Asaf Ben Zvi, 2008 Sugar lift, spit bite, 160X60 cm

I’ve heard about the Museum on the Seam a few times, but I just had a chance this morning to visit the website. I think it’s really interesting. I’d love to hear your comments!

Museum on the Seam is a unique museum in Israel, displaying contemporary art that deals with different aspects of the socio-political reality.

Through the works of artists from Israel and abroad, who respond to the stress and tension between and within groups, the museum invites the visitors to examine the degree of influence of the social environment on the individual and vice versa.

Between the local and the universal, between pluralism and extreme ideologies, the message of The Museum calls for listening and discussion, for accepting the other and those different from us and respect for our fellow man and his liberty.

Rally Banner

Toronto for Israel Rally is the first student led rally supporting Israel since the recent conflict began.

The rally is expected to attract broad community support for Israel will take place this Sunday, January 18th, 2009 at Dundas Square (Yonge and Dundas) at 1 pm.   Toronto for Israel Rally will demonstrate solidarity for the people of Israel who have endured close to 9,000 Hamas terrorist missiles from Gaza.

Torontonians will send a clear and unequivocal anti-terrorism message as Israel continues to defend close to a million residents of Southern Israel who have been targeted by Hamas missiles. The rally has been organized by a cross section of university and college students across the GTA through Canadian Centre for Israel Activism, Hasbara Fellowships and Hillel of Greater Toronto, all organizations representing Jewish students.

Organizers have made security concerns for a safe and peaceful rally a priority. Flags and signs will be provided.

The event info can be seen on facebook.

I am sure you all are aware by now of the situation going on in Gaza and the Western Negev. Saturday marked the start of “Operation Cast Lead,” the name o the operation where the IDF is taking initiative and protecting the citizens of Sderot, Ashkelon and other Western Negev communities and kibbutzim.

December 19 marked the end of the 6-month ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.  Two days later, 84 rockets and mortars were shot from Gaza to the above areas.  No other country in the world would stand-by as its citizens are targeted on such a scale.  Israel must protect its people.

To better understand the situation, we leave you with this article, “What would you do?” written by Lorne Gunter for the National Post.

Israeli news sites are always being updated. Feel free to read any of the following;

www.jpost.com

www.haaretz.com

www.ynetnews.com

The UJA has a constant update with worldwide headlines of the situation here.

Photo Source: Ynetnews.com

Natalie Reznik, born in Haifa, Israel, has made it to the top 10 in So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

We would like to wish her a mazal tov for this great achievement.

Natalie moved to Toronto as a pre-teen. She has been dancing since she was 17, and has performed in Cirque du Soleil and as a back-up dancer for Nelly Furtado’s your last summer.

The show is a spin-off of the American show, So You Think You Can Dance on Fox.

Interestingly enough, Thornhill born, Lisa Oberman, was on last season’s Nolad Lirkod, (Born to Dance), Israel’s version of the show. Lisa was an “oleh hadasha” (new immigrant) when she was on the show, and is now in the Tel Aviv product of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and a dancer in some Israeli music videos

Lisa Oberman on Nolad Lirkod

Boaz Mauda won the title of “Kochav Nolad” (“Israeli Idol”) in the summer of 2007.

He then continued onto the Eurovision song contest, where he came in the top 10.

Shiri Maimon has a similar musician resume from 2005, where she was runner up in “Kochav Nolad” and the same year came in the top 5 of the Eurovision song contest.

This past week, at the MTV’s Europe Music Awards, Shiri Maimon was nominated in the top 3 of Europe’s favourite music acts.

Shiri Maimon at MTV Europe Music Awards (photo source: Ynetnews)

Other recent internationally popular Israeli musicians include Yael Naim and Dana International

Dana International (photo source: danainternational.co.il)

Yael Naim (photo source: www.yaelnaim.com)

Be sure to attend events for this 28th annual informative week.

The calendar is full of events, so be sure not to miss out.

Events being held at York, Ryerson and U of T, and all over Toronto, so be sure to check your schedule and plan ahead, because a record breaking attendance is expected this year.

Never Forget.

Are you interested to be involved with peace negotiations about the Middle East?

Would you like to represent a country in the UN in a peace negotiation conference?

Tel Aviv Universtiy Student Council and Stand With Us is holding a mock conference for students worldwide in Tel Aviv from August 17 to 22.

In this first-of-its-kind five-day simulation of a regional peace conference for students representing the countries involved in the conflict.

More information and application form here

Photo courtesy of Ynetnews.com

On Thursday, August 14th, the UJA has organized a shloshim memorial for Eldad Regev z”l and Ehud Goldwasser z”l.

The memorial will be at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street) at 7pm.

The memorial will honour their memories and give the audience a chance to learn more about their lives and the legacies they left.

For more information, click here.

Sun	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sat
					1	2
3	4 Civic Holiday	5	6 Tikkun Olam Toronto Part II – Doing Stuff with D.A.N.I. @6pm	7 Pub Night	8	9
10	11 Second City, Barack to the Future @8pm	12	13 Tikkun Olam Toronto Part III – Movies and Muncies @7pm	14 UJA Memorial -@ the Toronto Centre for the Arts 7pm	15	16
17 Walking Tour of old Jewish Toronto – around Kensington Market	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31