country in the image they want.

We are worried by the apparent depth and breadth of the hopelessness. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis not only wish to change the government, they are taking to the streets every single week for many months to register their disapproval. Many of these are people who have never before engaged in politics. If the current government is traveling down untrodden paths of autocracy and iniquity, it is not meaningless that an enormous movement is amassing in response, potentially laying the foundation for a future sea change.

A lesson from close to home might be instructive. In the 1980s, British Columbia’s Social Credit government instituted a “restraint program” inspired by Reaganomics and Thatcherism that led to mass marches in the streets. Hopelessness gave way to one of the biggest mass mobilizations in the province’s history, in the form of Operation Solidarity. Long story short, that opposition movement, in a sense, emerged into the movement that is now dominant and that has transformed the province, the New Democratic Party having won one of the biggest majority governments in history, in 2020. John Horgan, the former premier who led the New Democrats to that huge victory, was inspired to get involved in politics during that tumultuous earlier time.

Presumably, an entire new generation of Israeli leaders are likewise being forged in reaction to the current developments. Whether they have the impact that British Columbia’s opposition movement-cum-government has had depends on whether they turn this moment into a lasting movement.

If we can point to any reason to lose hope, it is less the direction of the current government than, on the other side, the loss of hope and determination itself. If the policies of the current government seem un-Israeli to many of us, it seems no less un-Israeli to look at an existential challenge and give up.

Posted on August 18, 2023August 17, 2023Author The Editorial BoardCategories From the JITags emigration, Israel, opinion polls, politics

Seeking institutional change

“I think what we should all take away from this incident is that we need to move closer to the institutions and find ways to move forward that are more inclusive and diverse,” Maytal Kowalski told the Independent.

Kowalski was fired from her marketing and communications role at the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver on July 25, the day after she disagreed with Federation chief executive officer Ezra Shanken at a meeting that included seven people from Federation and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and 25 to 30 members of UnXeptable, a group started by expat Israelis who oppose the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reforms. Kowalski recorded both the gathering, even though attendees were asked not to, and her dismissal. She shared the recordings with the Independent and other Jewish media. The story was broken by Haaretz, and followed by a piece in the Canadian Jewish News. As they did for the Haaretz and CJN stories, Federation declined to comment when contacted by the Independent, responding: “We cannot comment on individual employee matters due to privacy considerations.”

“I chose to approach Haaretz [first] and specifically Judy Maltz because, while this specific story is Vancouver-focused, this is an incident within a broader context of diaspora Jewish institutions throughout North America, and that’s a subject area that Maltz covers,” said Kowalski. “I didn’t want to single out Vancouver, because this is a systemic problem within our institutions, and my hope was, through Haaretz, maybe someone in

Edmonton or Winnipeg or Phoenix would read it and feel brave enough to come forward with their own story, or feel compelled to push for positive change within their own Jewish federation.”

Kowalski, who describes herself as “someone who really cares about the future of our Jewish institutions and the role they play in our Jewish community,” said a lot of the support she has received “explicitly or implicitly calls for progressive Jews to distance themselves from the institutions, and I want to say to those people that I think that’s the wrong approach.”

Both New Israel Fund of Canada and JSpaceCanada – on whose boards Kowalski sits – have supported her and, she noted, “if you look at how both of those organizations addressed the situation overall, they have talked about how we need to work together as a diaspora Jewish community to do better and be better.”

She said, “I know people will probably expect that I’ll distance myself from the community, but I’m going to do the opposite. I’ve been pushed out by the community before – I am the child of an intermarriage, and my mother’s partner after her divorce was also not Jewish, so I’ve only known being an intermarriage kid, and that was more contentious within our institutions back when I was growing up than it is today.

“But I’ve always stayed connected and, while they can knock me down, I’ll always get back up. Because building strong diaspora Jewish communities is important to me, and if I choose to walk away in defiance now, then it allows a system of discrimination to persist…. I hope that, if someone is reading this and also feels that we need to work for change, that they reach out. Maybe we can have these conversations within our shuls or other spaces that are open to it, and talk about how we use this story as a catalyst for change. If someone is planning to donate to this year’s annual campaign, they should ask about what concrete steps the Federation is going to take to make those changes.”

Born in Winnipeg, Kowalski’s family made aliyah in 1994. She lived in Israel until she moved to Toronto to pursue a degree at York University. “I lived in Toronto until March 2021, at which point my husband and I moved to Vancouver,” she said. “I have always worked in marketing and communications in the nonprofit/charity sector, and was with the Vancouver Foundation prior to coming to the Federation.”

She was with Federation for just under a year, having initially applied for a job with Federation’s Connect Me In team. “I had worked at the Miles Nadal JCC in Toronto early in my career and really loved working in my own community and I wanted to get back to that,” she said. “I was already very involved in other Jewish organizations on a volunteer basis and wanted to also be involved professionally.”

About recording the July 24 meeting, Kowalski explained, “I recorded or transcribed incidents that I felt could become contentious later on, since I didn’t have any workplace protections such as a union, so I felt I had to find means to protect myself.”

Parts of the two recordings have been cited in both Haaretz and the CJN, including that Kowalski was accused of “screaming” at the UnXeptable gathering. In the dismissal meeting, Becky Saegert, vice-president, marketing and communications, at Jewish Federation, says: “So, I heard last night that the registered speakers were passionate and articulate and compelling and my understanding is that you didn’t register as a speaker, but that what happened is that you interrupted our CEO and began, as several people have characterized it to me, and used the words, ‘began screaming,’ and then only stopped when asked by the moderator to sit down.”

Listening to her remarks, Kowalski does interrupt Shanken and speaks with emotion, but she doesn’t seem to be screaming, and she stops speaking once she has made her point, which she does in less than a minute. For Kowalski, that her manager told her several people had characterized her remarks as “screaming” was particularly important.

“It’s like that quote, she said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ It’s so hurtful to me to know that all those people were good people who did nothing in this situation, which allowed for this deceitful narrative about my actions to be cemented. So, I think this should also be a learning moment where we ask ourselves, when we see something happening in our community that is wrong or unjust, what action will we take?”

Posted on August 18, 2023August 17, 2023Author Cynthia RamsayCategories LocalTags employment, Israel, Jewish Federation, Maytal Kowalski
Keep Israel Jewish and democratic

Keep Israel Jewish and democratic

UnXeptable Vancouver has been rallying for Israeli democracy for 28 weeks. Here they are on 41st Avenue near Oak Street. (photo from UnXeptable Vancouver)

It has been many months since we first wrote to the Jewish Independent with our plea to voice our concern for democracy in Israel.

On Jan. 17, when the new government came to power, we saw the writing on the wall: the end of Israel as was envisioned in its Declaration of Independence – that Israel “will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and holy places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” – meaning Jewish and democratic.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been going to the street for 31 weeks, holding flags and demanding democratia, democracy. And we have been echoing this outcry in Vancouver for 28 weeks – we joined 64 other cities around the world, as part of UnXeptable.

You might have seen us at Robson Square or, lately, around 41st Avenue and Oak Street. As we gather for our weekly rallies, holding Israeli flags, we try to hold onto the fabric of the Israel that we know and love. We try to hold onto one another in this ongoing rollercoaster, and we end each rally with Hatikvah (The Hope). We hope that Israel’s forces of liberty, freedom and diversity will overcome the agenda of this government – a government that is working towards its own personal interests rather than the good of the Israeli people.

We are fully aware of what happens when good people are silent, as bad things are happening. We cannot be silent as we see Israeli democracy crushed in front of our eyes. Dictatorship, orchestrated by a government that has lost its legitimacy, is turning out to be the biggest existential danger to our country.

We fear for Israel. We fear a civil war, as the rift and hatred that was stoked by the prime minister is growing. We fear for the security of Israel and its ability to defend itself, as soldiers no longer feel that they can commit to a government that does not adhere to the basic agreement, based on the accountability of the government to the judicial system.

The Knesset’s passing of the clause limiting the Supreme Court’s power to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions was a fatal blow to Israeli democracy. This clause provides the temporary majority of 64 members of the parliament (out of 120) the ability to legislate any unreasonable law. The government has more than 200 laws in its queue as the beginning of sweeping changes that will make Israel unrecognizable to us, or anybody that has any reference to Israel.

Day after day, things are getting darker for Israeli democracy. We fear that a constitutional crisis is looming. In the past week, the prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, when approached, would not guarantee to the Israeli people that he would obey the ruling of the court if this law were to be struck down.

What illuminates the darkness is the rising of the Israeli liberal forces, protesting and reviving the spirit that brought about the “Israeli magic” – Israel’s economic, political, cultural and scientific rise. Their nonviolent, spirited and creative protests, week after week, are the engine that drives the locomotive of hope. It carries the young and the elderly, Sephardim, Ashkenazim, religious and secular people to resist, sometimes facing the violent response of police acting under government orders. Our group seeks to resonate this protest and, at the same time, provide support to our families and friends in Israel.

After many efforts, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver agreed to set up a meeting between chief executive officer Ezra Shanken and Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and members of our group, UnXeptable, plus a limited number of people of the community at large. Our members addressed the meeting, illuminating different concerns we all share, as Israel is facing these contentious times. The meeting took place on July 24, just two days before Tisha b’Av, and we could hear the wings of history. We reiterated our two main requests:

  1. A town hall meeting, open to the whole community, not limited by the size of the room, with the objective of clearly bringing forth the complex issues Israel is facing.
  2. A clear and public statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver to the community that outlines where they stand, as our leaders, on the judicial overhaul.

If not for the amazing protest movement, Israel would already be a dictatorship, a government in which a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.

UnXeptable voices Israel’s cry for democracy all over the world. Recently, the Philadelphia UnXeptable group, through its continued protests, succeeded in getting billionaire Arthur Dantchik – a main contributor to the Kohelet Policy Forum – to withdraw his donations to the organization, one of the designers of the judicial coup in Israel.

At the moment, 64 members of the Knesset are derailing Israel from being a strong country, of law and order, with a strong economy and a strong army, to being a dark, weak country – economically, militarily, internationally – ruled by a prime minister indicted on three charges, an MK convicted of bribery, Haredim trying to legitimize their refusal to serve in the army and, last but not least, religious zealots seeking to legitimize the occupation and to govern Israel by religious law. There have been warnings from all sectors, including the previous head of Israel’s General Security Service and Israel Defence Forces, banking professionals, the International Monetary Fund and many heads of state.

We believe that the Federation, based on its support of human rights and Jewish values, should take a stand supporting the protesters in Israel and the values they are trying to protect, helping us save the national homeland of the Jewish people, which was established, after thousands of years in exile, with a vision to be Jewish and democratic. In historian and philosopher Yuval Harari’s words: “either a messianic dictatorship will rise or a democracy for all [will be established]. It is in our hands.”

We call for our local leaders to stop sitting on the fence. Come to Israel’s defence to prevent it from becoming a messianic, poor state that discriminates against minorities. Help us protect and keep Israel Jewish and democratic as per the Israeli Declaration of Independence.

– The UnXeptable Vancouver team (Rina Vizer, Dalite Har Toov,
David Berson, Edna Leyland, Ornit and Ron Haber,
Noga and Gideon Levit, and Daphna Kedem)

Format ImagePosted on August 18, 2023August 17, 2023Author UnXeptable VancouverCategories LocalTags Binyamin Netanyahu, democracy, Israel, judicial reforms, protests, rallies

Community milestones … Feldman, Cristall, Fogel & Grubner

photo - Samuel Leon Feldman
Samuel Leon Feldman (photo from news.gov.bc.ca)

Fourteen people who have made an outstanding provincial, national or international impact will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition and an official part of the Canadian Honours System. Among the recipients is Jewish community member Samuel Leon Feldman.

The Order of B.C. investiture ceremony will be at Government House in Victoria in the late fall. This year’s honourees bring the total membership of the Order of British Columbia to 503. Members have been appointed from all parts of the province and biographies of all the 2023 recipients can be found at news.gov.bc.ca/files/biographiesobc2023.pdf.

Feldman’s biography notes that he might have lived anywhere. Born in Shanghai, China, of Jewish parents whose ancestors had been persecuted in Russia, he and his family moved to the first place a visa was acceptable – Vancouver – in the 1950s.

The Feldmans loved the peace they found in this sleepy Commonwealth outpost. Although young Sam Feldman experienced some degree of antisemitism growing up, this paled in comparison to the positive experience of growing up in Vancouver and the many lifelong friends he has made.

In the early 1970s, Vancouver’s entertainment scene was booming. It was very early in Feldman’s business career that he identified an opportunity and a desire to be part of that musical environment. He established himself by representing and booking musical artists for what became a launch pad for many iconic artists.

Feldman continues to turn that humble start into an international juggernaut, primarily through artist representation by building an internationally known talent agency and management firm that has been responsible for more than 250 million records and countless tickets sold from past and present clients, such as Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Tracy Chapman, Bette Midler and Norah Jones. While the numbers are impressive, Feldman measures success through long-standing relationships and the positive musical influence his clients have brought to the community and beyond.

After 50-plus years, Feldman’s involvement in various aspects of the entertainment business is still growing and his legacy is intact. Uniquely, at a time when Los Angeles, New York and London were the epicentres of the music industry, he chose to stay in Vancouver. He has been quoted as saying: “I wouldn’t move elsewhere, as there is no better place than British Columbia to bring up your family.”

Contributing to the culture of this community and beyond is another part of Feldman’s legacy. From Expo ’86 and the 2010 Olympics to countless sold-out stadiums, he’s brought some of the biggest musical acts in the world here to record and perform, and he’s sent some of British Columbia’s biggest stars into the world. He’s proud to have contributed to the excellence of culture here, sharing values he learned from his mother, a high-level concert pianist, and his father, an amateur actor and salesman. His parents were a huge influence on him, and their mid-life immigrant status framed tough times. They urged him to work harder and shine brighter. Having watched their struggles, the lesson was not lost.

In an era when it was difficult for female artists to succeed, Feldman helped female clients through the headwinds of what can only be characterized as a sexist industry, to access what their male counterparts were already achieving.

Having been born in Shanghai in 1949, immigrating to Canada, having a Russian Jewish heritage and building an entertainment empire in a province most people had never visited, Feldman knows firsthand what it feels like to have to work twice as hard to succeed.

To be a successful music business entrepreneur, one must straddle the divide between art and commerce, and treat both with equal respect. Feldman is an interpreter – he has bridged those worlds. This is a skill set he has been able to bring to many good causes, using his connections and resources to support the revitalization of Chinatown, plus many health initiatives particularly targeted at youth.

Feldman has been recognized repeatedly, garnering awards such as the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the Canadian music industry, and the SOCAN Special Achievement Award for contributions to Canada’s music industry and heritage. He has been inducted into the Music Managers Forum Honour Roll, the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

Feldman is a huge believer in the positive change music can bring to people’s lives. It’s in the mission statement of his business and it’s key to his support of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Odd Squad Production Society, Zajac Ranch for Children, music therapy for children on the autism spectrum, and many others.

It’s all part of giving back to the province he committed to so many years ago. Celebrity can be exciting, but it can also disappear overnight, unless you build a solid platform through exceptional relationships and hard work. Feldman has demonstrated that by building something honest and sustainable, you can literally change the world.

– from orderofbc.gov.bc.ca

* * *

photo - Andrew Cristall
Andrew Cristall (photo from nhl.com)

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Andrew Cristall to a three-year entry-level contract.

The Capitals selected Cristall, 18, in the second round (40th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Cristall was ranked fifth among North American left wings and 15th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

The 5’10”, 175-pound forward spent the 2022-23 season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL), leading the team in goals (39), assists (56) and points (95). Cristall’s 1.76 points-per-game rate ranked fourth in the WHL, while his 95 points ranked tied for sixth. Cristall was named Kelowna’s team MVP and was selected to the WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team.

During the 2021-22 season, Cristall set a Kelowna Rockets franchise record for goals by a 16-year-old (28) and tied the franchise record for points by a 16-year-old (69). In 129 career WHL games with Kelowna, Cristall has recorded 169 points (69 goals, 100 assists).

The Vancouver, B.C., native won a gold medal with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing the tournament with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) in five games. In addition, Cristall served as an alternate captain at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship, where he registered six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in seven games and helped Canada to the bronze medal.

– from nhl.com

* * *

photo - Sammy Fogel
Sammy Fogel (photo from Or Shalom)

Or Shalom Synagogue’s new children’s programs teacher is Sammy Fogel, a creative, curious and community-driven educator and facilitator passionate about Jewish education, social justice and mental health. Having grown up at Camp Miriam, and having been a Saturday childminder at Or Shalom as a teenager – and 10 years later as an adult! – Fogel’s connection to the Vancouver Jewish community is longstanding.

Fogel was raised in North Vancouver, had her bat mitzvah at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, and has held several roles working with youth at synagogues including Congregation Har-El in West Vancouver and Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal. She has a bachelor’s in liberal arts and women’s studies from Concordia University and a master’s in social justice and community engagement from Wilfrid Laurier University. She currently works full-time as the administration and facilities coordinator at the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia and, in her spare time, you can find her swimming in the ocean, reading her book in the sunshine or enjoying a London fog at her local café.

– from Or Shalom

* * *

photo - From left, FINN Partners colleagues Gil Bashe, chair, health and purpose; Vancouver-native Nicole Grubner, partner and environmental innovation group lead; and Goel Jasper, managing partner
From left, FINN Partners colleagues Gil Bashe, chair, health and purpose; Vancouver-native Nicole Grubner, partner and environmental innovation group lead; and Goel Jasper, managing partner. (photo from FINN Partners)

The Israel office of FINN Partners, a global integrated marketing and communications agency, has launched an environmental innovation group. FINN Israel will play a communications role on behalf of Israeli companies in the environmental innovation sector.

Vancouverite Nicole Grubner, partner at FINN Partners, will lead the innovation group. Named “PR Guru” in the 2019 PM360 ELITE Awards as a rising communications leader, Grubner has a decade of experience working with Israeli clients. She will spearhead strategic communications programs for Israeli companies making an impact within the environmental innovation sphere.

“Our goal is to effectively communicate Israel’s groundbreaking, market-ready offerings in the environmental innovation sector, accelerate their growth, and foster meaningful connections with key stakeholders worldwide,” she said. “With more than 100 Israeli companies attending this year’s COP28 in Dubai, we are witnessing Israel’s expanding role in implementing solutions for both climate change mitigation and planetary adaptation to the impacts of our changing climate. Implementation begins with creating awareness that these solutions exist today.”

According to Start-Up Nation Central, there are more than 850 companies in the environmental innovation ecosystem, developing solutions for clean energy, food and agricultural systems, industry, mobility, nature and carbon, water and construction. According to Israel’s climate tech industry group, PLANETech, investments in Israeli climate tech companies between 2018 and the first half of 2022 totaled $6.67 billion.

– from FINN Partners

Posted on August 18, 2023August 17, 2023Author Community members/organizationsCategories LocalTags Andrew Cristall, children's programs, environment, FINN Partners, Israel, music, NHL, Nicole Grubner, Or Shalom, Order of British Columbia, Sam Feldman, Sammy Fogel

Drop in Jewish learning?

Participation in Jewish supplementary education in North America has decreased by nearly half in 15 years, according to a new study from a New York-based organization. But a brief survey of Vancouver after-school and weekend education programs suggests local kids are bucking the trend.

The report from the Jewish Education Project, formerly the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, is the first comprehensive continent-wide assessment of supplementary Jewish education since a 2008 report by the AVI CHAI Foundation.

Supplementary education – that is, after-school and weekend options offered mostly by congregations – is how most Jewish children get their formal Jewish learning. Despite this, little research has been done on the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, according to the report, titled From Census to Possibilities: Designing New Pathways for Jewish Learners, which was conducted with Rosov Consulting.

According to the study, total enrolment in supplementary schools has decreased at least 45% since 2006-2007. “While not so different than in 2006, only 16% (less than 2,000 students annually) of those ever enrolled in a supplemental program remain in a formal educational environment by senior year in high school,” notes the report. The number of schools has decreased at least 27% since 2006-2007.

Although the report surveyed Canadians, the American numbers overwhelmingly swamp nuances in the Canadian Jewish experience. An informal whip-round of a few local supplementary education providers by the Independent produced a far rosier picture. Most who responded to the paper’s inquiries have not only bounced back from the pandemic’s challenges but are doing better than ever.

Congregation Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld said all post-pandemic programming is attracting more people than ever before, including growth in Hebrew school numbers.

“Despite the fact that 85% of our children attend Talmud Torah, our Hebrew school is thriving and growing,” he said. “A lot of that I believe has to do with the hard work and efforts of Rabbi [David] Bluman and the teachers, as well as solid Hebrew and Jewish education. It is well known that children leave the BI Hebrew school having learned real knowledge and with a strong and positive Jewish identity.”

Engaging young people in unique and hands-on ways is among the reasons for the success, Infeld suggested, noting the congregation’s involvement with the new Jewish Community Garden.

“At Beth Israel, we provide Jewish education in motion, where Jewish children are able to learn while literally getting their hands dirty in the garden,” he said. “This is an exciting addition to the scene of supplementary Jewish education in Vancouver that has already begun to teach Jewish children important Jewish values of protecting our environment, food security, gratitude for the food we eat and the land of Israel.”

Jen Jaffe, school principal at Temple Sholom, also reports great post-pandemic engagement. Over the last 10 years, she said, Temple Sholom School has more than doubled enrolment, reaching almost 200 students. More than 30 teenage madrichim are set to help in the classrooms this year.

Temple Sholom successfully navigated the pandemic, she said, through online learning. The convenience of that mode has not been abandoned just because it’s safe to gather again.

“Now, although back in person, we also offer midweek Zoom Hebrew classes for our Grade 4 to 7 students who find the convenience appealing,” said Jaffe.

The school’s continued growth has led to a second session of Sunday classes.

Schara Tzedeck has not resumed supplementary education since the pandemic and the congregation’s formal youth education has traditionally been limited so as not to detract from Jewish day school opportunities like Vancouver Hebrew Academy, said Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt.

“Hating on Hebrew school has been fashionable at least since Philip Roth published his short story ‘The Conversion of the Jews’ in 1958,” the Jewish Education Project report notes. Despite this cultural trope, a recent survey found that 87% of kids surveyed like or love their experience with Jewish education.

While part-time Jewish schooling has been seen as an easier, more affordable form of Jewish education, the report notes that it is not cheap, requiring, as it often does, synagogue memberships in addition to possible other expenses.

Broader trends toward secularization that are affecting most religious communities in North America are reflected among Jews.

“Overall, about a quarter of U.S. adults who identify as being Jewish (27%) do not identify with the Jewish religion,” says the report. “They consider themselves to be Jewish ethnically, culturally or by family background and have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish, but they answer a question about their current religion by describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular’ rather than as Jewish.”

Many families tend to be looking for a cultural approach to Jewish identity, which emphasizes history, language and peoplehood over prayer and worship. Another aspect to note is the ethnic diversity of Jewish communities, with that diversity increasing among younger age cohorts.

“Successful educational programs welcome Jews of Colour, all family members from homes where more than one religion is practised, and all who wish to be part of the community regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, class or ability,” write the authors.

According to the report, effective teachers have “transitioned from ‘a sage on the stage’ to a ‘guide at your side.’”

Maggie Karpilovski, executive director of the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, is bullish on Jewish education but said institutions need to heed the warnings of this report. Her organization is trying new things both in terms of content and delivery, with one of their popular offerings a province-wide online program. They are also explicitly reflecting the diversity of families who may be intermarried, LGBTQ+ or otherwise seeking something that reflects their values.

“We are also adding an additional program that’s focused on Israeli culture because we are seeing that segment of the population growing quite a bit and they don’t fit the mold of the traditional synagogue,” she said of young Israeli-Canadians and Canadian-born kids of Israeli parents.

If anyone needed a reminder, the report should convince them that rote language learning and proscriptive religious training are out.

“The traditional brick-and-mortar Hebrew school is no longer working for a lot of families and families are looking for alternatives,” said Karpilovski. “Young people are so worldly nowadays. They are concerned about climate change, they are concerned about racism and discrimination. They are concerned about what’s happening in their world and Jewish education that takes that into consideration, that contextualizes

Judaism and Jewish life within the context of the world, has more success and holds more interest to modern families and kids.”

The Jewish Education Project report may carry bad news, but Karpilovski sees it as a chance for renewal.

“We need to be engaging young people in the design and delivery of educational programs because they are the ones who are going to tell us what is relevant and they are the future of this,” she said. “So, I really hope that this report opens the door for us to pay attention, to ask more insightful questions and to invite young people and their families to participate in the development of what Jewish education is going to evolve into over the next decades.”

The report, with more information, is available at pathways.jewishedproject.org.

Format ImagePosted on August 18, 2023August 17, 2023Author Pat JohnsonCategories LocalTags Beth, Israel, Jewish Education Project, Peretz Centre, Schara Tzedeck, supplementary education, Temple Sholom
Tishby headlines JNF event

Tishby headlines JNF event

Noa Tishby, right, responds to a question from Danielle Ames-Spivak at the Jewish National Fund of Canada Pacific Region’s Negev event June 29. (photo by Robert Albanese)

The Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF) Pacific Region hosted its annual Negev event on June 29 at Congregation Beth Israel. The first in-person iteration of the Vancouver gathering since the pandemic, the evening’s emcee, Howard Jampolsky, vice-president of JNF Pacific Region, noted that the event drew a record number of first-time attendees.

The evening featured Noa Tishby, an Israeli actress, producer, writer, and activist against antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel. Funds raised went to support Carmel Farms, a horseback riding ranch in northern Israel catering to children and young adults with special needs, and Vancouver’s Southlands Therapeutic Riding Society (STaRS), which provides similar programming locally. A video was shown about the farm in Israel and Ann Thomson, board president of STaRS, spoke at the event.

There were several activities before the main part of the evening’s program. Mike and Lisa Averbach, event co-chairs, offered welcoming remarks, sharing that they had a son on the autism spectrum and know firsthand the good work that STaRS does. After Benjamin Jacobson led the audience in O Canada and Hatikvah, Shannon Gorski, president of the JNF Pacific Region board, spoke, as did Nathan Disenhouse, board president, and Lance Davis, chief executive officer, of JNF Canada.

Disenhouse presented past-president Bernice Carmeli with the President’s Pin, commending her leadership, especially during the pandemic, and he gave the Lifetime Achievement Award to “one of the greatest friends JNF has ever had,” Ruth Freeman, for her commitment to JNF Canada over more than three decades. Harvey Dales was presented with the Bernard M. Bloomfield Medal for his dedication to the Jewish community, including decades to JNF.

photo - Harvey Dales speaks at the JNF Negev event after being honoured with the Bernard M. Bloomfield Medal for his dedication to the Jewish community
Harvey Dales speaks at the JNF Negev event after being honoured with the Bernard M. Bloomfield Medal for his dedication to the Jewish community. (photo by Robert Albanese)

Michael Sachs, executive director of JNF Pacific Region, presented the Educators Award, honouring the commitment of the community’s educators during the pandemic, to representatives from the four Jewish day schools: Myra Michaelson (Vancouver Talmud Torah), Anna-Mae Wiesenthal (King David High School), Lisa Altow (Vancouver Hebrew Academy) and Bat Sheva Michaeli (Richmond Jewish Day School).

photo - Michael Sachs, executive director of JNF Pacific Region, presented the Educators Award to representatives from the four Jewish day schools, left to right: Myra Michaelson (VTT), Anna-Mae Wiesenthal (KDHS), Lisa Altow (VHA) and Bat Sheva Michaeli (RJDS)
Michael Sachs, executive director of JNF Pacific Region, presented the Educators Award to representatives from the four Jewish day schools, left to right: Myra Michaelson (VTT), Anna-Mae Wiesenthal (KDHS), Lisa Altow (VHA) and Bat Sheva Michaeli (RJDS). (photo by Robert Albanese)

In the fireside chat-style interview, Tishby was joined by her close friend and Vancouver Jewish community native, Danielle Ames-Spivak, who is executive vice-president and chief executive officer of the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic. The two discussed Tishby’s background, rising antisemitism in North America, and the future of Jewish pride and Zionism in today’s political landscape.

Tishby – who was Israel’s first-ever special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization – is a prominent voice in the media for fighting antisemitism and defending Israel. While she chose this task, she said it has put a target on her back. But she was appalled by the misrepresentation of Israel in the United States and enraged by the strong – “insane” was the word she used – opinions about a country Americans have little knowledge about.  And so, about her activism, she said, “To me, it was a very easy choice.”

Tishby views her work as “what is supposed to be the low-hanging fruit,” and she finds it surprising when people label her as brave for defending the only democracy in the Middle East. “The safety and security of the state of Israel is not a Jewish or Israeli issue,” she said. “It is an international security and Western values issue.”

Tishby’s 2021 book Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth is intended to provide a digestible resource for Israel supporters in need of more knowledge in order to defend the country in discussions or debates. In addition to taking on the responsibility of explaining the complexities of Israel in a clear and relatable manner, Tishby shared that she often sees herself as “part author, part activist and part therapist.” With the peril of rising antisemitic attacks, the Jewish community is stressed, she explained – “people need to vent.”

When Ames-Spivak asked from where Tishby drew her strength, the activist attributed it to her upbringing. “When you grow up in Israel, you live a very particular life,” surrounded by political tension and neighbouring threats, she explained. Under these conditions, Tishby said she has become highly functioning under pressure, which allows her to fight antisemitism daily on social media. An example of her work is a video highlighting the hypocrisy of the BDS movement, which promotes boycotting, divesting from and sanctioning against Israel. The video showcases Tishby talking about various Israeli innovations commonly used in everyday life that people would have to forego if they followed BDS – a list that includes so many things, from cherry tomatoes to cellphone chips.

At the JNF event, Tishby addressed the influence of social media, noting that supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid, who have millions of followers, hold “extraordinarily anti-Israel views” and mobilize their followers accordingly. “Numbers-wise, we’re behind,” she said about social media activism against antisemitism.

And what is antisemitism, according to Tishby? Firstly, she emphasized how one cannot separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism. “The connection of Jewish people and the land of Israel is unbreakable,” she said, noting that Zionism is not a political movement, but rather a part of the ethnoreligious identity of the Jewish people. “Our entire religion is indigenous and connected to a place – Israel,” she said.

“What’s been happening over the past few years is swapping ‘the Jew’ with ‘the Zionist,’” she explained. Throughout history, Jews have often been scapegoats for societal problems. Tishby asked, “Today, what is the worst thing to be?” She named three things: racist, white supremacist and colonialist. So, these days, Israel – and, by extension, the Jewish people as a whole – are blamed for being racist, white supremacist and colonialist.

She pointed again to BDS, whose advocates often use the language of apartheid in an attempt to dismantle Israel. “Every country in the world has issues, yet Israel is the only one whose existence is being questioned,” she said, explaining that, when BDS activists use terms such as ethnic cleansing and colonialism, the Jewish community is reminded of an extensive history of antisemitic rhetoric. “We’ve heard this before, and we know where this can lead,” she said.

Ames-Spivak drew attention to the fact that there were elected officials in the audience who had advocated for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. She asked Tishby why this definition is so important.

The IHRA definition is a key parameter to understanding antisemitism, said Tishby. It highlights the prejudice and anti-Zionism that antisemitism entails, she explained. In her opinion, it is crucial to adopt the IHRA definition at all levels of government.

Tishby described antisemitism as “a shapeshifting conspiracy theory.” It’s not just “punching down,” considering Jews as lesser than, but “it’s also punching up” and a “conspiratorial thing,” which sees Jews as having disproportionate wealth and control over the media, for example. Antisemitism is the oldest form of hate that is still being practised and, oftentimes, tolerated, she said.

Directly addressing the college students in the audience, Tishby said, “Instilling in the younger generation how miraculous the state of Israel is is my life’s work.” Calling them “the most important people in the room,” she highlighted that 50% of college students feel the need to hide their Jewish identities on campus. She urged this age group to not only educate themselves about the history of Israel, but to “find out why being Jewish is great.” She believes that, by doing so, a person becomes unassailable.

Ames-Spivak concluded the discussion by asking Tishby about the future of Jewish pride and Zionism. In response, Tishby reminded the audience of the unbreakable strength of Jewish traditions and values – even in an uncertain or hateful world, she said, women will continue to light candles on Shabbat.

“I’m very hopeful,” she said, noting that, to this day, Israel’s existence and prosperity defies the odds. “The greatest innovation of Israel is Israel.”

Alisa Bressler is a fourth-year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer, and the online director of the arts and culture publication MUSE Magazine. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.

Format ImagePosted on July 21, 2023July 20, 2023Author Alisa BresslerCategories LocalTags Israel, Jewish National Fund, JNF Pacific Region, Negev event, Noa Tishby

Walk for empowerment – Aug. 13

In Canada, one woman is killed in a violent act every 48 hours. The spike in domestic violence that began during the pandemic is not diminishing and instead continues to increase. It has increased in Canada by 27% since 2019.

In Israel, the situation is just as critical. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 20,140 domestic violence complaints were lodged with police, an increase of 12% from the previous year, and, in 2022, the rate of femicide in Israel increased by 50%. In the first five months of this year, 16 women have been murdered.

Join CHW (Canadian Hadassah-WIZO) Vancouver Centre for the CHW Vancouver Walk on Sunday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon at Jericho Beach. This annual event raises funds in support of CHW’s SOS – Starting Over Safely – summer campaign to empower victims of domestic violence.

The CHW Vancouver Walk is an opportunity for the community to come together and make a difference. By participating in this event, you will not only support essential programs that empower women to break the cycle of violence, but also raise awareness about the issue of domestic abuse.

The programs supported by this cause are WIZO services for domestic abuse survivors, Michal Sela Forum in Israel and Franny’s Fund in Canada. These programs will:

  • provide help for parents and families in need of an urgent response,
  • provide women and their children with specially trained protections dogs,
  • provide women and their children with the basic essentials to start over safely,
  • provide awareness materials to help women recognize the signs of abuse,
  • fund respite summer camp experiences for at-risk youth,
  • provide access to critical resources, including legal counsel and therapeutic counseling services, and
  • assist with social and personal support to help break the cycle of violence.

CHW encourages everyone to come to Jericho Beach, where the event will kick off promptly at 10 a.m.  To donate and to register to walk, jog or run, go to chw.ca/vancouver-walk (free for kids under 18). Strollers and dogs are welcome. No matter how you choose to participate, your presence and support will make a meaningful impact. Together, we can create a safer and more secure environment for those affected by domestic abuse.

Also, save the date: on Aug. 22, CHW will launch a 27-hour online crowdfunding campaign. Funds raised that day will be matched three more times by a loyal community of donors, the Matching Heroes, so please visit chwsos.ca sometime during those 27 hours and donate.

– Courtesy CHW

Format ImagePosted on July 21, 2023July 20, 2023Author CHWCategories LocalTags Canada, Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, domestic violence, fundraising, health, Israel, SOS, Starting Over Safely, tikkun olam, women

איך משיגים ויזה להגר לקנדה – חלק ב

כידוע ישראלים רבים מבקשים לנסוע לקנדה עבור לימודים או כדי למצוא עבודה. אשרותהכניסה לקנדה משתנות לפי המטרה שלשמה אתם מעוניינים להיכנס למדינה

עבור כל מבקש ויזה הדבר החשוב ביותר לרשות ההגירה המקומית הוא להבין שהוא לא מעוניין להישאר בקנדה מעבר לזמן המוגדר שאותו הוא ביקש. בין אם מדובר בלימודים, עבודה או טיול, חשוב להציג הוכחות שמראות שיש סיבות מספיק טובות מדוע המבקש מעוניין לחזור בחזרה לישראל. ככל שהמבקש יציג הוכחות טובות יותר לכך שהוא אכן מתכננים לחזור לישראל, כך יגבר הסיכוי שרשות ההגירה תעניק לו את האשרה הרצויה. לאור זאת, הצגה של מסמכים המציגים מקום עבודה בארץ, מוסד להשכלה גבוהה שבו המבקש מתכנן ללמוד וכיוצא בזה, מגבירים את הסיכוי לקבלת האישור המיוחל

מי שמעוניין להישאר בקנדה מעבר לחצי שנה – מוטל עליו להציג מסמכים רפואיים . המבקש נדרש להציג מסמכים שבהם המצב הבריאותי שלו מפורט. הממשלה הקנדית לא מעוניינת בכניסה של אנשים חולים אליה, בין אם מדובר בחולים שיכולים לפגוע באחרים ובין אם בחולים שעלולים ליפול לנטל על בתי החולים המקומיים ומערכת הבריאות. בנוסף ממשלת קנדה מעוניינת לוודא שיש למבקש יכולת להתקיים כלכלית במשך כל תקופת השהייה שלו במדינה. יהיה עליו להציג הוכחות ליכולת הזו, לרבות כלכלה של כל המשפחה שעימה הוא מגיע לקנדה. עבר פלילי עשוי להוות בעיה לקבלת ויזה ואפילו לקבלת אישור ראשוני. על כן, במידה והמבקש הוא בעל עבר פלילי, מומלץ להתייעץ עם עורך דין בעל ניסיון בתחום כדי לוודא שזה לא מהווה מכשול בתהליך

כדי לקבל את הויזה בשלב הראשוני,  יש להגיש את בקשה בטופס מקוון באתר של שגרירות קנדה בישראל. השגרירות נמצאת בתל אביב אולם אין צורך להגיע אליה. אם המבקש מתקשה בשפה האנגלית, מספר אתרים יכולים לעשות עבורו את השירות של הגשת הבקשה תמורת סכום צנוע. בעת הגשת הבקשה יש להצטייד בדרכון בעל תוקף וכרטיס אשראי בינלאומי לטובת תשלום אגרה בגובה שבעה  דולרים

הגשת הבקשה תיקח מספר דקות ספורות. מהירות התגובה מצד המערכת לבקשות מקוונות היא גבוהה, ולעיתים תוך מספר דקות האישור כבר יופיע אצל המבקש במייל. גם במקרים שבהם הדבר אורך זמן רב יותר, הוא לא לוקח יותר ממספר ימים

חיסכון הגשת בקשה באופן מקוון חוסכת מהמבקש את הצורך לשלם על שירותי דואר ומאפשרת לו להסתפק בתשלום האגרה בלבד

ההליך של קבלת האישור אינו מורכב במיוחד, ולא אמורה להיות בעיה להשיג אותו גם בלי איש מקצוע. עם זאת, אם יש למבקש חריגות באחד הנתונים האמורים לעיל ,כגון מצב בריאותי חריג או עבר פלילי מסוים שימוש באיש מקצוע יוכל לעזור לו לגשר על הפערים הללו ולהגביר את הסיכוי שיוכל לקבל את האישור ללא קושי מיוחד

בכל מקרה, גם אם קיבל המבקש אישור וגם אם הוא בעיצומו של התהליך, אין להסתיר אף מידע שיכול לעניין את רשויות ההגירה המקומיות. מוטב שלא לקבל את האישור מאשר להתעמת עם רשויות ההגירה של מדינה זרה

קבלת ויזה לקנדה היא תהליך פשוט באופן יחסי. יהיה על המבקש להוכיח בעיקר את העובדה שהוא לא מתכננים לשהות בקנדה מעבר לזמן של המטרה שעליו הוא מצהיר. אם ברצונו לשהות לזמן שנמוך משישה חודשים הוא לא זקוק כלל להוצאת ויזה ויוכל להסתפק באישור כניסה למדינה בלבד. מעבר לזמן זה הוא יאלץ לקבל ויזה

Posted on June 28, 2023June 12, 2023Author Roni RachmaniCategories עניין בחדשותTags Canada, immigration, Israel, visa, הגירה, ויזת, ויזת עבודה, ישראל, קנדה

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