TORONTO – The Israel@60 festivities began last week with a thrilling performance by the Soul Messengers, the spectacular black Hebrew band from Dimona, Israel, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Before the show, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto held its Annual General Meeting in the same building, where the organization announced its total revenue of $157 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007. According to Ted Sokolski, president and CEO, Toronto federation ranks third in the world, behind only New York and Chicago.

David Koschitzky, the new federation chair, announced, among his plans, his determination to make Jewish education more affordable for the middle class.

“During my term, my number one priority will be to find a solution so that the middle class will not be squeezed out of the ability to provide their children with a Jewish education,” Koschitzky said.

He also mentioned the importance of giving all Jewish children the opportunity for Jewish camping in that regard.

“We are clearly a different federation today than we were even five years ago,” said outgoing chair David Engel.

Senior vice-chair is Alan Winer; Honey Sherman is the new Jewish Foundation chair.

The kickoff celebration of Israel@60 that followed in the George Weston Recital Hall included the Nirkoda Israeli Dancers, affiliated with the Koffler Centre for the Arts, and the Jewish Day School Combined Choir. A video presentation reminded the audience of the devotion of Toronto Jewry since the beginnings of the Jewish state, when volunteers in this city joined Machal (diaspora volunteers) fighters in the War of Independence.

MK Yuli Edelstein, a former Prisoner of Zion, expressed his appreciation at living in the state of Israel, where, he added, Jews are still struggling with the question of “how to define our Jewishness, our ‘Israeli-ness.’ We’ll have to meet all these challenges together.”

Consul General Amir Gissin delivered greetings from the people of Israel, the “most passionate and creative people in the world…. Per capita, we register more patents in the US than the Americans themselves.”

A Community Mission to Israel scheduled for February, chaired by Sarena and David Koschitzky, is among federation’s plans for this year in celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary.