From Feb. 6 to 9, Vancouver will host the Beit Ha’am Community Seminar, which includes 12 different workshops, films, lectures and events, led by a team of senior shlichim (emissaries) from the World Zionist Organization’s department for Diaspora affairs (WZO-DDA), and co-sponsored by the Canadian Zionist Federation (CZF).
The different topics that will be addressed include the upcoming field of social export from Israel, the growing cultural Judaism movements and the feminist side of Zionism. There also will be two interactive Israeli cooking workshops, one on its vegan trend and the other on its culinary evolution, both followed by textual discussions. The seminar’s main event is a TLV (Tel Aviv)-themed party for young adults, celebrating the diverse aspects of the first Hebrew city.
“We will be showcasing our most popular programs so that the Jewish community in Vancouver will literally and figuratively get a taste of Israel,” said Lior Sagi, Canada’s regional director on behalf of WZO-DDA. “Our programs will enable participants to truly experience Israel, its society and the role of Zionism today. There will be something for everyone.”
“I am excited and grateful to all the organizations of the Metro Vancouver Zionist Roundtable for making this opportunity become a reality,” said David Berson, the Western Region vice-president of the CZF.
“This type of a seminar has been carried out in 18 cities in the United States and Canada with tremendous success and with a long-lasting impact on the communities,” added Roey Yamin, head of the North American delegation for WZO-DDA. “Led from Jerusalem by Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman, in collaboration with the president of the CZF, Les Rothschild, the WZO-DDA operates in more than 36 countries, engaging Jews in an open-minded and honest dialogue about Israel.”
For the full schedule of the seminar, whose events take place at various locations in Metro Vancouver, visit Temple Sholom’s website, templesholom.ca/beit-haam-weekend-seminar. Other synagogues and Jewish organizations are also posting the schedule.