Israel
Canadian Magen David Adom Winnipeg: As urgency intensifies, new campaign kicks off
By REBECA KUROPATWA With the ongoing terrorist attacks continuing in Israel – to the point that during Ambassador Dennis Ross’s recent talk in Winnipeg, he referred to the situation as “a new normal” that we will need to get used to for the next while – the Winnipeg chapter of Canadian Magen David Adom (CMDA) has launched a new fundraising campaign to send another ambulance to Israel.
Over the past two years, the Winnipeg chapter of CMDA, thanks to generous donations from people throughout Winnipeg and Manitoba, has donated two ambulances to Magen David Adom (MDA) Israel.
This make it possible to provide a physical and emotional lifeline to the people of Israel, showing them that Manitobans care and realize the importance of saving lives.
John Plantz and the “Buy a Piece of the Ambulance” campaign
This year, to ensure the goal of being able to meet CMDA Winnipeg’s commitment of sending one ambulance per year, a member of the Winnipeg board, John Plantz, spearheaded a new way of gathering the needed funds for the ambulance – with the “Buy a Piece of the Ambulance” campaign.
Plantz’s commitment to CMDA Winnipeg began following the passing of his friend and CMDA supporter, John Thiessen, who had often encouraged Plantz to get involved.
Plantz was born a Christian and it was not until later in life that his grandfather divulged to the family that they were, in fact, Jewish. This revelation changed Plantz’s life and moved him to explore his roots, which he began by studying archaeology in Israel.
“CMDA is a vital part of Israel’s existence,” said Plantz. “It’s there where the rubber meets the road. By getting ambulances for the State of Israel, we’re helping make a difference for the people of Israel and assuring that people get the help they need in their time of need.”
How it works
Speaking of the fundraising campaign concept, Plantz said: “The Buy a Piece of the Ambulance campaign is really a giant black and white picture of an ambulance that is to be bought for Israel. We have another picture in colour of the same ambulance, which is cut into pieces – like a puzzle – and it will be pasted onto the black and white picture as people purchase these pieces.”
While some donors may be able to donate the actual cost of the piece they buy, the majority will be made as a symbolic act. Donations are “sold” in multiplications of 18, as the number 18 or “Chai” in Hebrew means “life.” For example, symbolically saving 10 people would be $180.00, 20 people would be $360.00, and so on.
“We would like to send another ambulance this year and we can only do this if people will participate with us,” said Plantz. “People can make a difference and, if we all do a part, we can be a blessing to the people of Israel…and, now is the time to stand up with Israel.”
To help with the ambulance drive, the chapter has recently been (and is continually) looking for more people wanting to get involved in the chapter in any way. And, some supporters are stepping up to the plate.
Andrew Voth
One such person is Andrew Voth (32), along with his brother, Jeremy. Voth works as a yard manager for Reimer Soils. He is a Christian, by faith, and Israel supporter.
Voth has lent his support to Israel and the Jewish people ever since the first time he visited Israel in 2008 on a biblical tour. He has since returned to Israel a second time, in 2013. Both of those trips were led by John Plantz.
“I was looking to engage my time more usefully. One day John [Plantz] asked if I would like to come to a CMDA meeting, and my love for Israel drew me there,” said Voth. “I know the importance of Magen David Adom’s work for all the people of Israel. It’s a lifeline to those in distress and often in conflict situations.
“Unfortunately, with the current situation in Israel, there will only be more of a need for MDA to fill and a need for people like myself to step out and walk beside and support our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
Ana Kazakevitch
The Winnipeg chapter of CMDA has also recently welcomed on board Israeli intensive care nurse, Ana Kazakevitch (37), a newcomer from Israel who was personally affected by a terrorist attack that killed her mother 17 years ago.
After the terror attack, Kazakevitch received support from a wonderful volunteer organization called, “Sella,” which assists people who have been impacted by terrorism. Kazakevitch later joined Sella and supported others.
“As an intensive care nurse, I appreciate and admire MDA’s professionalism and endless devotion to their work,” said Kazakevitch, who is married and has two young sons. “And, when I was told by Regina Teplitsky about Winnipeg’s chapter of CMDA, I was glad to join them.
“All Israel citizens are exposed to the endless stress induced by terror attacks on a daily basis. MDA deals with multiple challenges, finding themselves in the middle of unusual situations, like how they should give first aid being attacked by rocks and bullets. I, for one, think that they deserve every possible support.”
How to help
If you would like to buy a piece of the ambulance, please sent a cheque made out to “CMDA” to Ami Bakerman, the Winnipeg chapter treasurer (at 699 Toronto St, Wpg, MB, R3E-1Z4) or visit the website to make a donation (at http://www.cmdai.org).
For more information, contact Ami at (204)-771-7326 or amibakerman@gmail.com.
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
Features
The Most Expensive Israeli Soccer Transfers
Even if Israel isn’t known as a world soccer power, it has produced plenty of talented players who have made a living in top European leagues. On more than one occasion, an Israeli international has commanded a rather large transfer fee. But who are the most expensive players in Israel’s history? The answer could be a little surprising. We took a look back to find the most expensive Israeli soccer transfers of all time.
Tai Baribo
In 2023, Baribo made the move to MLS, signing with the Philadelphia Union. The reported fee was around $1.5 million, which is one of the highest transfer fees the Union has ever paid for a player.
Omer Atzili
Throughout his career, Atzili has played for a variety of clubs, including stops in Spain and Greece. In 2023, he joined Al Ain in the UAE for a transfer fee of $2.1 million.
Maor Buzaglo
Now retired, Buzaglo was briefly the holder of the richest transfer deal for an Israeli player. After a couple of successful seasons on loan, Maccabi Tel Aviv paid $2.7 million to rival Maccabi Haifa for Buzaglo in 2008.
Dia Saba
Saba made history in 2020 when he joined Al-Nasr, making him the first Israeli player to play for a club in the UAE. At the time, it was a big deal for relations between the two countries. Al-Nasr also paid an impressive $2.9 million transfer fee for the midfielder.
Tal Ben Haim
On multiple occasions, Ben Haim has been sold for more than $1 million. First, there was his move from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023 for close to $1.2 million. A few years later, Sparta Prague came calling for him, spending $3.1 million as a transfer fee for the winger.
Itay Shechter
During the prime of his career, Shechter was the type of player who warranted a seven-figure transfer fee. German club Kaiserslautern paid a little over $2.6 million in 2011 to bring Shechter to the Bundesliga from Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Daniel Peretz
When Peretz was sold to Bayern Munich, it wasn’t the most expensive deal involving an Israeli player, although it was arguably the most important. He became the first Israeli Jew to play at Bayern, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world. The transfer fee for Peretz paid by Bayern Munich to Maccabi Tel Aviv was around $5.4 million.
Oscar Gloukh
Gloukh is one of the best young Israeli players right now. He already has three international goals in a dozen appearances to his name. Somehow, Gloukh is already one of the most expensive players in Israel’s history. After coming up with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he moved to Austrian giant Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 for a transfer fee of close to $7.5 million. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him top that number one day.
Liel Abada
Abada has been a part of two huge transfer deals in his young career. In 2021, Scottish club Celtic paid $4.8 million to acquire him from Maccabi Petah Tikva. However, that number was topped in 2024 when Charlotte FC of MLS paid a fee of $8 million for Abada.
With Charlotte FC, Abada competes in North America’s top league, facing teams from both Mexico and Canada. Throughout North America, sports betting has taken off in recent years. That includes betting in Canada, where there is a large collection of trusted sports betting platforms.
Eran Zahavi
To date, Zahavi holds the record for the most expensive transfer fee paid for an Israeli player. It’s fitting for Israel’s former captain and all-time leading scorer. In 2016, Chinese club Guangzhou City paid $12.5 million to get Zahavi from Maccabi Tel Aviv. That record was nearly broken later that year when another Chinese club offered $20 million for Zahavi, who turned it down and stayed with Guangzhou City.