Oleg Portnoy picked up his iPad from the CFHU National offices in Toronto for his winning submission to the 2011 CFHU Photo Contest. He was a student at Rothberg International School in 2010 when he took the winning picture below, and here is how he describes it:

“While at Rothberg as a graduate student in Spring of 2010 me and my roommate were invited to participate in an undergraduate, 4-day hike through the Galilee over the Passover break. The trip was dubbed Yam-le-Yam (Sea to Sea). We began our journey in the westernmost part, the Mediterranean Sea and headed eastward. During the 4-day trip, we visited mount Miron and the mystic city of Tzfat before arriving at our final destination, Lake Kinneret on the 4th day. This picture was taken in the Upper Galilee, near the Lebanon border. We were hiking all morning and reached a beautiful field, which overlooked the mashavs near Lebanon. We decided to rest there for a few hours before continuing our hike. In the picture are two undergraduate students from Rothberg, Christina (on the right) and Kelly (on the left) enjoying the view.”

Many thanks to all who submitted photos to this year’s contest! Please click here for a photo gallery of all of the runners-up.

Atidim, the ambitious Hebrew University program aimed at training young Israeli’s interested in bringing a change to their society, visited Toronto at the end of July to participate in a “mini-semester abroad”. The trip’s purpose was to educate the group on Israeli and international public sector dilemnas and approaches.

Supported in part by Dr. Ralph Halbert, the group met with members of the Municipal Parliament, real estate developers and local Jewish community leaders. They also visited Toronto landmarks including the CN Tower, the Toronto Islands and attended a Blue Jay’s game. The group of 20 brought along a number of professors to aide in their educational experience overseas. “What our cadets learned from Toronto based developers and from local politicians will help prepare them to meet our country’s pressing domestic issues,” said program director Sarit Milman, who is hopeful that the program will continue to visit Canada in the coming years. For more information, please visit www.atidim.org.

Written by Rosa Stall

A number of young people from around the world, including Canada, spent time in Israel on Masa Israel programs. This is the third in a series of stories as told by some of the Canadian participants.

“Why would you ever choose Jerusalem over Tel Aviv?” a representative asked me at McGill’s meeting for students studying abroad at Israeli universities. At the time, I had no response. I had never even considered Tel Aviv University.

The representative proceeded to tell me how much more fun Tel Aviv was than Jerusalem, and how it was a “city that never sleeps, a city where the party never ends.” But, after being here in Israel for five months, I know that when I am in Tel Aviv I can forget I am in Israel; but when I am in Jerusalem, I never forget where I am.

My experiences studying at Masa Israel’s program at Hebrew University and living in Jerusalem have both confused and solidified my Jewish identity.

The first time I came to Israel with my family in 2004, I landed in Ben Gurion Airport, expecting to feel something, but I did not. Israel is a beautiful country, but to my 13-year-old self it was no more special to me than any other place I had visited.

This past January I arrived in Jerusalem, a city where I have spent very little time in the past. For the first few weeks, I felt complete culture shock. Being a Jew from Toronto I could not help but feel out of place in the sea of Orthodoxy that can encapsulate Jerusalem.  Yet as the weeks passed, I started to really enjoy living in Jerusalem. As a Canadian who loves waiting in lines and appreciates order, I soon became accustomed to the bustling shuk and the benefits of chaos. Yet, even though I experienced a greater appreciation for the country, I still did not feel more connected to my Jewish identity.

All that changed for me on March 23, 2011 at 3 p.m. when I received frantic phone calls from friends asking if I was okay; a bomb had exploded near the central bus station. Two days later I was supposed to run the 10km race for Jerusalem’s first marathon and I had heard rumours that it would be cancelled.

Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, stated in response to the rumours that “when terror attempts to disrupt our way of life, the best solution is to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Events in Jerusalem will not be cancelled and Jerusalem will not stop running.”

As planned, my friends and I headed to Gan Sacher, the starting area of the race, on March 25. As I ran down the streets of Jerusalem, next to the Knesset, up Ben Yehuda, through the Old City, and across the finish line, I felt a sense of pride. I felt proud of the country and proud to be Jewish for the first time since I have been in Israel. This must be the feeling, I thought, that people speak about when they speak of their connection to Israel. Lining the streets of the race were people of all denominations and from all places.
Only two days after the bombing, everyone came to cheer the runners on to show their pride and support for Jerusalem. It did not matter if I was secular, religious or something else. The people  of Jerusalem cheered and supported me.   

I may not have this feeling everyday when I wake up in Jerusalem and I may not feel it for long, but if I can remember my recent experience then I will remember what it means to be Jewish in Israel. As I start counting down the days to my return home to Toronto I catch myself thinking about how my relationship with Israel has changed and what my connection will be upon my return home. I may not always agree with Israel’s policies and I may not always enjoy being cut in line, but I suspect that Israel will always be an important piece of my Jewish identity.

The Hebrew University’s 74th annual Board of Governors meeting and Presidential Conference took place in June. Almost 320 Hebrew University governors and friends from abroad attended. Mazel Tov to our outstanding Canadian donors who received the following honours: Toronto’s Jeannie Tanenbaum – Wall of Trustees; Montrealers Morrie and Diane Cohen and Mitzie and Mel Dobrin – Wall of Life and Calgary’s Lenny Shapiro in becoming an Honourary Fellow of the Hebrew University. Please view the following video as Lenny discusses The Power of Scholarships.

A highlight of the Bog was the prestigious Canadian Awards Evening where Israeli researchers and students received scholarships and awards personally presented by generous CFHU supporters. Special guest performer, Canadian Jazz Singer Sophie Milman, returned to Israel to visit the Hebrew University and promote IMRIC. Ms. Milman performed at the Hebrew University’s Convocation, the Zappa Jazz Club in Hertzliya and serenaded guests at the CFHU awards evening with her beautiful voice. Read more about Milman’s homecoming.

Canadian philanthropist, President and Trustee of The Asper Foundation and member of the Hebrew University’s Board of Governors Gail Asper announced an exciting new entrepreneurial program developed through the Asper Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE). Ms. Asper hopes that this program will empower Arab women in East Jerusalem to join the workforce and contribute to a “peaceful society” in Israel. Read More.  

CFHU supporter, Montrealer and CEO of HydroElectron ventures, Matthew Price Gallagher, became interested in the scientific advancements being done in water research at the Hebrew University and pursued an agreement with Yissum, the university’s technology transfer arm. Price Gallagher is just one of many peopel around the world taking notice of the many innovations being developed at the Hebrew University. To learn more please read the second half of this CJN article.

Also mentioned in this article “HU Turns Scientific Theory into Practice”, is a new invention – a virtual cane developed by IMRIC researcher Amir Amedi that was presented by Yissum at the opening of the Presidential Conference. Dr. Amedi’s new device can assist blind people in estimating the distance and height of various obstacles, the device was registered as a patent by Yissum, which is now seeking strategic partners for further development. Dr. Amedi personally demonstrated the virutal cane to Israel’s President Shimon Peres at the conference. Click here to watch a video demonstration of the virtual cane. Read more on the virtual cane. Click here to meet Dr. Daniel-Robert Chebat, a Canadian student who made aliyah specifically to work with Dr. Amir Amedi.

Other BoG highlights include President Peres opening the Hebrew University exhibit at the President’s Conference and three senior Hebrew University faculty members receiving the Kaye Awards for research resulting in worldwide commercial success.

This year the Rothberg International School has begun promoting programs to students that offer a focus in various arts programs. The goal of these programs is to attract a range of  students who are following an arts-based track of study at their home university to the Hebrew University so that they too can have the amazing opportunity of learning and living abroad in Israel.

Dance Jerusalem is a unique program initiated jointly by Rothberg and the Jeruslaem Academy of Music and Dance (JAMD). This program combines artistic training in dance skills and technique with academic exposure to Israel’s challenging social, historical and cultural environment. Dance Jerusalem offers university-level artistic and technical training in the disciplines of Classical Ballet, Contemporary Dance Choreography, Repertoire and Improvisation.

Like Dance Jerusalem, Jerusalem Sounds is offered in conjunction with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Studies include a full music program consisting of individual instruction, performance in small and large ensembles and classes in Jewish and Israeli music. Additionally, students get to choose from the wide range of courses at the Rothberg International School.

Art Jerusalem, which begins this coming fall, is a partnership between Rothberg and the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. This program combines artisitic training with courses at Rothberg. Studies include a wide variety of art courses in such areas as painting, sculpture, drawing and screen printing as well as choosing from a broad selection of university courses in Israel and Middle Eastern studies, religion, behavioral sciences, environment studies and hebrew language.

If you’re a dancer, musician or artist and want to spend a semester or a year studying in Israel please don’t hesitate to contact the Canadian Friends at the Hebrew University at 416-485-8000 or admissions@cfhu.org  or check out our website for more information.

Coexistence in the Middle East, one of The Rothberg International School’s newest programs, is an academic field program in Israel which seeks to promote coexistence by providing future leaders unique opportunities to gain first-hand contact and interaction with different cultures.

Sponsored by the Israel National Commission for UNESCO and organized in collaboration with the International Institute of Leadership of Israel, Coexistence in the Middle East is an introduction to the challenges and complexities of coexistence. The relationships that the program focuses on include Western and Middle Eastern Civilizations, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, Israel and Arab/Muslim Countries and Palestinians and Israelis.

Through interactions with representatives from a wide variety of groups and visits to key sites, the Coexistence in the Middle East program allows participants to analyze the current state of affairs in the Middle East from a more pluralistic, academic, and human perspective.

Program Details:

• 3 academic credits obtained through the Rothberg International School (RIS) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• A 6 credit program is also available in which participants are able to enroll in both CME as well as one of several summer courses at Hebrew University
• A wide range of topics to be covered including: Jerusalem The Center of The Monotheistic Faiths, The Security Barrier, Arab Population and Islam, Hezbollah and Iran’s Influence in Lebanon, Peace Process Proposals and Prospects, Hamas and Gaza’s Disengagement, Jordan – Masada – and the Dead Sea, Examples of Dialogue and Coexistence Projects, and much more
• Lecturers include: academics, Israeli and Palestinian NGO leaders, Arab & Jewish government officials, members of the spectrum of political parties, military staff and civilian population, religious leaders from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths

The dates of the program are June 26-July 26. This program is open to all registered university and college students and faculty members, and university alumni may participate if they have graduated within the last 5 years.

If you’re interested in this fabulous opportunity check out the website at http://coexistencetrip.net for full details or email info@coexistencetrip.net . Applications are due on April 5^th.

To describe the current effects of military service on my life as a Hebrew University student, I should probably start at the beginning. Like most Israelis, a few months after I graduated High school, I was drafted into the IDF, which in many ways is a continuation of High School, sans adult supervision. High School, distilled and condensed to its key components – cliques, jocks, queen bees, insecurity – a lot of people trying to keep their heads down and survive until its all over. Then of course there are those annoying people who seem to flourish (though, as in High School, they may actually be more vulnerable than they seem).

When I completed boot camp, I was assigned to the West Bank territories, to work as a Sergeant of Operations in a battalion level war room. This included everything from supervising routine activities and organizing our first response to incidents, to dead-of-night raids on the kitchen to make sure all the soldiers in the field were well fed. When my two years of compulsory service were up, I volunteered for another 5 months of service to oversee some changes in my area, and to train the next generation of Sergeants of Operations.

For the first few year after I was released, my reserve duty consisted of showing up for the occasional interview. The IDF was had just begun to increase the number of women in the Reserves, and I was in the first batch of Sergeants of Operations required to serve.

This all changed a few weeks ago, when I was called up for a four day drill. I was initially worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into the right ‘head space’, but it all came back to me quickly. The whole ‘woman in a man’s world’ melodrama, dealing with deadbeat ‘jobniks’, trying to get officers to do things in the least stupid way (you have to make them think that they thought of it first), finding a discrete place to answer natures call in a really flat desert, etc.

Reserve duty can adversely affect campus life in a variety of ways. Obviously, you miss a lot of classes when you’re off in the middle of nowhere playing silly buggers. Additionally, unless you’re an LL Bean model, the desert night in the middle of winter is not conducive to cramming. If you’re called up during finals, you miss a lot of test dates and are stuck taking secondary tests in the middle of the next semester (more on that later). Assuming you manage to get back to campus to take a test, it almost never goes well due to the sleep deprivation and general exasperation and distractedness caused by military life. Papers backlog, and even with extensions, they tend to end up being last minute scribbles.

Since reserve duty is a generally a Universal blight upon student life, the institution has found ways of minimizing the damage. All courses are required to have at least two test, one during finals and a second date about a month are so later. Known as ‘Mo’edei Bet’, these secondary dates can be a life saver even if you don’t have reserve duty. On the other hand, winter semester tests can disrupt spring semester studies, and spring semester studies can disrupt summer break. Students often complain about having a ‘Mo’ed Bet’ weighing on their mind.

While the Hebrew University is a hodgepodge of passionate political and philosophical views, the importance of performing reserve duty is something that almost everyone can agree on. Lecturers and TA’s are generally flexible and accommodating, though they typically can’t resist the temptation to throw in a little propaganda. Like so many of the situations one faces as a student in academia, it’s best to nod and smile.

A post by Eyal David, sophomore at the Hebrew University

My name is Eyal David and this is my second year at the Hebrew University as a student of International Relations and Middle Eastern studies. This is also my second year in The Jerusalem Folklore Ensemble – the Hebrew University’s student dance group. Since I was a child I loved to dance but I didn’t do much about it. (It was mainly for fun – as dance, in my opinion, is needed for the soul). That changed when I came to the university, passed the audition for the group and officially joined it. We dance to different Israeli folklore themes. We also incorporate some ethnic Jewish folklore themes, with dances from places like the Balkans, Russia and Yemen. What makes our dances more exciting is that a live band always accompanies us. They are an important part of the group and this makes for a unified team. We have rehearsals every week and perform for many different events – from dance festivals, weddings and even appear on television. Every year it is our tradition to travel abroad to represent Israel and the university in folklore festivals around the world, or in Jewish communities that invite us. For me, being in this group is not only about the dancing,  but the fact that it’s one big family, as we spend so much of time together. I can say that I’m proud to be a member of this group which is considered to be one of Israel’s leading Folklore groups. This year we celebrate our 55^th anniversary in a big performance in the Jerusalem theatre at the end of March.

Here are some pictures of the group and you can also find us at: http://www.JFE.co.il.

This month, on campuses across the country, Jewish students and Israel supporters will be faced with Israeli Apartheid Week. IAW, also known as anti-Israel week occurs on campuses throughout North America and Europe. During this week attempts are made by IAW organizers to spread misleading information through lectures, handouts and demonstrations while using intimidating tactics to delegitimize Israel’s existence.

In response to this week, the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University is sponsoring an event being organized by Hillel Toronto called Lyla Lavan (White Night). This evening will bring Israeli music, arts and fashion to the forefront in a celebration of Israeli culture. The event begins at 4:00 PM at the Gladstone Hotel with an animation and graphics presentation by Israeli artists. The party will then continue at On the Rox nightclub where event attendees will have the opportunity to taste Israeli wines and appetizers, view photo exhibits presented by Birthright students and IsraAid, watch a fashion show featuring Israeli designers and see performances by Israeli rock band Eatliz, Israeli electro group Automatic Toys and DJs Zed’s Dead, DJ Golan and DJ Pele Pele.

This event is sure to be a lot of fun and is a great way to show your support for Israel during IAW. To purchase tickets for this event, please click here.  We look forward to seeing you at this awesome event!

Hebrew U welcomes 12 displaced US students from Egypt. Check out this fascinating video.