The Canadian Jewish News
Above photo by Ricki Rosen (The Jewish Journal)

By RITA POLIAKOV, CJN Intern

Thursday, 21 August 2008

TORONTO — After visiting the Ethiopian community in Israel, Jason Rubinoff and Elyse Lackie realized that something needed to be done to help the young generation.

“You could see these were people having a tough time. It wasn’t about the mothers and fathers, it’s about the next generation,” Rubinoff said.

“They’re in a standstill. Education is really the only way they can get out of this. That’s when we came up with an idea for a scholarship program.”

Two years ago, during a trip to Ethiopia and Israel, Rubinoff and Lackie developed Investment Program Ono (IPO).

From left Jason Rubinoff, Elyse Lackie,
Kinneret Sahalo, Orly Sahalo, Maor Sanvete
and David Schlesinger

This is a program that helps send Ethiopian Israeli students to Ono Academic College, a prestigious Israeli school in Kiryat Ono known for its business and law programs, by selling shares at $2,500 each.

IPO is an initiative of the National Ben-Gurion Society, a Young Leadership program implemented by UIA Federations Canada in co-operation with Canadian federations. The Ben-Gurion Society is made up of donors who contributed $1,000 or more to the United Jewish Appeal or Combined Jewish Appeal campaigns.

IPO has already raised enough money to send eight students to Ono. This summer, the organization has brought three of these students to intern in Toronto for one month.

According to Doron Haran, the vice-chairman for Resource Development at Ono, internships are invaluable to Israeli students.

“Israel is the land of connections,” he said at a gathering last week held at Lackie’s house, where donors met the Ethiopian students. “That’s how this system works. [Ethiopian students] don’t have connections because their parents are not playing the game. They must have an internship, but no one can find it. So we are calling. It’s working in an unbelievable way.” Read More.