Canadian performers Aviva Chernick, La Serena Trio, and Maryem Tollar delighted Expo 2020 Dubai crowds with a melodious blend of songs during a performance at the Israel Pavilion on Sunday, 5th December. In a beautiful exchange of cultural diplomacy, the event marked the 8th night of Chanukah (the Jewish festival of miracles), and honoured the UAE on its Golden Jubilee.

The unique ensemble, brought to the UAE from Canada to perform as a musical gift to the UAE on the occasion of its 50th National Day, performed songs in Hebrew and Ladino (by Chernick) and in Arabic (by Tollar).

Organised in collaboration with the Jewish Agency for Israel in the UAE, the Israel Pavilion, Canada’s National Arts Centre and the Canada Pavilion, the concert took place outside the Israel Pavilion, culminating a night of diversity in a musical celebration.

Prior to the concert, the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai hosted an inclusive celebration with guests from multiple countries and faiths to enjoy the experience of the traditional lighting of a hanukkiah (Chanukah candelabra) and to share a meal – with a decidedly Canadian flare – prepared according to traditional custom. The event was a true representation of the kind of mixing and sharing of various cultures and experiences that many Canadians enjoy as a result of Canada’s diverse cultural and ethnic composition.

Commenting on the occasion, Marcy Grossman, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, said, “We are very fortunate in Canada to have an incredible amount of cultural and religious diversity. We see this diversity as our strength. Our tolerance and inclusion of different cultures, customs, and faiths makes us more adaptable and resilient to the changing world. Canada supports the efforts to cultivate peaceful coexistence in the Middle East and we welcomed the momentous Abraham Accords. Tonight’s event honours that spirit of tolerance, inclusion, and understanding in the UAE by celebrating both the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah and the UAE Golden Jubilee.”