History

Founded in 1963, CICF is a member-supported charitable foundation, created as a means to support cultural life in Israel, as well as to showcase emerging Israeli artists and talent in Canada.

The Board of Directors included such notable personalities as Sir Ernest MacMillan, conductor, pianist & composer; Celia Franca, founder and Artistic Director of the National Ballet; Tom Patterson, founder of the Stratford Festival; and Walter Homburger, long-time General Manager of the TSO. Active members and supporters included Maureen Forrester and Isaac Stern, Chairman at the time of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, our sister organization in the US.

Chapters were established in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

As an early provider of support and exposure for such notable cultural institutions in Israel, including the IPO and the Batsheva Dance Company among others, CICF helped establish and maintain the long-standing excellence of Israeli culture throughout the world.

Among its early activities, CICF was the first to bring the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra to Canada, under the leadership of Zubin Mehta. CICF supported a trip to Israel in 1984 by a group of distinguished Canadian artists, and also provided funding to enable Tafelmusik, Canada’s finest baroque orchestra to travel to Israel.

For almost 50 years, the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation has continued to build an ever growing bridge between our two countries.

With an emphasis on supporting and showcasing young artists on the brink of their careers, CICF and AICF’s representative in Israel allocates the invaluable scholarship funds through careful selection and official competitions to the most worthy young recipients.

Our scholarship recipients serve as cultural ambassadors, showing the best of Israel to the world.