January 27, 2011 cjnews.
com The Canadian Jewish News
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Israeli leaders from abroad gather in Toronto
By Yosef Tastassa
Special to The CJN
For the first time ever, leaders of Israeli
communities around the world met last
week to discuss the unique role of an
Israeli community in the Diaspora.
“This is a historic moment, and it is
very important to be here. Israel needs
help from the Israelis abroad,” said
Amir Gissin, the Israeli consul general
in Toronto, at the opening of the three-
day conference of the World Council
of Israelis Abroad, Building Bridges to
World Jewry and the State of Israel, held
in Toronto at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda
Synagogue and the Lipa Green Building.
The purpose was to “build new rela-
tionships with Israelis in the Diaspora
by creating the infrastructure to share
knowledge, establish connections and
build avenues of co-operation,” accord-
ing to promotional materials from UJA
Federation of Greater Toronto, one of
Yuli Edelstein [Yosef Tastassa] the conference organizers.
Sonny Goldstein, CFP
President
Conference heralds
new approach
by Jerusalem
Under three main “pillars”– build-
ing an Israeli community abroad, the
relationships between the Israeli and
Jewish communities and the relation-
ship between the State of Israel and
Israelis abroad – speakers discussed the
importance to the Jewish state of Israeli
communities abroad and defined the key
roles of those communities.
“The Jewish and the Israeli commu-
nities abroad are the basis of Israel’s
humane message,” said Israeli Minister
of Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein at
the opening, thus reflecting the central
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theme addressed by all the speakers –
there has been a dramatic change of
attitude by the State of Israel toward its
citizens abroad.
Israelis abroad are no longer “yordim”
who turned their backs on their home-
land, but Israelis who decided to live
their lives outside Israel and should not
feel ashamed or embarrassed at being
Israelis in the Diaspora, said Menachem
Kohen of Mishelanu: Organization for
Israelis Abroad.
Israel wants to keep in touch with
all its citizens and sees their strength as
a part of Israel’s strength, Gissin said.
“Israelis are capturing key roles in the
Jewish community. Many of the teach-
ers in the Jewish day schools are Israelis.
Kachol-Lavan [a school for Hebrew And
Israeli studies] is a leading example of
how Israel, Israelis and Jews are creating
Israeli culture and preserving it,” Gissin
said.
Continued on page 23