The Winnipeg based firm of Lazer Grant  Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors is planning an eight day Trade Mission to Israel exclusively for its clients and friends that will take place near the end of February/beginning of March .

As Joel Lazer told the Winnipeg Jewish Review, " I anticipate that there will be both Jewish and non-Jewish business people who join us for the trip. For some it will be their first visit to Israel, while for others it will be an opportunity to return and see the country through a business lens. If just one of our clients discovers a worthwhile business connection or partnership  with an Israeli company, now or in th efuture, then it will be worth it."

The trip will include business meetings with key people in technology, healthcare and venture capital. "Additional business meetings will be arranged to suit the needs of the individual participants," says Lazer.

Lazer sites the following business statistics, which make a trade mission to Israel an exciting opportunity for business people:

1. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship — and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 — in the world.
2. Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds, right behind the U.S.
3. Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.
4. An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment errors.
5. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R & D facilities outside the U.S. in Israel.

As Lazer says, " Our firm has as its most important business purpose the objective of helping our clients grow. This is an opportunity to help our team and clients grow both personally and professionally...Israel is an ancient land with a most modern and vibrant business community."

Lazer told  the Winnipeg Jewish Review that he  led a Winnipeg Jewish Federation mission to Israel in  007 and it was very worthwhile.  "Who knows, if  the numbers warrant it, we can go back again and take another trade mission." 

Lazer emphasizes that Israel is an attractive destination to people of all faiths and backgrounds. "The city of Jerusalem is over 3,000 years old and contains sites such as the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock" , along with a multitude of other sites with historical and religious significance.

"Tel Aviv has such vibrancy that it is known as the New York of the Mediterranean," says Lazer, who notes that this thriving city is the economic heartland of Israel.

The Laazer Grant  Trade Mission will include five-star accommodation and dining. The tour will be conducted by a licensed tour guide and will include Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Sea of Galilee district. "It will include a number of key speakers on Israel – the country and its people, culture and aspirations. It will also include both a pre-mission briefing and a post-mission follow-up.

"I'm extremely excited about this opportunity and look forward to attending  this mission with many friends!," says Lazer.

There will be an information meeting Wednesday, November 3, 6:30 p.m. at  the offices of Lazer Grant, 300-309 McDermot Ave. All are welcome to attend.

Anyone interested in participating or seeking more information can also contact  [email protected] or call 977-3500.