14 students from Canada, 6 Israeli students, 3 weeks and 2 amazing countries. This week, the entrepreneurship school delegation to Canada ended in which I had the privilege of taking part. As part of the program, 6 entrepreneurship students from different tracks traveled together with the amazing Dr. Tali Ramon and accompanied by Ofir Reichman and Sharon Zahavi, to meet 14 students from Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. The program aims to bring Canada and Israel closer together and to expose Canadian students to the Israeli ecosystem, to introduce them to Israel as a start up nation and of course to expose us to the Canadian ecosystem from the other side.

We started the program in Canada, we spent 4 days in Waterloo and 4 days in Toronto. From the moment we arrived in Canada we were amazed by the welcome that awaited us. Everyone were nice and polite, kind and smiling. It is always said about the Canadians that they are very polite and it is hard to understand how much it’s true until you experience it yourself. In Canada, we took several classes on the entrepreneurial ecosystem, we learned about the success story and the interesting pivot made by the Blackberry company (which was established in Waterloo), we visited several local startup companies and various organizations that run in the community and help establish ventures. In addition to the fascinating content, we had the privilege of meeting amazing students from Lurier University, all business administration students who are interested in entrepreneurship and therefore were chosen for the program. We went out with them to parties, nature walks, they took us to the local bars and of course also to do some shopping and eating at the best places.

From Canada we traveled together to Israel with great excitement. Usually when people come to Israel for the first time it is difficult for them to understand what awaits them. Whether it is due to the way we are presented on social media, or because we are a small country in the Middle East that is different from its neighbors or maybe because there is no other country like ours in the world, the Canadian students really did not know what was waiting for them.

We arrived together in Tel Aviv for a tour of Jaffa and they were so excited by the views, the sea, the food and the atmosphere (and this was even before we got to the hotel). We spent 4 days in Tel Aviv which included lectures at our university by Dr. Yossi Maaravi, Mr. Ofir Reichman and Dr. Tali Ramon, a visit to the "Heseg" foundation, a tour in the Carmel Market and also a visit to the Peres Center for Innovation which was fascinating. From Tel Aviv we traveled to the Dead Sea and Masada and spent a night in the desert. It was a crazy experience! We saw breathtaking landscapes, rode camels and gained a lot of experiences. From the desert we continued to Jerusalem for a tour of the Old City, a tour in Mahane Yehuda and a visit to the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The highlight of the visit to Jerusalem was a tour of the Yad Vashem Museum. I have been to Yad Vashem many times before but this time it was the most powerful visit.

We had a wonderful guide who conveyed the story of the Holocaust in the most powerful way I have ever experienced and left us all with a deep impression and many thoughts. After Jerusalem we returned for 5 more days in Tel Aviv which included a visit to the AppsFlyer company which was inspiring, more lectures at the university and tours in the north and Nazareth. The most fun part was the free time.

The schedule ended every day at the afternoon so we had free evenings to spend with the Canadians and to show them Israel in the best possible way. We took them to parties and bars, delicious restaurants, to eat all kinds of Israeli food, to the beach, and even to the protest in Kaplan and they loved it. After two weeks in Israel we felt that they were almost as Israeli as we us.

During the program we had many discussions about Israel, its position in the world, the external conflicts it faces and also the internal ones that are highly relevant nowadays. At first it was difficult to talk about the challenges we have in our tiny country. Israel is on the one hand one of a kind and on the other hand faces very difficult crises. The story of Israel is fascinating and the Canadians were very curious to understand and hear as much as possible about the wonder that is the State of Israel. Over time, these conversations and trips strengthened in me the feeling of strength and resilience that we have as a people and as a country. It was exciting to see Israel through the eyes of Canadians and understand how different, special and unique we are. This experience strengthened my sense of hope and achievement and reminded me that Israel is a strong and powerful country and that there is no other like it in the world.

I couldn't believe how much we would connect with the Canadian students, and I was most pleasantly surprised. Real and strong friendships were formed between us, and towards the end of the program, we already started to feel sad about the impending ending. On one of the last evenings we organized a picnic for them on the beach at sunset with plenty of wine, Israeli snacks and delicious pastries. We taught them Israeli games and they had an amazing time.

It was hard to say goodbye. I had a great privilege to meet all these lovely people and take part in this amazing program! To see an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada, to get to know and experience the Canadian culture, to learn about the differences between the different approaches and of course also to discover that there are many things in common. I had the privilege of hearing and learning from different people, seeing things from different angles and also making friends for life and gaining many experiences.

I’d like to say thank you to The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation for holding the program and for giving me the privilege of representing Israel in Canada and getting to know Canada. Many thanks to Dr. Tali Ramon who accompanied us and was there the whole way, and of course to Mr. Ofir Reichman and Sharon Zahavi without whom this would not have happened.

Looking forward to the meetings of the alumni organization of the program!