good morning. welcome to mosaics this morning we are about to have a wonderful conversation with to fascinating people. one is the council general for the status is real and the director of the israel center of the jewish community federation of san francisco and sonoma county and the peninsula. let's jump in with basics. what is the council general? it's a person in charge of the israeli consulate in the region or less a branch of the israeli embassy and our region.

responsible for northern california and the northwestern united states. you've been here for four years and you're about to enter tour of duty. and what is the israel center. greatcoat the department of the center cisco federation. established about 15 or 16 years ago to be a bridge between israel and the bay area's jewish committee. both of you've been in the jewish committee in the bay area for a good amount of time. i'm wondering what are some of your observations about how the bay area understands the state to visit israel and that is really a culture i found i divided into a couple of things but first the jewish committee here in the bay area is a large and fibrinogen very deeply connected to israel. and we feel great kinship israel

is the unusual nation state of the world people. the jewish committee instinctively understands that since the connection between us is very strong and here in the bay area have felt very good in the last four years the political support for israel among elected officials as a very strong it's great understanding and french than the economic connection to in silicon valley and the state of israel is of great mutual importance for both sides and very strong and growing. i know as a government official you also engage in all the different ways which the committee hearings san francisco the bay. it's just so unique to this part of the country in the world of reticular their asian population can give us a sense of some of the ways and how manifest replaced the strong

vibrant chinese-american community to what we are doing in the month of june together with the israel center and many of the organization's the chinese community in a jewish community are in a courtroom cultural festival investigate and rediscover all of the ways in which jewish culture and chinese culture actually interact. and also celebrating 20 years of diplomatic relations between the peoples republic of china and the state of israel. a gun established in 1992. a representative of the government to the state of israel now how to you first day think the bay area a slightly different than

northern california seeing the dynamics there. so i think altogether agree with him that there's a strong relationship and there's a good communication will love our largest events the largest in northern california were the largest in northern california in less than a month to attend very well received attendance of 10 to 20-some people annually at the same time we can agree there some pockets that are less friendly to be politically correct on some of the campuses are in some interactions but overall it's a very positive relationship. know what action happens in

israel and the gardens. it's a full day of jewish community's celebration the main festivities go from 11:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon the gardens dresses up for the occasion with more than 60 organizations that participate with the sun could in the consulate that have booths in the gardens with our defenders and food and the jewish delicacies an incredible performances on the main stage of local artists and international weather had minor and have opportunities for round table conversations to encourage the community to dialogue on issues of community israel anything. and i hope everybody will come. taking a quick break and

return in a moment please join us.

welcome back to mosaic i am honored to be host this morning and held a wonderful conversation with the council general of the senate and to israel and the director of the israel center in san francisco. i think that when people in the bay area or anywhere in the country hear about a country they don't necessarily have the sense of how big a country is and how functions can you tell us basics of how big israel isn't one of the highlights of

its economic drivers is 07 teen-and scrap miles so that larger than rhode island and sits at this center of three continents and asia and europe and africa right in the center of that mediterranean basin modern nation state of 7.8 million people. we are very strong economy something that is standing up to complete in this period. are experiencing 4.8% economic growth and unemployment is low relatively speaking so we're doing pretty well we're very dynamic and with the growing population. if you take a salary review of the world is a lot of economic turmoil happening

anybody tells us our presidential election will focus on the economy and yet you mentioned there is growth and israel and i'm wondering if there's some things from that is really economic feet are different from what we see if your say in europe. if you wanted to compare this is really economy to any region it should be in northern california more specifically the silicon valley high tech is the engine of the israeli economy and whether very much focused. we've gained a lot from globalization and the sense and justice they're doing better than the rest of the united states and the world's co2 are we. but ultimately we are dependent in europe as our largest trading partner and we're looking the some concern of how things are going in europe will affect the united states and thus because

many trading partners we have zero natural resources. not many people realize if you look at the globe and the lines the circle " based on the equator and actually israel is quite similar in climate to the state of california and is quite an cultural economic activity as well. a little further south in san francisco. i would say the temperatures in his trailer similar to last angeles and san diego. agriculture is quite important for us but because rid with had to go to quite high-tech agriculture ♪ citrus and we did in the past and doing crops that are technology intensive where we can save water on them because everything has to be done with the resources that we have have at hand.

a want ad to the issue of science to talk about 17,000 square miles it still sounds pretty good and i'm not sure how many people action have traveled to rhode island and if your they're doing no where it starts reckons it's not really obvious. what to think about it more like less than driving from here to los angeles that's the length of the country. and in some places tenor 20 mi. wide. sort of like most of our morning commutes would be going from one side of the country to the other east to west. example going from the ocean sent to cisco across the bay bridge to walnut creek.

i think oftentimes when i talk with people that travel from hearing to israel for the first time they're really hit to stand on one mountain and sea half the country in the neighboring countries and then go o.k. i get it. there some other similarities they think the people don't fully realize between northern california and the state of israel as a vibrant community and the believe that them more recently was booted in some way as a key world wide destination. the best case city in the world and has gave pride festival in

june itself and also in jerusalem but more muted. bert going to take a quick break and come back in a moment please join us.

welcome back pay at home and a wonderful conversation about the modern state of israel with me executive director of the israel center and the council general here in the san francisco bay area for the state of israel.

we were having a conversation about the diversity and cultural of israel and some was comparing it to the diversity of northern california talking about the communities but there's a much more in terms of the issues greta israel's not all jewish we have a large ethnic minority and israeli arabs to the 22% to maturity of whom are muslims minority is. christiansen of court if of course the matter minority as well equal citizens of israel. and also have an orthodox component and a tendency to think of israel as white the israel is not quite almost half of the israeli jews are children of community is who resided for hundreds of thousands of years and arab lands before the establishment of israel and of course more than 100,000 jews from ethiopia.

israel is very colorful and interesting and the dynamic and unique in this way. just celebrated 64 years of independence 64 years ago there were 600,000 people and now for the 6 million 7 million cost 8 million so it's a population that is like 10 times larger than it was 60 years ago even the united states is about twice as many corrupt trysail last 60 years and most of its immigration from all over the world it's not really white juice and with it coast of whole variety of foods to slacken san francisco you can eat around the world and not leave for a long time.

and arts and culture he might find middle eastern music and you might find very european and a large russian population and the jewish community in the bay area in the united states for a look at our history the ways in which people came to the united states varies some people were brought here by force and some people came on their own hand in many ways we are a nation that values are immigration history but in israel really, what is apparent is that there's an emigration wave every single generation even less than a generation so where are some of the places where people have come from each generation into

the state of israel a group and the united states my father was an orthodox rabbi and in 1985 and a graduate college. my wife was born in israel of her parents weren't inching community my neighbors are ethiopian jews set of come from operation moses and operation solomon in the course of the last 20 years. but other neighbors are russian jews that came after emigration of the soviet union it's almost easier to look

and say where of choose not come from to israel this committee is from south america and north america a large persian jewish committee and indian jewish community from all over. in my favorite activities is folk dancing one of the areas without the blending of the different aspects of the islamic culture and think is the most amazing the songs that are now being made to dances with steps from yemen combined with steps from europe and all coming into one son and most of us don't even think about it and we do it but it's a very typical with their riders the group and different walks of life

ethiopian are from my rack describing the immigration waves of the '50s. in a fax of the music affects the dance and movies. any of the people viewing are on netflix lookup israeli films there such a variety of resources and opportunities to really be exposed to different aspects of the culture. we will return in just jump moment please join us as we continue the wonderful conversation.

welcome back.

honored to be your host this morning a wonderful conversation today about the modern state of israel with the council's general of israel and the executive director of the israel center and sent to cisco and the jewish community and welcome back pay and we were talking about all the different ways in which is really life and culture so divorce and i'm wondering if you could let us know if what we could take advantage of here in northern california. could the first that is go to our web site's look us up and join any one of our many activities that we talked and co-sponsor and bring to the region authors and musicians and to name its different festivals and film festivals and the

upcoming israeli and the gardens and content. at the gardens june 10th and its free to the public all day long from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. at 5:00 p.m. are sound permit expires so a half to go home. any more formation of the activities had weakened on a list that is the easiest thing is to go to the web site of the jewish federation and defined the israel center in the fire about the gardens there you can join the mailing list of the updated almost weekly for any activities coming up in the area.

to get more information about the israel china festival. just to ship to go the israel consonant san francisco comes right up throwing toward israel china festival page where were going to be showing israeli films with chinese subtitles of the exhibitions of translated literature photographic exhibitions primarily in chinatown but also other places in san francisco. this excellent selection in the sentences could jewish some possible at the end of july will have a least 10 israeli films. just a few moments left but that two of you in some ways represent a threat of the diversity and is re of your american a born hakeem to

israel and year is really born in lebanon and california. and you came from american orthodox religious background and i'm just wondering if the to of you could talk a little bit more about yourselves little more personally to give a taste of what an israeli profile really is. first of all this route is open for visits by everyone but primarily to young american jews who are in the audience. it's the most exciting thing as happened in jewish history and to dozen year. i would urge each and everyone to them to come visit their homeland with the program called birthright offering a free ten day trip to israel for any young choose between the age of 18 and 26. to all other americans please come and visit us a direct flight from los angeles' four times a week or five by way of toronto and philadelphia and new york or europe.

we need to leave in just a moment to continue in a word say where were you born was born in haifa very similar to san francisco high temperatures in the mediterranean and the pacific i did my army service and israel it might be a in israel and i took a back pack and not traveling around the world. thanks for joining us.