Tel Aviv-born Consul General Ziv Nevo Kulman finds common ground in Montreal’s Modernity
by Marisa Samek
Last Wednesday I met the new Israeli Consul General to Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces Mr. Ziv Nevo Kulman at his office located in one of Montreal’s Modernist masterpieces, Westmount Square. We discussed his path to Consul General, the relationship between Canada and Israel, and Mr. Nevo Kulman’s enthusiasm about Montreal’s modernist influence.
Mr. Nevo Kulman expressed excitement at working in Westmount Square, one of Montreal’s signature modernist constructions. Westmount Square’s architect, Mies Van de Rohe, belonged to the Bauhaus movement. Conceptualized in Germany before WWII, Bauhaus sought to leave behind ornamental Old Europe and define an aesthetic that reflected modern times. On a more philosophical level, the Bauhaus thinkers addressed the modern struggle to endow the mass-produced with artistry and to find beauty in functionality. As a result, they used industrial materials, clean lines, and open space to boldly bring architecture and industrial design to contemporary culture. Today, Israel reflects this kind of modern mentality. Nevo Kulman mentioned that UNESCO designated his home-city, Tel Aviv, as a City of Design for its 4000 Bauhaus buildings.
Just as the Bauhaus mantra “form follows function” suggests, Tel Aviv houses a wellspring of technological innovation. Nevo Kulman explained that he would like Quebec, as Canada’s second most important economic centre, to develop more ties with Israeli companies. “Israel is known as the Start-up Nation,” said Nevo Kulman. “It is a greenhouse for innovation.” From cyber-security to green transportation technology, Nevo Kulman sees opportunities for Canadian companies and organizations such as the Canadian Aerospace agency to work more closely with Israel.
Nevo Kulman graduated with an interdisciplinary arts degree from Tel Aviv University where he studied Art History and completed a thesis on contemporary dance diplomacy in Israel. I asked the Consul General how he switched from Arts to Commerce. “Studying what you love is important as long as you keep in mind the need for practicality,” insisted Nevo Kulman. In his case, he coupled an arts degree with a love for and proficiency in languages—he speaks six. Nevo Kulman has held several positions such as head of the performing arts section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cultural Attaché to Tokyo, and Counsellor for cultural affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Paris. As Israeli Consul General to Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, his work no longer emphasizes arts and culture but focuses more on offering consular services to Quebec’s Israeli community, establishing economic ties between Quebec and Israel, and solidifying relationships within the Jewish community.
We briefly touched on politics. I asked Nevo Kulman how Israel can improve its image in Montreal’s universities. The Consul General expressed frustration at student groups that attack Israel on the basis of human-rights violations. He explained that demonizing Israel for its human rights violations while remaining silent on other guilty countries such as China or Iran demonstrate an anti-Israel rather than pro-human rights stance. “It is especially problematic when academics boycott other academics. If we can’t talk about these issues in the universities then where can we talk about them?” asked Nevo Kulman. He concluded that “although it’s a loud minority that criticizes Israel, it’s up to other students to open a constructive discussion.”
Finally, I questioned Nevo Kulman about what he likes most about living in Montreal. His face lit up and he proclaimed that “Montreal is the most vegetarian friendly city I have ever lived in.” He is amazed that Montreal’s French influence contributes to the sophistication of vegetarian cuisine in the city. “In France, on the other hand, it’s difficult. You can be anything except vegetarian.” From innovative Tel Aviv to sophisticated Montreal, Nevo Kulman’s journey from one Bauhaus centre to another signifies building bridges between two modern cities.
Meet Mr. Nevo Kulman for yourself:
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