good morning. i'm honored to be a host this morning. whereabout to have a wonderful conversation with to fastening people want the counsel general of listed of israel and the director of the israel center of the jewish committee federation of sampras's go marin and sonoma counties and the peninsula. let's jump in with some basics what is a counsel general. a person in charge of the israeli consulate in the region are more less a branch of the israeli embassy in our region are consulate bases have cisco responsible for northern california and the northwestern

united states considers his car for four years about to enter tour of duty. the israel center is the department of the seven cisco federation established about 1516 years ago to be a bridge between israel and the bay area's jewish committee. the couple's of the death of been in the jewish community in the bay area for a good amount of time and am wondering what it's all of your observations about of the bay area understands the state of israel and the israeli culture and all the different ways in which israel functions in the world. a divided it into a couple of things first jewish community here they area and the jewish community here is large and vibrant and deeply connected to israel will feel a great kinship israel as an unusual mission state and nation civil what

people the jewish committee instinctively understands that and a connection between this is very strong of brothers and sisters in the bay area i felt a very good in the last four years. the political support for israel and the elected officials is very strong. great understanding and friendship and economic connection between the silicon valley in the state of israel is great neutral portance for both sides and very troubling growing. as a government official eu also engage in the different ways in which the committee in san francisco and unique to this part of this country in the world wondering if you could kind of assistance of some of the ways in which the relationship manifest. the bay area's last strong and vibrant chinese-american community. " we are doing is in the month

of june together with the israel center and many of the organization's the chinese can in the jewish committee when in a cultural festival called israel china cultural festival investigate and discover all the ways which jewish culture and chinese culture actually interact can also celebrating 20 years of diplomatic relations between the people's republic of china and the state of israel. when that relationship established? 1992. celebrating 20 years. a representative of the government of the state of israel in yourself and not how you work first i think the area a slightly different from and california had the good fortune to be a few different committees in northern california since a

the dynamics there. so i think altogether a name agree with him that there's a strong relationship a good communication and will hold one of our largest defense the largest in northern california and one of the largest in the country is really in the gardens june 10th. the very well received. the attendance of 10 to 20 dozen people annually in a the same time we can agree that there's some pockets that are less friendly and some of the campuses and some interactions but overall it's a very positive relationship. what happens at israel and the gardens. it's a full day of the

jewish committee celebration is the main festivities from 11:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon the car and stresses that for the occasion to have more than 60 organizations that participate with us include in the consulate with our offenders and food with is really food and jewish delicacies. and performances and the man stage local artists and international with their had minor. we have opportunities for round table conversation is to encourage the committee to dialogue. and we hope everybody will come. taking a quick break returning just for a moment please join us when we return in just a

welcome back. i'm honored to hear host the ceiling. in the middle of a wonderful conversation with the council general for the state of israel and the director of the israel center the jewish community federation and san francisco. and i think the unpeople here in the bay area or new in the country hear about the country didn't necessarily have a good sense of where that country is now functional so what's the population of israel and one of the highlights of its economic drivers. 17 thousands square-mile a

bit larger than rhode island. it's a dissenter of three continents asia, europe and africa. right in the center of the mess to iranian basin and the modern nation state of 7.8 million people with a very strong economy something that is standing out particularly in this period. armada in western but also experiencing 4.8% economic growth. and unemployment is low relatively speaking. a dynamic and with the growing appellation. if this sort of take the satellite view there is alive and economic turmoil happening in europe we saw the influence of the recent election in france everyone tells us our presidential election will focus on the economy and get you

mentioned there is growth in israel and am wondering if there's some things from an israeli economically. are little different than what we see for the devil in europe. i would say for wanted to compare this is really committed in the region michigan and california or to more specifically silicon valley. high tech is the engine of the israeli economy that's where we're very much focused. in this sense just as silicon valley is doing better than the rest of the united states and the rest of the world so too are we. but ultimately we are dependent in europe is our largest trading partner and we are looking with some concern of how things are going in europe. if the european economy will be week it will affect united states can also affect us. because many trading partners are economies of about trade

because we of zero natural resources. if you look low when the kind of line circling the globe this and the quitter that actually israel is quite similar inclement to the state of california and has an agricultural economic activity as well. are further south since then san francisco then i would say that the temperature israel are similar to los angeles and san diego. an agricultural is quite important for a spot because of a very charitable had after to quite high-tech agriculture wrote a dreamless citrus and during crops that are technology intensive. or we can save water on them because everything has to be dead with the resources that we have at hand. i want to add to the issue size and the talk about 17 dozen

square miles is still sells pretty good. are not sure hamas people have traveled to a violent and if your they're doing a restaurant to rent and since not really obvious. you to think about a more lackluster and driving from here to los angeles that's the link of the country. about 300 mi.. and in some places tenor 20 mi. wide. sort of like most of our morning commute said there would be like going from one set of the country east to west. alexei for example going from the ocean in san francisco across the bay bridge toll not creek. so that's it's and i think

oftentimes when i talk with people that travel from here to israel for the first time that really hits you. his stand on one mountainous the half the country and to the neighboring countries and that's when you get it. you brought up other similarities to northern california in terms of the economy in their summit other similarities at the other people don't fully realize between american life of life in northern california and the state of israel of a cultural level. as a vibrant community and the entire state of israel and have believed that more recently voted in some way as a keep will by destination. the best case city in the world tel aviv with the gay pride festival in june itself

and also in jerusalem. the more muted. are gonna take a quick break and come back in just a moment please join us.

welcome back. year and a wonderful conversation with the executive director of the israelis and with the jewish committee federation and the council general here in the san francisco bay area for the state of israel. who have been conversation about the diversity and the cultural

of israel and some ways contrary to the diversity of california. but there's a much more in terms of the issue of diversity so was to highlight? israel is not all jewish of a large ethnic minority of arabs 22% minority is the arab christiansen of course important these are equal citizens of israel. house of the orthodox component the tendency to think of the israelites but israel is not quite almost half of his relate to choose our children of committees who is cited for hundreds of thousands of years and never blends and of course more than a dozen jews from ethiopia. so it's very colorful and

interesting and dynamic and unique in this way. 64 years of independence 64 years there are 600,000 people and others one and 6 million 7 million and its close to a million. a population that's 10 times larger than it was 60 years approach most of it is immigration from all over the world so to the comment that it's not for the white juice with it caused a whole variety of foods just like in san francisco he can't eat around the world and not leave tel aviv for a long time. an arts and culture and might

find middle eastern music and you might find very european and a large russian population both in israel and the jewish community in the bay area. a job as an to the mixture. in the united states to lookit the ways in which the various possible brought here by force and some people came on their own and in many ways there's a nation we are nation that values her immigration history. but in israel really what seems to be a parent is that there's an immigration when of every single generation unless the generation sort of the places that people of come from a generation to the state of israel to enrich the population.

an example of my cellphone growth in the united states but father was an orthodox rabbi in hebrew means to go up in 1985 when i graduated college. my wife was born in israel but her parents were p.m. and i choose an aging committee from the time of the first temple. the content is still in operation magic carpet in 1949. the operation solomon in the course of the last 20 years and other neighbors their russian jews after it's a much easier to look and say where of jews have not come from to israel because

religious committees from everywhere. a large persian jewish community and a large engine jewish committee and were from all over. when my favorite activities is is really folk dancing one of the areas with the blending of the different aspects of israeli culture which it i think is most amazing. sissonnes now being made to dentist that have steps from yemen to mind the steps from europe. it's very typical of the writers that grew up in different walks of life describing the

immigration waves of the '50s were from europe or people that were born to people that have been in israel for a future iteration of this and it affects the music and dance and move this if any of the people of the lead on netflix look up israeli films to such a variety of resources and opportunities to really be exposed to different aspects of the culture. please join this is to continue this wonderful conversation

not honored to be your host this morning about the modern

state of israel and counsel general for israel and the executive structure of the israel center here in texas with the jewish committee federation a synthesis coup. welcome back pay and we're talking about all the different ways in which is really life and cultures as diverse and and wondering if what we could take advantage here in northern california. could a the first and go to our web sites and join any one for many activities and it often co- sponsor and bring to the region is also the main sponsors will bring a series of doctors and musicians union it. the up coming china israel

festival israel and the gardens in june 10th. it's free to the public all day long from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 5:00 p.m. are sought a permit expires at circassia to go home. greta of some a lot to have more formation of this really centered out to the government invest. the easiest thing is to go to the web site of the jewish federation and to find the israel center and the flair of the israel gardens look this up and run a minimalist to be updated almost weekly with any activities that are coming up in the area. it's wonderful. and to get more information but the israeli china festival.

greta just to chicago the israel consulate in san to discount comes right up. clinton is real cuts cultural trend festival page or going to be sure in israeli films with chinese subtitles the great theater in chinatown and the will be exhibitions of translated literature for a graphic having to with applications primarily in chinatown but also other places in san francisco. and there's so it's excellent is really selection that freeman at the end of july will have as least 10 israeli films. just a few minutes left and to review and summarize represented a threat to the diversity of that is really life and you are american born in canton israel and your is really born in still live in israel.

and this morning if it to you could come talk more about yourself a little more personally till the tisza in what israeli profile releases. of a sale like this is real is first open for visits by everyone but primarily to young american jews in the audience is real is the most exciting thing that has happened in jewish history into a dozen years. and i would urge each and every one of them to come and visit their homeland because there's a program called birth rate offering free ten day trip to israel for any young to between the age of 8926. to all other americans please come and visit us a direct flight from los angeles' four times a week or fly by way of toronto and philadelphia and new york or europe. where we need to leave in

just a moment but justin berg say where were you born in israel. i was born in haifa carry similar our temperatures in the mediterranean, army service in israel and did my b.a. in israel that took a backpack and traveled abroad. thanks so much for joining us here in mosaic.