PLUS: Druze-Israeli politician speaks at Queen's, exploring the ancient Jewish-Indian connection at Concordia, and more!
(Left to right): AVI Common Ground Ambassador Conrad Jane, Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah Snajdman, and members of Hillel at Queen's
In honour of International Women's Month this month, our Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) Common Ground Ambassador Conrad Jane led an Empowered Women of Israel tabling at Queen's University this week and engaged several students on campus.
The tabling was hosted in partnership with the members of Hillel at Queen's. Conrad was joined by our Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah Snajdman.
AVI Student Ambassadors Conrad (left) and Jonathan (right) with Gadeer Kamal Mreeh (centre)
Conrad had a busy week, as he and our Common Ground Ambassador Jonathan Doyle connected with Gadeer Kamal Mreeh, the first Druze-Israeli woman elected to the Israeli Parliament, at an event AVI hosted in partnership with Hillel Kingston, StandWithUs Canada, and the Jewish Feminist Collective at Hillel Queen’s.
It was a unique opportunity to engage with Gadeer’s perspective on leadership, identity, and public service in an intimate setting.
To see Gadeer in action, please click here.
Click the above graphic to read an excerpt of our letter to Queen University's Divestment Review Committee
In other Queen's University news, the school has ruled out divesting from companies doing business in or with Israel—a major win against discrimination and exclusion. We at AVI were proud to be part of this collective action, submitting a formal statement to the university's Review Committee for Responsible Investing urging them to reject this biased and harmful campaign.
In an official document dated Sept. 30, 2024, we strongly urged the review committee to reject the calls for divestment, as they are a thinly veiled attempt to promote exclusion and discrimination.
Divestment is not an isolated financial decision, we argued. It is a targeted political act that unfairly singles out Israel, creating a climate of hostility for Jewish students and unfairly holds Jews collectively accountable for the actions of a sovereign state. We also reject the false narrative that supporting Israel's right to exist is inherently oppressive. Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination is antisemitic. The right of Jews to live in safety, whether in Canada or Israel—must never be up for debate.
We thank Queen's University for standing against discrimination and championing the values of fairness and inclusivity. This decision affirms that universities should be spaces of learning, not platforms for divisive political campaigns that end up harming their own students.
To read more, please click here.
A great group activity at AEPi Guelph led by Common Ground Ambassadors Daniel and Noah
At the University of Guelph, Common Ground Ambassadors Daniel Spinner and Noah Kales, in collaboration with AEPi Guelph, organized an event this week where AEPi brothers engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on complex questions about Israel.
Participants were asked to take a position on each prompt by moving to the right side of the room if they strongly agreed or to the left side if they strongly disagreed.
To see more from the guys of AEPi Guelph, please click here.
Director of Quebec & Atlantic Canada, Noa Peretz Benchaya (left) and AVI Student Ambassador & President of McGill Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA), Samuel Benzaquen (right)
At McGill University during Purim last week, Common Ground Ambassador Samuel Benzaquen hosted a Hebrews & Hip Hop tabling with our Director of Quebec & Atlantic Canada, Noa Peretz Benchaya.
They also had a blast educating students on the holiday of Purim and connecting the holiday to our campaign!
Click the above still to watch!
Also at McGill, Common Ground Ambassador Melanie Segev recently advocated for the rights of Israeli women, amplifying the voices of those who have survived sexual violence by Hamas, despite widespread efforts to dismiss their experiences. The logo featured at the beginning of this video is co-designed by Melanie and artist @itai_weinberg.
To watch Melanie speak out about how crucial it is to #believeallIsraeliwomen, please click here.
Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah (left) and AVI Student Ambassador Liat (right)
AVI Common Ground Ambassador Liat Schwartz met with Director of Campus Affairs Idaliah Snajdman at beloved Israeli chain Cafe Landwer this week to discuss campus life at Toronto Metropolitan University and plan future events.
Liat has proven her exceptional leadership by being appointed President of the Students Supporting Israel (SSI) chapter at TMU and we are INCREDIBLY proud of her.
Stay tuned for some exciting things ahead!
Check out the events happening this week!
In AVI events news, we will be hosting a challah bake tomorrow at 8pm PST for our Vancouver students at the University of British Columbia in partnership with UBC JSA and Chabad of Vancouver.
On Friday starting at 12pm EST, we are hosting a tabling in partnership with the Hindu Student Council at Concordia University. Come to Concordia Student Union Information Table A and learn all about the ancient Indian & Jewish connection!
Please note: In honour of Ariel, Kfir, Shiri, and Yarden Bibas, AVI has changed its main branding colour to orange. Our heart and prayers are with the entire Bibas Family.