4,600 people rock and roll with Canadian PM Stephen Harper at JNF Canada's 65th annual Negev Dinner.
4,600 guests attended the JNF Canada Negev Dinner, in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the guest of honor at the event. The Prime Minister pledged the friendship of Canada to the State of Israel, and surprised the audience with a rock and roll performance. The dinner raised funds for The Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Center.
Around 4,600 guests attended the festive JNF Canada Negev Dinner held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. The dinner was held in tribute Canadian Prime Minister, theRight Honorable Stephen Harper, who was the guest of honor at the event. The Prime Minister's senior ministers were also present, along with other government officials and numerous KKL-JNF and Israel supporters.
JNF Canada is honoring PM Stephen Harper with a major KKL-JNF project, the Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Center, which will bear his name. The Hula Valley, with its abundance of water and vegetation, serves as an important rest stop for millions of birds migrating from Europe to Africa during the winter months, earning its reputation as a world class bird-watching site.
Over the course of the evening, the 175 KKL-JNF projects in Israel established over the past decade thanks to the support of JNF Canada, were shown, including, of course, the Hula Lake Park.
PM Stephen Harper was visibly moved at the major display of love and affection showed by the Canadian Jewish community, and delighted the audience by announcing his intentions to visit Israel in January 2014. The Prime Minister's upcoming trip will be his first visit to the State of Israel.
Regarding the Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Center, he emphasized that the project was very important to him for 3 reasons: "I value it obviously as a personal recognition that is bestowed on me, I also think it is a fantastic environmental project, but the third, most important thing is this: It is where it is, in the homeland of the Jewish people, in that light of freedom and democracy in what is otherwise a region of darkness, the State of Israel."
The Canadian Prime Minister reaffirmed his support for the State of Israel. "We understand that the future of our country and of our shared civilization depends on the survival of that free and democratic homeland for the Jewish People in the Middle East, and I tell you friends, that is why Israel will always have Canada as a friend in the world."
The audience received a wonderful surprise when Stephen Harper, with a twinkle in his eye, revealed the reason for his casual attire and his 'herringbone' pendant – when he suddenly transformed into a lead singer with the Herring Bone band, which had come all the way from Ottawa to perform for the guests as a gesture of 'love and affection'. The Canadian prime minister delighted the audience with several classic rock numbers, including Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline and Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones. In response to the audience's demand for an encore, he played the Beatles "Hey Jude".
JNF Canada CEO Josh Cooper thanked the Co-Chairs of the 65th JNF Canada Dinner, TheHon. Linda Fromm and Howard Sokolowski, who "made this event happen".
"I am proud to represent one of the oldest Zionist organizations in the world," he said, and thanked the Canadian Prime Minister for allowing JNF Canada to honor him.
Josh Cooper noted that this event was the "largest dinner honoring the sitting Prime Minister in Canadian history."
JNF Canada is honoring PM Stephen Harper with a major KKL-JNF project, the Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Center, which will bear his name. The Hula Valley, with its abundance of water and vegetation, serves as an important rest stop for millions of birds migrating from Europe to Africa during the winter months, earning its reputation as a world class bird-watching site.
Over the course of the evening, the 175 KKL-JNF projects in Israel established over the past decade thanks to the support of JNF Canada, were shown, including, of course, the Hula Lake Park.
PM Stephen Harper was visibly moved at the major display of love and affection showed by the Canadian Jewish community, and delighted the audience by announcing his intentions to visit Israel in January 2014. The Prime Minister's upcoming trip will be his first visit to the State of Israel.
Regarding the Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Center, he emphasized that the project was very important to him for 3 reasons: "I value it obviously as a personal recognition that is bestowed on me, I also think it is a fantastic environmental project, but the third, most important thing is this: It is where it is, in the homeland of the Jewish people, in that light of freedom and democracy in what is otherwise a region of darkness, the State of Israel."
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The audience received a wonderful surprise when Stephen Harper, with a twinkle in his eye, revealed the reason for his casual attire and his 'herringbone' pendant – when he suddenly transformed into a lead singer with the Herring Bone band, which had come all the way from Ottawa to perform for the guests as a gesture of 'love and affection'. The Canadian prime minister delighted the audience with several classic rock numbers, including Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline and Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones. In response to the audience's demand for an encore, he played the Beatles "Hey Jude".
JNF Canada CEO Josh Cooper thanked the Co-Chairs of the 65th JNF Canada Dinner, TheHon. Linda Fromm and Howard Sokolowski, who "made this event happen".
"I am proud to represent one of the oldest Zionist organizations in the world," he said, and thanked the Canadian Prime Minister for allowing JNF Canada to honor him.
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Regarding PM Harper's support for Israel, he said "You have taught us that your friends stand with you shoulder to shoulder, regardless of the size of the bully, and you have raised the bar for what it is to be considered a true friend of Israel."
In a special video message to PM Stephen Harper, Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu congratulated JNF for choosing to honor the Canadian Prime Minister, saying that it was a wise choice. "Stephen Harper has proved to be a real leader," he said. "He stood with us against the collective wisdom, the received wisdom, the political correctness, because Stephen doesn't want to be politically correct. He wants to be correct." PM Netanyahu saluted Stephen Harper as a personal friend, a great friend to the State of Israel, and a great leader.
KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler, hailed the event and PM Stephen Harper's vibrant presence as an "unprecedented display of support for KKL-JNF and the State of Israel."
In a special video message to PM Stephen Harper, Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu congratulated JNF for choosing to honor the Canadian Prime Minister, saying that it was a wise choice. "Stephen Harper has proved to be a real leader," he said. "He stood with us against the collective wisdom, the received wisdom, the political correctness, because Stephen doesn't want to be politically correct. He wants to be correct." PM Netanyahu saluted Stephen Harper as a personal friend, a great friend to the State of Israel, and a great leader.
KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler, hailed the event and PM Stephen Harper's vibrant presence as an "unprecedented display of support for KKL-JNF and the State of Israel."
