Today, we are proud to announce, Project Regeneration, a $20 million pan-Canadian initiative to rebuild our partnership region of the Galilee Panhandle (Etzbah Hagalil) stronger than it was prior to October 7.

These funds will be invested strategically in programs and services that will generate long-term strength, stability, and resilience that uplift the entire region and everyone in it for years to come. Project regeneration is the newest evolution of our 30+ year partnership with the region, which we see as an extension of our community and whose residents are our extended family.  

Our partnership region, which was already challenged by socio-economic issues and lack of job opportunities, bore the brunt of attacks by Hezbollah after October 7. A hundred thousand residents were displaced from their homes and communities for over a year, and an estimated 60 percent of buildings in the region were damaged. Schools and businesses were shuttered; lives and livelihoods were out on long-term hold.  

In October 2023, we put out a call to support Israel in her greatest time of need, and many of you came forward with donations to the Israel Emergency Fund. Our Jewish Federation of Canada-UIA (JFC-UIA) staff team on the ground identified short, medium, and very long-term needs. We addressed the short and medium-term needs through initial rounds of allocations that were overseen by the Israel Emergency Forum of which I was the CEO representative of the Coast-to-Coast Canadian (CTC) Jewish communities.

Now, as residents begin to return and rebuild their lives, we are addressing the long-term needs in a thoughtful, strategic, impactful way that will create a ripple effect for years to come through Project Regeneration. I am pleased to continue representing the CTC Canadian Jewish communities and to bring Edmonton’s voice to the national table. 

Together, we are making a much greater impact than any single Federation could have on its own.  

As Federations, we bring a unique vantage point that enables us to see the big picture and bring together partners, donors and leaders to make a lasting impact on our collective future. Rather than individual Federations funding individual projects, Federations across Canada have combined our funds to make a collective impact on a scope and scale that will resonate for decades to come. It will stand as an example of how our shared philanthropic impact—driven by your generous support—amplifies our impact when combined, whether at home or abroad.  

Having visited with mayors, community leaders, and the leadership of Tel Hai College as it moves towards becoming a university, I have seen a resilient and dedicated people who are eager to move this region forward and strengthen it further. Our JFC-UIA staff on the ground have their fingers on the pulse of the true needs and work closely with local leaders to ensure our funds have the greatest possible impact. 

Please read the announcement below:

We are excited to announce a new collaborative partnership, the Pan-Canadian Coalition, a collective national funding effort which includes all Jewish federations across the country contributing funds raised through Israel Emergency campaigns. This news follows months of preparation and field-analysis, which has yielded this groundbreaking, multi-year collaborative philanthropic venture. 

Convened and led by Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, the $20M CAD of the coalition will implement Project Regeneration, a strategic response to improve education in the Galilee Panhandle with a focus on academic infrastructure and region-wide educational initiatives. In turn, improving education will improve the quality of life. Residents identified the issue of education as the most burning for them, after security, when it came to returning to or staying in the region.

Supported by additional matching funds from government, partner organizations, and leading Canadian foundations, the total investment will exceed $40M CAD. This funding will drive transformative capacity building and innovation through a select group of grantees: Tel-Hai College – University on the Rise, Kiryat Shmona Community Centers, Kedma Student Villages, Maoz Educational Leadership Incubator, and HaBaita Regional Excellence Centres. 

The Pan Canadian Coalition is led by a team of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA senior professionals and volunteer leaders, together with Israel Federation representatives, federation professional leadership and Israel Emergency Allocations Committees. Jewish federations across all of Canada are taking part in this collective national effort namely: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Atlantic Canada, Hamilton, London, Victoria, Windsor and small communities across Canada.

Project Regeneration builds on Canadian Jewish federations’ history of philanthropic investments and personal relationships with the region, through the CTC/P2G Partnership, of Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax and the communities of the Galilee Panhandle. 

Project Regeneration is a collective expression of Canadian Jewry’s care and commitment through the federation system, to the people of Israel’s north and to ensuring its future generations thrive. 

We look forward to sharing real-time reports about the impact on communities and individuals on the ground as it unfolds and as new funders join the venture.

I want to thank Sarah Mali, Director General JFCUIA, for her leadership to this initiative, and my colleagues from across the country, who have all prioritized and ensured that every Canadian community is part of this initiative.  

We will continue the work of the partnership, which is focused on capacity building initiatives like STEAM education, support of mental health and resilience activities, and facilitating connections through Gesher Chai-Living Bridge initiatives. We also continue to work with major donors who wish to fund meaningful projects that further support this extension of our own community. 

Shabbat Shalom and Am Yisrael Chai,

Stacey