Toronto, Canada · May 2026
In early May, the WZO's Department of Irgoon and Israelis Abroad held the fourth annual conference of the Forum of Israeli Community Leaders in North America, in Toronto, Canada, under the theme “The Next Generation: Third Culture Kids of the Israeli Community Abroad.” The conference explored, in depth, the world of the second generation — children who live in the space between their parents' culture and their host culture — examining the identity that emerges there: its needs, the meaning of mobility, its challenges, its gifts and its losses, coping strategies, and how all of this moves from the personal to the communal.
At the heart of the conference, four young members of Toronto's Israeli community spoke openly about their own experiences, sharing insights that were at once moving and unsettling. Participants worked through case studies from communities across North America and explored current research in the field, leaving with a deeper understanding of how to support the next generation in their own communities.
“One of the most important things my department does is preserving the bond between the State of Israel and Israelis living overseas — and especially the next generation. This is not only personally meaningful work; it is a strategic mission of the highest order.” — Yair Lootsteen, Head of the Department of Irgoon and Israelis Abroad
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