17 Israeli children and 3 coaches are coming to Winnipeg from March 12-19 to be immersed in Canadian hockey. They are students at the Canada Israel Hockey School (located in the Canada Centre in Metulla), and the group comprises Jewish, Arab and Druze boys from communities across the northern Galilee and Golan Heights. These children range in age between 11 and 14.

The Winnipeg visit was the brainchild of Astral Media’s Sidney Greenberg, who supports the hockey school. The Jewish Federation and the Winnipeg Chapter of Canadian Friends of Hebrew University are co-ordinating their visit. They will be staying with families of students at Brock Corydon School, training and skating at the MTS IcePlex, and spending free time as a typical Winnipeg child playing mini golf, glow bowling, shopping, curling, visiting the Manitoba Museum, and hanging out at the Rady Centre. The community is invited to the MTS Iceplex on March 17th at 10 am to watch the CIHS team play the Corydon Comets Minor Peewee A3 team. DJ Schneeweiss, Israel’s new Consul General will pay his first visit to Winnipeg to coincide with this game, where he will officiate at the opening faceoff.

Sidney Greenberg is funding their airfare to Canada, and local businesses and community members are sponsoring the visit to ensure their good time. This is a unique opportunity for Winnipeg, for the Jewish community, and for this diverse group of children whose parents are committed to a peaceful coexistence in a turbulent region through this terrific program that seeks to build peace and understanding through sport.