Hillel Ottawa’s Kol Yisrael program is helping Jewish students at local post-secondary institutions explore Israel’s complexity through education and dialogue. 

The initiative, offered by Hillel International, offers a variety of thematic sessions led by educators and fellows to foster deeper understanding of Israeli society, history, and identity. Kol Yisrael aims to give students an opportunity to get more involved in learning about the specifics of Israel, its people, and Jewish people around the world. Through open discussion and shared learning, the program equips students with deeper knowledge of their culture and traditions.

This semester, Kol Yisrael in Ottawa is being taught by Jaqui Gesund Kattan, a teacher at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS) and historian. When offered the opportunity to volunteer with Hillel, which is a program of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, Gesund Kattan chose to lead the “Ethnicity and Diversity in Israel” module, one of several educational tracks available through Kol Yisrael. With over two decades of experience in Jewish education, Gesund Kattan brings an international perspective shaped by her own diverse background.

“I’m Mexican and Jewish. My mother was Israeli, my grandparents immigrated to Israel from Syria and Turkey, and my father was Ashkenazi from Colombia,” she explained. “Now, I’m an immigrant in Canada, teaching Hebrew and Jewish studies.”

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what it means to be Jewish, what it means to be Israeli, and the type of society that Israel is,” she said. “As a historian, I wanted to bring that conversation to life, and also because the story of Israel’s diversity is very personal to me.”

Creating space for dialogue is of utmost of importance to Gesund Kattan. “In times like these, it’s crucial to make room for other narratives and to listen to voices that aren’t always centred,” she said. “We can build peace and understanding by thinking a little bit outside of the box.”

Yaron, the Israel Fellow at Hillel Ottawa, emphasized that Kol Yisrael is part of a broader effort to expand students’ perspectives. “Many of them come from educational systems that focus on a single Jewish narrative,” he said. “This program opens their eyes to how diverse Israeli society really is.”

The class has attracted a group of engaged students, many of them international or graduate students, eager to explore complex issues. 

“We have students from different countries sharing their own backgrounds and perspectives,” Gesund Kattan noted. “The level of discussion has been deep and thoughtful. They’re realizing that different truths can coexist at the same time.”

With three sessions left in this semester’s program, both Gesund Kattan and Yaron hope it will continue in new forms. 

“We’ll keep developing programs like Kol Yisrael but from different angles,” said Yaron. “That way, returning students can build on what they’ve learned, and new ones can join the conversation.”

Gesund Kattan also hopes to see more opportunities for dialogue across Ottawa’s wider community. 

 “We need more sessions where people can learn, ask questions, and talk about what’s happening in Israel,” said Gesund Kattan. “Programs like Kol Yisrael show how valuable that can be.”

While this program has only two sessions left, there are hopes to continue next semester with a different focus. Please contact Yaron at [email protected] for more information.