Israel
“Operation Lifeshield” (known as “Project Life Initiatives” in Canada) builds bomb shelters in Israel in areas not within seven kilometres of either the Gaza or Lebanon borders
By BERNIE BELLAN As noted in our article about the Covenant Cup golf tournament elsewhere on this website, money raised by a group in southern Manitoba was used to build a bomb shelter in a community in Israel. The name of the community is Maalot-Tarshiha, situated in the northern Galil, only 15 kilometres from the Lebanese border.
As Rabbi Shmuel Bowman, the direcotr of Operation Lifeshield, explained to me via email, projects are chosen in consultation with community leaders. The purpose of Operation Lifeshields or Project Life Initiatives, as it is known in Canada, is to provide shelters in areas succeptible to missile attacks, either from Gaza or Lebanon.
Following is information taken from the Operation Lifeshields website:
1. Why does Israel need bomb shelters?
The modern state of Israel has been under constant threat of destruction since the day it was established.
Terrorist groups in Lebanon and Gaza are determined to destroy the Jewish State. They have each sent thousands of missiles into Israeli civilian areas, and constantly threaten to send more.
With neighbors like these on both fronts, war is always on the horizon. Even in times of relative “quiet,” rockets can come in at any time, at a moment’s notice.
Israelis living near the border only have seconds to scramble to shelter when rocket sirens go off. Unfortunately, the Iron Dome is not 100% effective. At this time, it is unable to intercept rockets that are headed towards communities that are very close to the border. In situations like these, (which have been particularly common near the Gaza border over the past few years), the presence of bomb shelters is the difference between life and death.
Since the Gaza Conflict (Operation Protective Edge) in the summer of 2014, schools, institutions and communities have been desperately trying to provide protection solutions for their constituents, in preparation and anticipation for the next war. Operation Lifeshield has met with mayors, social workers, security chiefs and educators in targeted areas in order to develop strategic relationship and to maximize the help we can provide, and also be confident that the shelters we deploy will be well-maintained and serve the most-in-need.
Operation Lifeshield’s goal is simple: to save lives in Israel from enemy rocket attacks.
2. How many rockets and mortar shells has Gaza fired into Israel?
Terrorists in Gaza have fired a total of over 22,000 rockets and mortar shells at Israeli civilian areas since 2001. More than 6,500 of those were fired at Israel since 2014.
3. How long does it take to build a shelter, and who manufactures it?
We are proud to have a very fast turnaround time. The time between the order and the day of delivery could be between 2 weeks and 2 months, depending on the manufacturer’s stock, national holidays, and the weather (it takes longer for newly cast shelters to dry when it rains).
The local Israeli manufacturers we usually work with are Wolfman Industries, IMI Systems, and Ortec. All of our shelters are above-ground, fully-accessible structures, and meet the strictest standards of the IDF Home Front Command.
4. Where does OL get its funding?
Most of our funding comes from Christian and Jewish community groups, organizations, and individuals worldwide.
5. Does the Israeli government really not provide any shelters for these at-risk areas?
The government only provides fortification for structures within 7 kilometers of the Gaza border, provided that they have already been there for several years, before around 2012. New buildings and anything more than 7 kilometers from Gaza do not receive a safe room from the government.
However, the government obligates all schools and public institutions in Southern and Northern Israel to have shelters, and threatens to shut down those who don’t comply.
Israel
Join the Masa Canadian Professionals Volunteers Program!
You are invited on a 4-week volunteer program in Israel from October 14th to November 10th. Help rebuild Israeli society post-October 7th over Canadian Thanksgiving, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. Spend three weeks based in Tel Aviv and one week based in Eilat!
This program is exclusively for Jewish professionals aged 22-50, working at Jewish organizations or remotely in any field.
The cost of the program is $150 USD to the organizer and $50 USD to Masa. Participants will receive a Masa grant of $2650 USD that is applied to participation and to cover additional costs. The cost of the program includes housing, meals while volunteering, transportation on travel days, health insurance, leadership training, and more. Volunteers are required to commit to the volunteer schedule, with the understanding that there will be the flexibility to work remotely for 8 specific days during the program. Flights are not included but you get a 15% discount from El Al.
Sign up here: https://www.masaisrael.org/go/canada-jp/ space is limited!
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to make a difference and connect with fellow professionals. For more information, contact Mahla Finkleman, National Manager of Partnerships and Outreach, Masa Canada, atmfinkleman@ujafed.org and/or Sam Goodman, Senior Manager of Israel Engagement, sgoodman@ujafed.org.
Save the Dates for Info Sessions:
- Thursday, September 5th, 12:00 – 12:30 EST
- Wednesday, September 11th, 12:00 – 12:30 EST
Join us in Israel for a meaningful and impactful experience with Masa!
weeks based in Tel Aviv and one week based in Eilat!
This program is exclusively for Jewish professionals aged 22-50, working at Jewish organizations or remotely in any field.
The cost of the program is $150 USD to the organizer and $50 USD to Masa. Participants will receive a Masa grant of $2650 USD that is applied to participation and to cover additional costs. The cost of the program includes housing, meals while volunteering, transportation on travel days, health insurance, leadership training, and more. Volunteers are required to commit to the volunteer schedule, with the understanding that there will be the flexibility to work remotely for 8 specific days during the program. Flights are not included but you get a 15% discount from El Al.
Sign up here: https://www.masaisrael.org/go/canada-jp/ space is limited!
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to make a difference and connect with fellow professionals. For more information, contact Mahla Finkleman, National Manager of Partnerships and Outreach, Masa Canada, atmfinkleman@ujafed.org and/or Sam Goodman, Senior Manager of Israel Engagement, sgoodman@ujafed.org.
Save the Dates for Info Sessions:
- Thursday, September 5th, 12:00 – 12:30 EST
- Wednesday, September 11th, 12:00 – 12:30 EST
Join us in Israel for a meaningful and impactful experience with Masa!
Features
New website for Israelis interested in moving to Canada
By BERNIE BELLAN (May 21, 2024) A new website, titled “Orvrim to Canada” (https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/ovrim-en) has been receiving hundreds of thousands of visits, according to Michal Harel, operator of the website.
In an email sent to jewishpostandnews.ca Michal explained the reasons for her having started the website:
“In response to the October 7th events, a group of friends and I, all Israeli-Canadian immigrants, came together to launch a new website supporting Israelis relocating to Canada. “Our website, https://www.ovrimtocanada.com/, offers a comprehensive platform featuring:
- Step-by-step guides for starting the immigration process
- Settlement support and guidance
- Community connections and networking opportunities
- Business relocation assistance and expert advice
- Personal blog sharing immigrants’ experiences and insights
“With over 200,000 visitors and media coverage from prominent Israeli TV channels and newspapers, our website has already made a significant impact in many lives.”
A quick look at the website shows that it contains a wealth of information, almost all in Hebrew, but with an English version that gives an overview of what the website is all about.
The English version also contains a link to a Jerusalem Post story, published this past February, titled “Tired of war? Canada grants multi-year visas to Israelis” (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-787914#google_vignette) That story not only explains the requirements involved for anyone interested in moving to Canada from Israel, it gives a detailed breakdown of the costs one should expect to encounter.
(Updated May 28)
We contacted Ms. Harel to ask whether she’s aware whether there has been an increase in the number of Israelis deciding to emigrate from Israel since October 7. (We want to make clear that we’re not advocating for Israelis to emigrate; we’re simply wanting to learn more about emigration figures – and whether there has been a change in the number of Israelis wanting to leave the country.)
Ms. Harel referred us to a website titled “Globes”: https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001471862
The website is in Hebrew, but we were able to translate it into English. There is a graph on the website showing both numbers of immigrants to Israel and emigrants.
The graph shows a fairly steady rate of emigration from 2015-2022, hovering in the 40,000 range, then in 2023 there’s a sudden increase in the number of emigrants to 60,000.
According to the website, the increase in emigrants is due more to a change in the methodology that Israel has been using to count immigrants and emigrants than it is to any sudden upsurge in emigration. (Apparently individuals who had formerly been living in Israel but who may have returned to Israel just once a year were being counted as having immigrated back to Israel. Now that they are no longer being counted as immigrants and instead are being treated as emigrants, the numbers have shifted radically.)
Yet, the website adds this warning: “The figures do not take into account the effects of the war, since it is still not possible to identify those who chose to emigrate following it. It is also difficult to estimate what Yalad Yom will produce – on the one hand, anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews and Israelis around the world reminds everyone where the Jewish home is. On the other hand, the bitter truth we discovered in October is that it was precisely in Israel, the safe fortress of the Jewish people, that a massacre took place reminding us of the horrors of the Holocaust. And if that’s not enough, the explosive social atmosphere and the difference in the state budget deficit, which will inevitably lead to a heavy burden of taxes and a reduction in public services, may convince Zionist Israelis that they don’t belong here.”
Thus, as much as many of us would be disappointed to learn that there is now an upsurge in Israelis wanting to move out of the country, once reliable figures begin to be produced for 2024, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that is the case – which helps to explain the tremendous popularity of Ms. Harel’s website.
Features
Message from a Palestinian in Gaza to protesters: “You’re hurting the Palestinian cause”
A very brave Palestinian who was willing to put his name to paper and write an article for Newsweek Magazine has exposed the utter hypocrisy of all those students – and others, who have been setting up encampments across the U.S. – and now Canada, too.
You can read the article at https://www.newsweek.com/message-gazan-campus-protesters-youre-hurting-palestinian-cause-opinion-1894313
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