Project Regeneration sets big things in motion in Northern Israel

By Regan Lipes

(AJNews) – On October 7, 2023, the international Jewish community looked on in horror and fear as peaceful communities in Eretz Israel were descended upon by terrorists orchestrating modern day pogroms of mass slaughter and the bloodshed of innocents. On October 8, with the numbers of dead still rising, and a still unknown number of hostages, the international Jewish community sprang into action. While pro-Hamas rallies and demonstrations began to brew, Jews around the world came together, emotionally, spiritually, and monetarily to support Israel and the future of the Jewish State.

Albertans may recall a visit from Sarah Mali, the Director General of the Jewish Federations of Canada in September 2024. In Edmonton, she attended an event to kick off the United Jewish Appeal campaign. She explained passionately that the people she visited in Northern Israel were being supported in meaningful and life-changing ways by the generosity of Canadian Jewish communities. Even then Mali was clear with audience members, that the process of collective healing would take years of effort and dedication. The destruction of October 7 aftermath will ricochet for many years to come but the inspiring efforts to rebuild and rejuvenate Canada’s partner communities in Northern Israel are already underway and thriving.

Recently, Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, traveled to Israel with Calgary Jewish Federation CEO Rob Nagus and their counterparts from other Coast to Coast Jewish Federations and their P2G (partnership together) representatives. As Jewish Albertans are well aware, Leavitt-Wright and Nagus have both worked tirelessly with their teams to keep the communities safe and informed as hate crimes and rising antisemitism have sparked uncertainty and anxiety.

Leavitt-Wright was happy to be able to share good news with the Alberta Jewish News in an interview following her return, bringing with her a message of hope and healing from the Eretz Israel. “Our communities in Canada were abundantly generous with donations to support Israel following October 7,” she explained.  “These funds were vital and we were able to help support some essential services at a critical time, but we always knew that there would be a long process of healing.”

While in Israel, the Canadian delegates met with community leaders, local decision-makers in municipal government, and educators.

“Together, we’ve allocated emergency funding over the past two years throughout Israel, and today, we stand united in our commitment to the North, a testament to the collective of Canadian Jewry where we are contributing equally toward a shared vision.” Leavitt-Wright expanded on the importance of a new and uplifting undertaking. She said, “Project Regeneration unites the Federations of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Coast-to-Coast Emergency Forum, who are each committing an equal share toward a joint goal for the North. The Coast-to-Coast group includes Jewish Winnipeg; Ottawa; Calgary; Edmonton, and Atlantic Jewish Council. We are joined in this endeavour today with Victoria and Vancouver Island; Windsor; Hamilton; London, Ontario and small communities in Ontario and Saskatchewan.  I am so proud of our work together and the impact we create when we galvanize the Canadian collective, an opportunity that has ensured that the smaller federations and communities could also join in something larger than what any of us could have accomplished on our own. This is the true spirit of what it means to be a Jewish Federation and part of the Canadian collective.”

The power of collective giving cannot be underestimated. “In February 2024 we came to Etzbah Hagalil for a Coast-to-Coast solidarity mission, to listen and to see firsthand how our remarkable partners on the ground were dealing with an unprecedented situation. Ensuring that communities were supported and kept intact, despite being spread across the country, took herculean efforts by very dedicated professionals and lay leaders.”

According to a June 2025 article in the Canadian Jewish News, over $140 million dollars in emergency funds were raised to support Israel. In Northern Israel, with so many families displaced long term this support was crucial. As Leavitt-Wright reiterated though, there is now the need to rejuvenate and rebuild, and this may be an even longer process than anticipated.

“It isn’t just about repairing infrastructure, but revitalizing community, and bringing families back to their homes,” she said. Displaced families have been living in other, sometimes more established, communities for the past two years, and some are reluctant to return to the North. “When we asked residents what mattered most to them, beyond security, they spoke of education and academia –  two sides of the same coin, and the foundation for a thriving future. Project Regeneration is about more than replacing what was lost – it is about building back better. And building on the knowledge and expertise from these decades of collaboration and the team of professionals we have here on the ground,” Leavitt-Wright commented candidly.

Education is positioned at the heart of core Jewish values, and it is understandable that parents want to give their children only the best. The remaining funds raised in Canada to send to Israel are now being allocated to reinvigorating the North, with Kiryat Shmona at the centre and education at the core.  “All the communities we spoke with agreed that a vibrant Kiryat Shmona would benefit the entire region,” emphasized Leavitt-Wright.

After Sarah Mali’s visit to Alberta in 2024, the Alberta Jewish News reported that there were already efforts underway to transition a local college, Tel-Hai,  to university status. This vision became tangible for the Canadian delegates as they laid a foundational cornerstone for a new senate building. Leavitt-Wright expressed: “This is why the establishment of Kiryat Shmona and Galilee University is so crucial. From my vantage point, this is not just a building – it’s a beacon. With 10,000 students, hundreds of faculty and researchers, and thousands of volunteer hours dedicated to the region, Tel-Hai is transforming into an educational engine for the Galilee Panhandle.”

As the old saying goes, if you build it, they will come, recognizing the existing Tel-Hai institution as a university promises to draw people to Kiryat Shmona: students, educators, researchers, and the families they will bring with them. “This journey hasn’t been easy,” she said. “It’s taken vision, perseverance, and a deep belief in the power of regeneration.”

This project is not, however, solely focussed on what a university in the region will bring, but also what it will accompany. Efforts will go into revitalizing community centres, local schools, and rehabilitation. Leavitt-Wright pointed out that after so many years of being displaced from their homes and schools, many children will have a lot of catching up to do.

“There are huge strains on a family when they are housed long term in a single hotel room,” she emphasized. “A few days is manageable, but we’re talking about years.”

As children return to school in their home communities Project Regeneration will connect them with free tutoring to support them as they undertake the monumental task of catching up with the national curriculum. There is security in numbers, and with a strong focus on education, numbers are sure to grow.

Stacey Leavitt-Wright, Rob Nagus and their CEO counterparts continue to work steadfastly with the support of Sarah Mali, in cooperation with sister communities in Northern Israel to bring the inspired vision of Project Regeneration to fruition.  The generosity of Canada’s Jewish communities during a time of significant need, will help to rebuild the North, perhaps even stronger than it was before.

Regan Lipes is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.