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Tag: Negev event

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
JNF welcomes Noa Tishby

JNF welcomes Noa Tishby

At the therapeutic horse farm in Meir Shfeya Youth Village are, left to right, Yuval Perry, Moran Nir, Rachel David and Orly Sivan. Perry is a horse groomer at the farm, and David and Sivan are two of its four founders. Nir is manager of campaign and operations for JNF Pacific. (photo from JNF Pacific)

Noa Tishby, the Hollywood-transplanted Israeli actor and activist who was just stripped of her special envoy position for weighing in on the political crisis there, is headed to Vancouver.

Tishby, author of the 2021 book Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, had been Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel. Appointed a year ago by then-prime minister Yair Lapid, Tishby was summarily ejected from the role this month after she criticized the proposed judicial reforms of Binyamin Netanyahu’s government. She will be the keynote speaker at the 2023 Negev event of the Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region, June 29.

“We are sad to hear the news that Noa is now the former special envoy against antisemitism and the delegitimization [of Israel] as she has been an important voice for Israel and Jewish communities around the world in the face of antisemitism/anti-Israel sentiment,” Michael Sachs, executive director of JNF Pacific, told the Independent. “Her years of service, both officially and non-officially, have only benefited world Jewry and we are ecstatic to welcome her with open arms on June 29th.”

Sachs explained that this year’s Negev event is a break with decades of tradition, following the pandemic shutdown of community gatherings. The annual tradition had generally featured a gala dinner with an honouree.

The centrepoint of this year’s event, which will take place at Beth Israel, is a theatre-format presentation with no meal, and tickets at an accessible price, which, Sachs said, is intended to allow the largest number of community members to hear Tishby’s message. A reception for larger donors will generate the revenue to realize the project that this year’s Negev is sponsoring.

That initiative is a therapeutic horse farm in Meir Shfeya Youth Village, located south of Haifa near Zikhron Ya’akov. Moran Nir, manager of campaign and operations for JNF Pacific, was at the facility several weeks ago.

“It’s a beautiful farm,” she said. “I met with two of the [four] founding mothers and it’s just incredible to see how they dedicate their lives and they give their heart and soul to this farm.”

The horse farm has two riding areas, one uncovered and the other only partly covered. Completing the facility to protect riders from sometimes intense Israeli weather is part of the JNF initiative.

“We want projects that are going to be impactful to the people in Israel but that are also taking a grassroots project and helping get it to the next level,” said Sachs. There is also a crucial local connection to this project, he added.

“There is no shortage of people in our community that understand the importance of equestrian therapy for kids with special needs, but also adults with stress and anxiety and PTSD,” he said. In a relatively new twist on the organization’s commitment to Israel, 10% of this year’s Negev revenues will be held back for a local partnership with STaRS, Southlands Therapeutic Riding Society. Leaders from the Southlands group will mentor those at the Israeli facility, “creating a lifelong connection between these like-minded organizations,” said Sachs.

The Meir Shfeya farm currently has six horses and six horse groomers. Groomers are hired from among youth and young adults who benefited from the equestrian therapy as kids, said Sachs. Therapeutic riding has been demonstrated effective for a range of cognitive conditions, including autism, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

About 90 kids per week come to the farm from all over the area and demand is growing. Allowing them to meet the demand is the reason for the support from JNF Pacific.

The fundraising goal for the June 29 event – which is co-chaired by Michael and Lisa Averbach – is $350,000, Sachs said, emphasizing the dual objective of generating funds to support the equestrian programs and of drawing the largest number of people possible to hear Tishby’s message.

“If you want to buy a ticket, buy four,” he said. “Buy four tickets, find three friends and bring them. We want more people hearing her. And, if you buy four tickets and can’t find three friends, let us know because we want to bring students. We want kids from the community to be able to hear her.”

Tishby will be in conversation with Danielle Ames Spivak, executive director of the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, a born-and-raised Vancouverite who is a friend of Tishby’s.

The event will also feature the bestowing of the Bernard M. Bloomfield Medal for Meritorious Service on Harvey Dales.

“Harvey’s been a member of our board, he’s on the national board, he is the past president,” said Sachs. “For us, the opportunity to honour Harvey for his dedication and everything he’s given to JNF and Israel, we are really excited about that.”

The JNF Educator Award will also be presented. It will be given to teachers from the four Vancouver-area Jewish day schools.

“We’re coming out of the worst pandemic in 100 years,” said Sachs. “Teachers were frontline … so each school is going to be choosing a teacher-representative to accept an award on behalf of the teaching body in their school.”

Reflecting on her visit to the Israeli horse farm and meeting some of the mothers who launched it, Nir is inspired to share what she witnessed.

“It’s always nice to see the impact of JNF in Israel,” she said, “to actually be there and see the impact. Every parent wants their kids to be healthy and happy. We will keep doing this job and build Israel together for the people of Israel.”

Format ImagePosted on April 14, 2023April 12, 2023Author Pat JohnsonCategories UncategorizedTags equestrian therapy, fundraising, Israel, Jewish National Fund, JNF Pacific, Michael Sachs, Moran Nir, Negev event, Noa Tishby, philanthropy
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