B'Yachad Spring 2014: You, the Donor by Jewish National Fund

Together Spring 2014

B’Yachad: The Newsletter of Jewish National Fund

jnf.org

NATI CONF ONAL EREN CE LOS A The B NGEL ES everl y Hilto see p age 1 n 3 SE

L. A. PTEM BER 1 2-15, 2014

AJPA er Award Rockow llence for Exce tional iza in Organ tters Newsle

1st PRIZE

E-mail us at newsletter@jnf.org B'Yachad · 42 East 69th Street New York, NY 10021-5093

Dear Reader, Since its very beginnings, Jewish National Fund was, is, and always will be Project Spotlight: Halutza Young Farmers about our donors. It was thanks to a Diaspora community deeply invested in JNF is excited to support the Young Farmers Incubators project in Halutza, ensuring a homeland for the Jewish people then that today we have a thriving, which helps give new young farmers the start they need to establish a flourishing flourishing State of Israel whose contributions are daily making the world a better agricultural community in the desert. place. Turn to pages 18-23 to meet some of our dedicated and passionate donors A Marketplace Transformed who inspire us all with their commitment and dedication to building a strong Well-known celebrity chef Lee Schrager visited Israel with JNF and reflects on the and prosperous future for Israel. We can’t do it without you—without all of you. vibrancy of Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. We hope you enjoy this issue. Send your feedback to newsletter@jnf.org. Regards, You, the Donor JNF is your voice in Israel. Without you, the donor, JNF would not be able to do the B’Yachad Editorial Staff

Inside this Issue

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important work that we do in establishing a bright future for the land and people of Israel.

B’Yachad Staff Editor in Chief: Ariel Vered Running the Distance with JNF Publisher: Russell F. Robinson A group of JNF’s amazing partners in Israel joined together for the first-ever Team JNF in the Jerusalem Marathon. They raised more than $40,000 through JNF’s easy- Executive Editor: Jodi Bodner to-use online fundraising pages. MANAGING EDITOR: Adam H. Brill Creative Director: Sherene Strausberg

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From Facebook likes to Twitter hashtags, JNF is engaging our donors with the power JEWISH NATIONAL FUND (JNF) began in 1901 as a dream and vision to reestablish a homeland in Israel for Jewish people everywhere. Jews the world over collected coins in iconic JNF Blue Boxes, purchasing of social media. The newly announced JNF Social Media Executive Committee will land and planting trees until ultimately, their dream of a Jewish homeland was a reality. Today, JNF create a strategic plan to bring the JNF story to life via social media. continues to give all generations a unique voice in building and ensuring the prosperity of the land of Israel through their generosity and partnership with the people of Israel.

Winner of THE AJPA Rockower Award for Excellence In organizational newsletters Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink

® facebook.com/jewishnationalfund twitter.com/jnfusa

JNF embodies both heart and action; our work is varied in scope but singular in benefit. We strive to bring an enhanced quality of life to all of Israel’s residents, and translate these advancements to the world beyond. JNF is greening the desert with millions of trees, building thousands of parks, creating new communities and cities for generations of Israelis to call home, bolstering Israel’s water supply, helping develop innovative arid-agriculture techniques, and educating both young and old about the founding and importance of Israel and Zionism. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and United Nations NGO, which continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 888.JNF.0099 or visit jnf.org.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT JEFFREY E. LEVINE

All of the Above: Israel’s Water Policy By Seth M. Siegel

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Seth M. Siegel, a businessman, is at work on a book about Israel’s water resources. He tweets about water at @SethMSiegel.

I just returned from a whirlwind week in Israel, my first time going as president of Jewish National Fund. I took along six members of our Board of Directors; we spent our days and nights seeing the multitude of positive results that JNF’s work yields, the vital work to which you contribute. We met with several ministers eager to learn about our $1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade. It was extraordinary to see how important our plan is to them. What we have accomplished in Be’er Sheva through our Blueprint Negev campaign is truly magical. Our 1,300-acre river park, our 12,000 seat amphitheatre, our world-class Abraham’s Well Visitor’s Center— the list goes on of the ways in which our work has transformed the city. Private money is pouring in, construction is going up, nightlife is booming, tour buses are coming, and Be’er Sheva is the fastest growing city in Israel. None of this would have happened without Jewish National Fund, and without you. We built it and they are coming. It is not a dream; it is reality. We just built the new state-of-the-art Central Arava Medical Center. Residents will soon benefit from an easily accessible medical facility. The entire region—370,000 acres with a population of 3,200 scattered throughout—previously had to travel more than two hours for medical services. This precluded young people from moving there and elderly people from staying there. By bringing the Central Arava’s health services and emergency care up to par with Israel’s large population centers, new population growth in the Arava will soon grace the region, encouraging young people returning after their army service to settle down. In Carmit, a new community being built in the northeast Negev for 2700 families, the first 360 lots have been sold, ignited by our Housing Development Fund’s commitment to infrastructure. Our expanded partnership with Alexander Muss High School in Israel will soon result in a new, state-of-the-art campus at Hod Hasharon—complete with a radio station—which will attract many more students to the transformative high school program. We are building it and they are coming. It is not a dream; it is reality. Jewish National Fund recently launched the Go North campaign, a bold and successful strategic plan focused on the social and economic growth of northern Israel. Go North will bring 300,000 people to the north and make it an attractive home for the next generation of Israel’s residents. We are about to commence building a new visitor’s center in the heart of the old city of Akko. More than two million tourists visit Akko each year to see the prison and the ruins, but the majority only spend the day. This visitor’s center will showcase the best of what the northern Galil has to offer—wineries, breweries, hotels, restaurants, historical sites, and Jewish National Fund sites—and keep people in the region for a longer period of time, thus contributing to the economy. We know this will work because we have done it before. Ten cities in five days. It was an intense trip, but one I value as part of my responsibility as your president, and well worth it too—for me and for you, the donor. If you build it, they will come. It is not a dream; it is the JNF reality.

Jewish National Fund

The number of global admirers of Israel’s water policies and governance is quickly growing. From Governors Jerry Brown of California and Rick Perry of Texas to farmers in small communities in Asia and Africa, Israel is being sought out for insight and technology. Due to macro trends like population growth, rising affluence, climate change, pollution of water resources and inadequate water infrastructure, there is pressure on water supplies. The US National Intelligence Council predicts a day coming soon when billions will live in water-stressed locales, and the rest of the world will be affected by the rise of food prices. There is even a concern that the instability from this will impair America’s ability to manage strategic issues with key allies because of water preoccupation. The bulk of Israel’s topography is desert; the rest is semi-arid. It has had a rapidly growing population that is among the world’s most affluent. Together, these traits should spell disaster for Israel’s water economy but it has put together a water system so sophisticated that it is likely immune from all but the most damaging of water threats. A former senior Israeli water official recently shared that Israel could now withstand a potential drought of several years duration. How did Israel achieve water resource security and its position as a model nation? Some give the credit to the country’s recent and great reliance on desalinated water: by late 2014, as much as 80% of household water could come from Israel’s desalination plants. Others cite Israel’s world-leading sophistication in the re-use of water. About half of all water used in agriculture comes from treated sewage. This is the hydrological version of Benjamin Franklin’s “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Each re-used drop is a drop not taken from fresh water resources. Both of these are essential elements in Israel’s water security. Jewish National Fund’s donors should take special pride in Israel’s re-use of water. Since treated sewage is available 365 days a year but water for agriculture is typically needed in the summer months, a network of more than 200 reclaimed water reservoirs constructed with JNF support throughout Israel has created an adaptive way to maximize the re-use. As important as desalination and reclaimed water are in Israel’s water mix, this only tells a partial story. Israel’s success in water isn’t due to any magic or singular tool. Rather, the credit should go to Israel’s “All of the above” approach. Further, Israel’s sophistication in so many different aspects to water governance and management is the reason others look to Israel to help fix broken water systems. Israel is a world leader in one water category after another: From pricing to market-based agriculture policy to widespread use of drip irrigation, to leak reduction policies and the use of Israeli technology across the spectrum of water issues, to the breeding of drought-resistant crops, Israel’s success relies on demanding greater efficiencies and innovation. It is this challenge of the status quo that may be the most important element of all. Around the world, water policies tend to be driven by the needs of agriculture, government and utilities. Each tends to be conservative and risk-averse. As Israel helps lead the way, its smart, proven approach to water management could not come sooner to a world in need.

If you build it…

Favorite Photo in Israel Contest

JNF Program Areas Community Building

Jewish National Fund

JNF enhances quality of life in Israel by building new communities and bolstering existing ones in peripheral areas. With 90% of Israel’s population concentrated in less than 40% of the country, the northern and southern regions are largely uninhabited. JNF plays a major role in helping to develop new communities in these areas, giving families an alternative to Israel’s crowded and expensive center, and rejuvenating established towns with opportunities to combat unemployment and stagnant population growth.

FORESTRY & Green Innovations As an innovator in ecological development and a pioneer in forest creation, JNF has hand-planted more than 250 million trees in Israel, providing luscious belts of green covering more than 250,000 acres. JNF’s parks and forests are enjoyed by millions of people each weekend and holiday. Through agricultural infrastructure development, research, and soil conservation, JNF has been able to create and extend the presence of fertile land where there was once endless desert.

Water Renewal

JNF.org

You can be featured in the next issue of B’Yachad. Check Facebook and Instagram for our next contest.

JNF has been at the forefront of water management and conservation in Israel, increasing the country’s total water supply by 12% and helping Israel become a world leader in water recycling. JNF’s network of over 250 recycled water reservoirs provide almost half of the water used for agriculture, saving enough freshwater to meet the needs of 4.4 million people a year.

Research & Development THERE ONCE WAS A MAN NAMED THEODOR HERZL, WHO BELIEVED THAT THE JEWISH HOMELAND SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN ERETZ YISRAEL.

WE NEED TO FIND A WAY FOR JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO HELP PURCHASE LAND IN ERETZ YISRAEL.

JNF sponsors research initiatives in Israel as part of its efforts to cultivate the land. Today, JNF is a world leader in both technological, agricultural and environmental innovation. Working with distinguished academic and scientific institutions in Israel and abroad and in our own research centers, JNF has supported innovative solutions in the areas of solar power, water sustainability, and agricultural development.

ZIONIST Education & Advocacy JNF is the single largest provider of Zionist engagement programs in the U.S. and offers myriad ways to connect young American Jews to Israel, from trips to Israel to B’nai Mitzvah projects and advocacy programs on college campuses. In addition, JNF supports leadership development and environmental education programs for Israeli youth.

Heritage Sites Israel’s rich modern history can be found in every corner of the country. JNF is committed to the preservation of historical sites associated with Israel’s rebirth and independence and to ensuring that the stories behind them are properly documented and retold for generations to come. Heritage site development enables JNF to share the past, the important events, places, struggles and the fight for Israel’s independence.

PEOPLE STARTED COLLECTING COINS IN SPECIAL TIN BOXES!

ACCESSIBILITY & Therapeutic Services AND THAT'S HOW THE BLUE BOX WAS BORN IN 1901, ALONG WITH JEWISH NATIONAL FUND.

JNF is dedicated to ensuring that no member of Israeli society is left behind. Through a variety of initiatives, JNF provides cutting-edge rehabilitative services, special education, and medical care for people with special needs and makes its forests, parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, nature trails, and recreation facilities “inclusive” to visitors of all ability levels.

Project Spotlight: Young Farmers Incubator Project With renewed thinking on the

Campaign All-Star: Doug Williams In a city known for its stars,

Doug Williams outshines them all with his commitment to Jewish National Fund and Israel. An integral part of the Greater Los Angeles Board of Directors for more than a decade, Doug has demonstrated a deep passion for Israel and the good work JNF is doing for the land and its people. Over the years, Doug has made many visits to Israel and taken part in several JNF missions. He is the type of lay leader who is essential to JNF’s success and his dedication has earned him the title of Campaign All-Star. “There’s something unique and magical about Doug—he brings people together, sets the bar Doug Williams. high and inspires us to do more and to always strive to do better, all with a big infectious smile,” said Allison Krumholz, Executive Director, Greater Los Angeles. “JNF is lucky to have him amongst our leadership.” A prominent member of the Los Angeles community, Doug has been active in the area’s Jewish community for many years, serving as president of the Heschel Day School for five years and on its board for more than 20. Doug has also

created and developed several programs for the Bureau of Jewish Education (now known as BJE: Builders of Jewish Education), a non-profit that works with partner groups to ensure that Jewish education is dynamic and engaging. Under his leadership, JNF in Los Angeles has been able to connect with individuals, organizations, and community leaders who share JNF’s passion and goals. Over the years, Doug has chaired several Walk for Water events and Green Sunday telephone campaigns. For the past eight years, Doug has chaired the Los Angeles Annual Breakfast and committed himself to its continued success. The first breakfast he chaired was attended by 40 guests, a great outcome for a new event. Doug has since grown the Los Angeles Breakfast into an iconic JNF event, making the 2013 event the most successful one in JNF history with over 1,200 people in attendance. “Doug developed our annual breakfast into a world-class event this past year and we couldn’t be more proud,” said Mark Egerman, Greater Los Angeles board president. “He is an outstanding board member who works tirelessly for JNF.” n

I want to begin my column with two questions: As supporters of Jewish National Fund, are we donors or are we partners? How do you define what constitutes a JNF giver? Throughout JNF’s history, donors have contributed generously to assist in the reclamation of the land of Israel and develop a strong and modern State of Israel. It cannot be forgotten that the pogroms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were the catalyst to renew the Zionist dream to redeem our ancient land. Together with the Shoah—the greatest tragedy the world had seen—these historical events provided the desperate final call to spring into action. Finally, with a State of our own in 1948, our efforts in the Diaspora led to the greatest aliyah since ancient Babylonia. Our collective efforts helped forge this thriving modern democratic State. So, now that we have a strong Israel, what is our role in supporting her today, and how do we define ourselves? Are we donors, or are those of us in the Diaspora, and our brothers and sisters in Israel, partners? Since JNF was founded 113 years ago, it has been a donor-driven fundraising effort. However, its strong partnership with Israel helps to define shared common goals and priorities in order to continue to improve our homeland. To give you an idea of how JNF works as a partner with Israel, we have established a number of task force committees that work hand-in-hand with municipalities, governmental ministries and other non-governmental agencies to plan for today and the future. The JNF Parsons Water Fund works closely with several Israeli ministries and municipalities to support a wide range of water infrastructure projects. In the Negev, there are task force teams at work in the Central Arava, Arad and Yerucham to help underdeveloped areas there expand and thrive. We have established a Housing Development Fund group to raise $25 million in the United States to provide infrastructure loans to grow small Israeli towns and kibbutzim. And last November we created the Go North Task Force to identify issues in the Galilee and define a strategic plan with local municipalities on how JNF can have the greatest impact. Our bottom line goal is to create new opportunities for the population that we hope to see grow in the Negev by 500,000 and in the Galilee by 300,000 people. Much has changed since we celebrated the birth of the State of Israel. The Zionist dream of redemption of the Jewish people has experienced an historic change. Today, the dream is more than just survival; the Jewish people must have a purpose. At 66 years young Israel is still developing and growing and has issues that continue to require our support. So yes, perhaps it is correct to say that Israel doesn’t need donors today, but rather partners. The Jewish people must survive in order to become an or legoyim—a light unto the nations. To accomplish this, together we must build a partnership with the people of Israel. On your behalf, JNF is that partner. JNF is your voice working with our partner—Israel.

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For more information, contact Mitchel Rosenzweig at mrosenzweig@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x259.

BILL MILLER, vp, Campaign

Jewish National Fund

value of organic foods, sustainable practices, and providing for a rapidly expanding world, farming is becoming “hot” again. In Israel, it’s not easy work in the hot and arid climate and it takes more than a few seeds in the ground and some rainfall. It takes lots of sweat and determination, knowing what and when to plant—and money. Thanks to a new initiative, Jewish National Fund is working with the next generation in Halutza to give new young farmers the start they need. Located in the northwest Negev on Israel’s borders with Egypt and Gaza, Halutza was founded in 2005 by families evacuated from the Gush Katif communities Haluzta farmer Yedidya Hochman. of Atzmona and Netzarim during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. They chose to rebuild their lives in this remote corner of the desert—which had never been inhabited or farmed. Jewish National Fund has supported Halutza’s growth from the beginning as part of our Blueprint Negev campaign. Now the focus is shifting to the

next generation of these 21st century pioneers who will carry on the realization of this miracle in the desert. Enter the Young Farmers Incubator Project, a new pilot program sponsored by Jewish National Fund along with support from the Ness Foundation, Karen Ferber, and Ellen Aschendorf. The program aims to encourage young entrepreneurs who are looking to make a future working the land to stay and invest in their own farms in the area. This program enables young farmers to lease greenhouse space with minimal capital down and pay low up-front costs for one agricultural season, unlike other parts of the country that typically require several years’ capital to get started. The farmers will receive training and mentoring from veteran farmers, crucial to avoiding mistakes in their first year. The young farmer is tasked with raising greenhouse crops like tomatoes and cucumbers and selling to local distributors. The future of Halutza relies on the next generation of pioneers putting down roots and helping the region expand. Through the Young Farmers Incubator Project, Jewish National Fund is helping these new farmers establish a flourishing agricultural community. n

campaign update

Jewish National Fund

Across the country For info on upcoming JNF events, visit jnf.org and click on “JNF in Your Area” New England

Los Angeles

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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(L-R) Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) Regional Director of Admissions Dana Gerbie Klein, JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan, Lary Levitts, West Hartford Board member and host C. Robert Zelinger, Bruce Stanger, Ilana Bernstein, Dean Levy, Coleman Levy, Walter Harrison, JNF Senior Campaign Executive Deborah Budd, and Rona Gelber at a planning meeting in West Hartford. (L-R) Capital District Board members and event chairs Karen Hausler and Susan Farber, guest speaker and Director of Community Relations for Friends of the Arava Institute Rabbi Michael Cohen, and JNF Director of New England and Capital District Sara Hefez at a Negev Nights reception in the Capital District.

(L-R) Capital District Board member and President-elect Rob Ganz, Capital District Board member Alan Lobel, JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan, and Assistant Vice President, Campaign and Capital District Board President Ken Segel at a community planning meeting in the Capital District.

(L-R) Capital District Board member Dorothy Ganz, JNF Director of New England and Capital District Sara Hefez, Capital District Board member Karen Lobel, and Jeanette Perkins at a community planning meeting in the Capital District.

LOS ANGELES 1. (L-R) Alan Abramson, JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, JNF Associate Director Lou Rosenberg, Los Angeles Clippers General Manager Gary Sachs, David Frank, and Rob Schiller at the Los Angeles Men’s Night Out.

(L-R) New England Board member Frederick Young, New England Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis, and Russell Stein at a Lawyers for Israel breakfast in Boston.

(L-R) JNF National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman with Herbert and Ruth Taylor at the New England Breakfast in Newton.

2. (L-R) JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer Matt Bernstein and Jack Lin at the Los Angeles Planned Giving donor appreciation brunch.

(L-R) New England Executive Board member Steven London, featured speaker Howard Goldstein, Kim Rubin, New England President, Lawyers for Israel (LFI) Chair and event host Larry Cohen, and New England President Emeritus and National LFI Co-Chair Robert Cohan at a Lawyers for Israel breakfast in Boston.

3. (L-R) Gina Raphael, WePower Executive Director Ifat Zamir, Orly Tal, Abigail Goldberg, Marilyn Golden, Alyse Golden Berkley, and Judy Zweig at a special women’s event.

Southern

Midwest

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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midwest

5.(L-R) Southern Ohio and Kentucky Executive Board member Pam Barnett and Marci Blachman enjoyed the Women for Israel luncheon hosted and sponsored by with Blue Box Bob, patrol leader Ethan Small, boy scout Ryan Glasberg, senior troop scout Gabriel Small and assistant senior patrol leader Benji Rubinberg at the Aimee Guttman in Cincinnati. Chicago Tu BiShvat Family Celebration. 2 Atlanta Honorary Board members Bill and Shellie Travis attended an Atlanta Board 6. Northern Ohio Board member Susie Kopit represented JNF at the Park Synagogue meeting. 2. (L-R) Southern Ohio and Kentucky Executive Board member David Gershuny met Bar/Bat Mitzvah Mall. Mayor Yoram Karin of the Valley of Springs Regional Council in Israel on the Makor 3 (L-R) Southeast Campaign Executive Abby Bernstein with Roni Wolk, and Margot 7. Children enjoyed a fun presentation by Debbie Friedman from the PJ Library at mission. Alfie, co-chairs of Ladies Who Lunch & Laugh Independence Day celebration. the Northern Ohio Tu BiShvat Celebration. 3. (L-R) Alexander Muss High School in Israel alumni Sam Levitt and Liam Reis at the 8. On Tu BiShvat, the King family added leaves to a handcrafted tree quilt Mercaz Conservative Hebrew High School graduation in Cincinnati. 4 (L-R) Regional Director Julie Malin and Congregation Agudas Achim Director of symbolizing the work of Jewish National Fund. (L-R) Adam King, Leslie King, Congregational Learning Dr. Harvey Raben celebrated a tree planning partnership Maya King, and Ed King. 4.(L-R) Amanda Wasserman, Zoe Felber, Ava Hilliard, and Elana Felber helped stuff as part of the synagogue’s 100th birthday. folders for the Northern Ohio Tu BiShvat Celebration.

1 (L-R) Atlanta Board members Raanan Pritzker and Alan Wolk enjoyed a special

1. (L-R) Smokey the Bear, as played by senior troop scout Adam Rubinberg, posed

5 (L-R) Bob Ozer, Wadi Attir Mayor Muhammad Al-Nabari, Project Manager Yunes

meeting at the home of shaliach Ezra Ravins.

Al-Nabari, and Mike Ozer during a visit to Wadi Attir.

6 (L-R) KKL Director of Major Donor Relations Talia Tzour, JNFuture Austin Chair

Brian Deitch, and JNFuture Board member Arielle Levy at The UT Block Party in Austin.

FLORIDA

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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FLORIDA 1. (L-R) Dr. Robert and Lorelei Ennis, JNF National Spokesman Hal Linden, and Broward Board President Vivian Grossman 9. (L-R) Northern Palm Beach County residents Hadasa Nagel, Annabelle Waldman, Estelle Bloom, Barbara Cohen, Ruth at the B’nai Aviv Breakfast in Weston. Margules, Paula Venitsky, Marcy Schrier, and Estelle Kudler at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch in Boca Raton. 2. (L-R) Dr. Mark and Stacey Gendal at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. 10. (L-R) Marty Rosenman, Bill Gersten, Michael Azeez, Eric Becker, and Richard Fleisher at the annual Frenchman’s 3. (L-R) Estelle Mintz, Inna Ruvinsky, KKL Director of Major Donors Talia Tzour, Cynthia Hertz, Vivian Grossman, Linda

Creek cocktail reception in Palm Beach Gardens.

Fuchs, Betsy Fischer and Judy Koch (front) at the annual Women for Israel luncheon at The Wick Theatre & Costume 11. (L-R) Abby Hoffman, Orlando Board member and event host Dr. Robin Katzman, Erin Katzman and Rhea Rein at the Museum in Boca Raton. Women for Israel cooking demonstration and brunch in Orlando.

4. (L-R) JNF Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss and wife Marni with Nancy and Norman Lipoff at an Alexander Muss High School in Israel reception hosted at the Kriss’ home in Miami. 5. (L-R) JNF Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss, JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson, Steve and Susan Caller, and Glen Schwartz, JNF Florida Executive Director, at an Alexander Muss High School in Israel reception hosted at the Kriss’ home in Miami. 6. (L-R) Mikki Futernick and Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) Director of Alumni Engagement Marilynn Rothstein at an AMHSI event hosted by Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Miami. 7. (L-R) Daryl Sissman and KKL Director of Major Donors Talia Tzour at the Taste of Israel cooking demonstration in Naples. 8. (L-R) Dr. Jerry Kumin, Mord Wiesler, and Lloyd and Midge Rauch at a thank you brunch hosted by Mord and Michal

Wiesler at their home in Naples.

12. (L-R) Michael Carroll, J. Roland Lieber, and Dr. Wilson Bradshaw with Tree of Life™ honoree Janet Guttman Cohen during the dinner at TwinEagles Country Club in Naples. 13. (L-R) Fabienne Kaplan, Orlando Board member Noreen Levitt, and Sandy Ossin at the Women for Israel cooking demonstration and brunch in Orlando. 14. (L-R) Orlando Board President Jim Riola and Lee Ossin at the WFI cooking demonstration and brunch in Orlando. 15. (L-R) Toby and Noel Siegel at the Guardian of Israel luncheon at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. 16. (L-R) Dr. Jonathan and Barbara Shagrin at the Guardian of Israel luncheon at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. 17. (L-R) Jane and Dr. Bob Lewitt at the Guardian of Israel luncheon at Michael’s on East in Sarasota.

FLORIDA

GREATER NEW YORK

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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GREATER NEW YORK 18. (L-R) South Palm Beach Board President Howard DuBosar, Michael Lazar, Consul General of Israel in New York Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Alan Mibab, Ron Lewittes, and JNF Southern Florida Director Laura Sherry at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. 19. (L-R) Jerome Engerman and Jan Silverman at an event hosted by Jan in her home in Boca Raton.

1. (L-R) Breakfast committee member Rami Abada, Cantor Aaron Cohen, Long Island 5.Event host Adam Chill, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Young Israel of New President Michael Kessler, speaker Micah Halpern, breakfast committee and Long Island Board member Larry Ingber, Rabbi Raphael Adler of Woodbury Jewish Center, and JNF Long Island Associate Executive Director Howard Ingram at a Long Island JNF Breakfast.

2. (L-R) NNJ Board member Helen Levine, Mayor of Gush Etzion Davidi Perl,

20. (L-R) Judy Mielnicki and Susan Goldberg at a dessert reception for Planned Giving hosted by Judy and her husband Dan at their home in Boca Raton.

Rochelle’s Rabbi Reuven Fink, and speaker JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler at a parlor meeting at the home of Ilana and Adam Chill in New Rochelle.

6. (L-R) JNF Long Island Associate Executive Director Howard Ingram, Rabbi Andrew

Warmflash of Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre, Long Island Board member Ariel Grunberg, speaker Micah Halpern, and Long Island Board member Larry JNF Vice President of Education and NNJ Board member Bob Levine, honoree Yitz Stern, Director of the Gush Etzion Foundation Shani Simkowitz, JNF National Ingber at a Long Island breakfast. Assistant Secretary and NNJ Board member Ben Gutmann, NNJ Board President 7. (L-R) JNF Northern New Jersey Board President Jill Janowski, Mayor of Be’er Sheva Jill Janowski, honorees Philip and Marlene Rhodes, and NNJ Board members Ruvik Danilovich, Mayor of Tenafly Peter Rustin, and event hosts Dana and Yehuda Janice and Jerry Rosen at the Teaneck Reception. Golan at a parlor meeting in Tenafly, NJ.

21. (L-R) Dr. Jonathan Axel, JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Benjamin Axel, and Coral Axel celebrated Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah at the Sderot Indoor 3. (L-R) Long Island (LI) Board and Lawyers for Israel (LFI) Executive Committee Recreation Center in Israel.

member Larry Ingber, LI Board and LFI member David Cohen, LI President Michael 8. (L-R) Marlene Post and Ora Gelberg at a welcome reception for Israeli mayors at JNF Headquarters in Manhattan. Kessler, Alan Schwartz, LI LFI Executive Committee member Bradley Siegel, LI Board and LFI Executive Committee members Charles Skop and Jeffrey Schwartz, and JNF Long Island Associate Executive Director Howard Ingram at Long Island’s 9. Co-Executive Director of Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) Orit Rome, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Northern New Jersey Board member Giselle Ben inaugural LFI reception. Dor and Co-Executive Director of AMHSI Rabbi Leor Sinai at the dedication of a new student-run radio station at the AMHSI campus in Israel. 4. (L-R) Adrienne Price, JNF Director of Westchester and Southern Connecticut

22. (L-R) Tampa Bay Board member and JNFuture chair Jillian Bandes with Brett Lipinsky at the JNFuture Pub Happy Hour in Tampa.

23. (L-R) Elise Diamond and Inez Levin at a Women for Israel Society reception in Tampa.

Stephanie Risa Balkin, Westchester Board member and event hostess Caren Hammerman, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, and Westchester Board members Shoshana Bederman and Dr. Norman Weiss at a tea in Westchester.

10.(L-R) Jewish Community Center of Harrison Program Director Ronni Metzger,

JNF Director of Westchester Stephanie Risa Balkin, featured speaker, New York Board member and Chairperson of JNF’s Yerucham 2020 Task Force Geraldine Shatz, JCCH Co-Presidents Abby Mendelsohn and Marty Rogowsky, and Cheryl Pine at a Tu BiShvat brunch at the Jewish Community Center of Harrison.

Mid-Atlantic

Northeast

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northeast

MID-ATLANTIC

1 (L-R) Chairman of Ammunition Hill Shimon (Katcha) Cahaner and JNF Central New Jersey Executive Director Joel Leibowitz in

1.(L-R) JNFuture members at a recent spring reception in Washington, DC.

Israel on the Makor mission.

2 Three generations of JNF women at the Philadelphia spring women’s event. (L-R) National Women for Israel President Louise Dabrow, daughter Amy Brown, and granddaughter Rachel Brown.

3 (L-R) Michael Boni and Andrew Miller, co-chairs of the 7th annual JNF Poker Tournament, shared a proud moment together. 4 (L-R) Gwen Bland, Sue Moses, and Joyce Laiter at the Women for Israel Passover cooking demonstration at the home of Sherri Middleberg in Bucks County, PA.

5 (L-R) Estee Solar, Sherri Middleberg, Amy Brown, and Judy Rosenbaum at a JNF wine tasting event at Ken and Amy Brown’s home in Bucks County, PA featuring JNF Makor Chair Bob Benedon and Culinary & Wine mission participant Ellen Benowitz.

2.(L-R) Andy and Gail Quartner hosted a recent major donor reception at their home with Debra Moser and Mitch Berliner. 3.(L-R) Washington DC President Ken Krupsky, Israeli basketball legend Tal Brody, and Yossi Goldman at a parlor meeting in

7 (L-R) Jodi Nack, Karen Hershman, and Jan Kozack at a Women for Israel Passover cooking demonstration at the home of Sherri Middleberg in Bucks County, PA.

Washington, DC.

4.(L-R) June and Alan Reisberg at an update on the current Israeli security situation. 5.(L-R) Former Israeli Deputy National Security Advisor Dr. Chuck Freilich with Delaware Lawyers for Israel (LFI) members Joel

Friedlander, Martin Lessner, and Richard Levine following a recent LFI luncheon in Wilmington, DE.

6.(L-R) Members of Team JNF Steve Drysdale, Brenda Jaffe, Susan Patz, Kathleen Peterson, David Jaffe, Emile Benedic, Wendy Schelew, Cathy Myrowitz, Elliot Myrowitz, Ethan Harris, and Washington, DC Regional Director Stuart Diamant-Cohen in the Negev on the Arava Institute-Hazon Israel bike ride.

6 (L-R) Elad Strohmayer, Deputy Consul General of Israel serving the Mid-Atlantic region, Bob Benedon, Makor and Southern New Jersey Major Gifts Chair, and Mike Yasner at Beer, Cheese & Trees held at Temple Beth Sholom In Cherry Hill, NJ.

7.(L-R) Baltimore JNFuture members Esther Blinkoff, Carly Glass, and Jules Szanton helped make phone calls at this year’s Green

Sunday Phone-a-Thon.

8.(L-R) Host committee members Lauren Ades and Ross Taylor at a cocktail reception for local young developers in Baltimore. 9.(L-R) Maryland JNF President Frank Spector with Baltimore Lawyers for Israel members Jodi Sykes, Mike Hamburg, National Campaign Director Diane Scar, Israeli basketball legend Tal Brody, Campaign Executive Eric Narrow and Debbie Spector at a Lawyers for Israel luncheon in Baltimore, MD.

10.(L-R) Kimberly, Jacob, and Murray Liebman at Neot Kedumim during a trip to Israel.

WESTERN

4 8

4 9

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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WESTERN

1. (L-R) Las Vegas Board President Bernice Friedman and Regional Director Sha’ron Wolfin Eden at the Las Vegas major donor reception.

2. (L-R) Judy Berkovitz and Las Vegas Board member Joan Davis at the Las Vegas major donor reception.

6. (L-R) Kaveh Soofer and Morris Flaum at the home of Morris and Deb Flaum in Tiburon. 7. (L-R) Beth Jo Zeitzer and Adam Nach at the Arizona Breakfast for Israel.

12.(L-R) JNF Palm Springs Region President Sheri Borax, Planned Giving Chair Rick

Stein, Kimberly Lee, and Matt Bernstein at the Palm Springs Planned Giving lunch.

13. (L-R) Dr. Martin Schulman, San Diego Women’s Campaign Chair Lauren Lizerbram,

major donor reception.

9. (L-R) Toni Dusik and Jill Beck at the Arizona Breakfast for Israel.

National Campaign Director Diane Scar, and Bruce Greenhaus at the San Diego Love of Israel brunch table captain reception. 14.(L-R) Micah Halpern and Andrew Skale at San Diego’s Lawyers for Israel event.

4. (L-R) Marlene Maier, Marsha Epstein, and Gina Rosenfield at a JNF dinner and

10.(L-R) Harold and Mimi Paley, Barbara Platt, and Larry Greenfield at the Palm

15.(L-R) Molly Feder, Joshua Feder, Caron Feder, and JNF Vice President of Campaign

3. (L-R) Las Vegas Philharmonic Concertmaster DeAnn Letourneau at the Las Vegas

cooking demonstration in Palo Alto.

5.(L-R) Lida Soofer and Deb Flaum at the home of Morris and Deb Flaum in Tiburon.

8. (L-R) Brian Flader and Allan Flader at the Arizona Breakfast for Israel.

Springs breakfast.

11.(L-R) Campaign Executive Donna Raider and Campaign Chair Debbie Orgen-Garrett at the Palm Springs breakfast.

Bill Miller at the San Diego major donor thank you reception.

Achieve Your Financial Goals and Support Israel Age Rate* EARN UP TO 9.5% 65 5.5% JEWISH NATIONAl FUND

70 75 80 85 90 & Over

5.8% 6.4% 7.2% 8.1% 9.5%

*Single-life Gift Annuity

(Two-life rates are also available.)

Why a Jewish National Fund Gift Annuity? “JNF charitable gift annuities offer us a generous income and tax advantages. Through JNF we can help change the face of Israel.” Alan and Louise Dabrow, Haverford, PA

12 JNF.org

800.562.7526 • jnf.org/plannedgiving

Israel in 100 Hours Father Michael Graham, S.J., PRESIDENT of Xavier University, dreamed as a child of becoming an archaeologist, studying and exploring the ancient civilizations of the Middle East. Earlier this year, he had the opportunity to fulfill those dreams on a whirlwind 100-hour trip to Israel. “To be in a country where history is all around you, just waiting to be dug up, was exhilarating,” said Father Graham of his recent trip to Israel. “Going to Caesarea was phenomenal, and Capernaum was incredibly special. If a biblical event didn’t happen in a particular spot in Capernaum, it certainly happened within 30 feet. The scenery is unchanged, and I’m seeing with my eyes what people saw 2,000 years ago.”

Father Graham in Israel.

Joined by Ginger Warner of the University of Cincinnati Board Of Trustees; Rabbi Abie Ingber, Executive Director

of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University; and Stanley M. Chesley, JNF America ambassador to KKL and Israel, Father Graham experienced Israel in an entirely new light. “Given that I’m a Catholic priest I have the tendency to think of Israel as ‘scripture land,’ like a religious Disney park,” he said. “Traveling with Jewish National Fund and visiting sites like the Ayalon Institute and Ammunition Hill allowed me to see the big picture. These places co-exist with iconic biblical landmarks; we were able to split time between JNF projects and Catholic sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.” The four-day trip was organized by Nina Paul, JNF vice president of Women for Israel, and Eddie Paul, JNF vice president of the Committee on the Environment. The couple has wanted to bring Father Graham to Israel since he was honored by JNF Southern Ohio and Kentucky with the Tree of Life™ Award in 2009. Father Graham designated the proceeds from his dinner to Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, and on this trip he finally had the opportunity to visit the rehabilitative village. “Didi and General Doron Almog’s story has always touched me,” said Graham. “I have a niece who is severely disabled. Just like the Almogs’ son, she aged out of the state-supported facilities upon turning 21, leading

my brother Dave and his wife Diane to purchase a group home so that she would receive the necessary care. I admire General Almog for addressing this need in Israel. Aleh Negev is a very powerful place, and the fact that it makes a difference in the lives of people who are like my brother, sister-in-law and niece means a lot. They are the reason I got involved.” The trip has inspired Father Graham to encourage others to travel to Israel. “There are a number of people—faculty, alumni, trustees—who want to go to Israel, and want me to come with them,” he said. “The university is developing a program in partnership with the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Israel that will launch this summer. Our faculty will travel to Israel with 15-20 students, and I hope it becomes a very popular program, not only for Xavier University, but for other Jesuit universities worldwide.” At the end of each day Father Graham and his traveling partners gathered over dinner to discuss JNF’s incredible impact on Israel. “I don’t know that I’ve ever eaten so much food in a four-day span in my life—and it was all wonderful,” said Father Graham. “My first lunch back in the States, I found myself looking around the table, wondering, ‘where’s the hummus?’” n

JNF’s donor societies are reserved for major donors who have demonstrated an enduring commitment to Israel and JNF. Society members receive exclusive privileges and services.

• Name recognition in the Book of Life, on permanent display at JNF headquarters in NY • A custom-designed Gould Legacy Society pin • Invitations to special events and lectures • A limited edition JNF Blue Box designed by Tiffany & Co. (for legacy gifts of $50,000 and above) • Recognition in Israel

To learn more, contact our Planned Giving Specialists at 800.562.7526 or plannedgiving@jnf.org

Join Jewish National Fund for the Conference of a Lifetime! September 12 - 15, 2014 • Los Angeles, CA • The Beverly Hilton Governor Jerry Brown, Governor of California Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs Rabbi David Wolpe, Named Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek Magazine Plus, join us for a glamorous Sunday Night Gala honoring Charles Fox, Grammy® and Emmy® Award Winning Hall of Fame Composer, with our prestigious JNF Tree of LifeTM Award!

Nati Conf onal eren ce

Special rates available for teens, college students, and JNFuture members.

L. A.

For more information, contact Hindy Komin at hkomin@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x295.

2014

13 JNF.org

Join us today and help build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people. To join the President’s Society Mission October 26-30, contact Glen Schwartz at gschwartz@jnf.org or 561.447.9733 x880.

• charitable gift annuities • charitable remainder trusts • charitable lead trusts • life insurance • endowments • donor advised funds • bequests Membership benefits include:

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Contributions to Jewish National Fund of $5,000 and above are recognized with a plaque with your name on it on a central dedicatory wall in the heart of American Independence Park (AIP) located outside of Jerusalem in the Judean Hills.

Create a LASTING Legacy

B’YACHAD

PLANNED GIVING

A Life Committed to Zionism Ora Gelberg knew she wanted tO MAKE

PLANNED GIVING

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aliyah when she was 17 years old. “A shaliach at Young Judea camp said you have to go to the land,” recalled Ora. “I couldn’t give up college, so I studied agriculture, made aliyah in 1950 and went to work on a kibbutz as a shepherdess.” Five years later, the kibbutz asked volunteers to go to Eilat for a year, and Ora went. She held many different jobs during her four years there, including working in a restaurant, polishing granite, teaching English to immigrants, and guiding tourists. A high point was acting as a guide to Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine. She was also the first person to deliver mail throughout Eilat. While in Eilat, Ora was called up to serve in 1956 during the Sinai campaign. She wrote her mother a letter that read, “I don’t know when this letter will get to you because I’m in the army and Israel is at war.” The five-day war was over by the time it had arrived in her mother’s mailbox, but Ora’s letter was printed on the front page of the Hadassah newspaper. She returned home to Queens, NY in 1958 for a visit with all intentions of returning to Israel. She took a job with the New York offices of Zim, the biggest cargo shipping

company in Israel, and met her husband Myron in 1960. She ended up staying in New York, taking a job with an Israeli communications company that allowed her to visit Israel every few years, and got involved with Hadassah. “I had to have Zionism in my life. That was very important,” she said. It was bumping into Jewish National Fund’s Planned

Ora and Myron Gelberg.

Invest in Israel’s Future with a JNF Annuity By Matt Bernstein, CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer Over the last FEW

months the stock market has experienced increased and nearly unprecedented volatility. For those of us who put away money in retirement plans such as 401Ks and IRAs, the rollercoaster ride of stocks can be unsettling. More importantly, extreme volatility can cause us to make imprudent investment decisions based on the sheer emotion of the moment. The long-term effect on retirement accounts can be significant. Our Planned Giving Department can assist donors with retirement ideas while helping the organization fulfill its mission for the land and people of Israel. We offer many income-producing gifts that can be used to supplement other retirement plans already in place. As a result, I am pleased to re-introduce a Planned Giving gift idea called the Jewish National Fund Charitable Retirement Income Annuity (CRIA). This type

of charitable gift annuity allows donors to make a partially tax-deductible gift today and defer receiving income. The value to our donors is that they can select the best time to begin the income based on life circumstances. If the income is not needed immediately the donor can elect to defer it, and if circumstances change, the donor can choose to begin taking annuity payments sooner. It is the flexibility of determining when to receive income that makes a Jewish National Fund Charitable Retirement Income Annuity a valuable part of an overall retirement strategy. Let’s look at an example: Lauren is 62 years old, currently working and has no plans to retire. She still takes full advantage of her company’s retirement plans, as well as other savings and investments. Her concern, which many others share, is the unknown of outliving her money. Lauren also supports Jewish National Fund as a lifetime Sapphire Society member. She has $25,000 to put away for retirement income. The JNF Planned Giving Department was able to show Lauren how to customize a CRIA to meet her needs. She chose to contribute to the CRIA where the income payments would not begin for a minimum of three years,

Giving Director Judy Feig on the street a number of years ago that inspired Ora to get involved with the organization. First, she and Myron attended a Chanukah lunch at Jewish National Fund’s offices. From there, the Gelberg’s support has grown, including planting trees for different occasions and investing in a number of annuities with the Planned Giving department. “It’s a good investment for us,” said Ora. “It’s tax deductible, we get a great return on our investment, and we know where our money is going. I’m most impressed by the water projects, especially having a brother in Berkeley who often complains of the water shortage there. With Prime Minister Netanyahu and California Governor Brown working together, California will be able to learn about water conservation from Israel’s example.” Feeling how she does about Israel, Ora was overjoyed that Jewish National Fund could help her cousin’s daughter Sophie go on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. “Now she wants to learn more about Israel and Judaism,” said Ora, “and the trip also helped teach her how to defend anti-Israel sentiment that can occur on college campuses. She was truly thrilled to have gotten the chance to have this experience. And I was so happy that Jewish National Fund could make this possible.” n

To learn more about JNF’s Planned Giving opportunities, please contact us at 800.562.7526. when she turns 65. Not wishing to retire, she gave herself the option of deferring her income until she is 73. She can of course begin her CRIA at any time after her initial start date at age 65. By doing this, Lauren will guarantee herself a minimum annuity rate of 6.3% on the money she contributes, and if she wishes to defer her annuity income until she is 73 she will receive a rate of 9.9%. Even though Lauren is deferring her annuity income she will still receive her tax deduction for this year. This allows her to save taxes while her earning power is at its highest and the tax savings are most valuable. In addition to the financial benefits Lauren receives from donating to her personal JNF CRIA, her gift will be used for the various JNF projects she supports. And, by virtue of her $25,000 gift, she will become a member of JNF’s Negev Society. The JNF Planned Giving Department has specialists who are able to answer all of your questions and show you strategies that can help supplement your current retirement plans while supporting Jewish National Fund’s vital mission. n For more information, email Matt Bernstein at mbernstein@jnf.org or visit jnf.org/plannedgiving.

B’YACHAD

FOOD & WINE

A Marketplace Transformed By Lee Schrager One of the stops I was MOST LOOKING

15 Lee Schrager in Israel.

supporting its designation as a “national treasure,” one that attracts Jews and non-Jews, young, old, religious and secular, and members of the Arab community. I am known for often saying that food is a common denominator that brings people of all faiths and cultures together. The Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem is proof positive of that. n For information on travel to Israel, contact 877.JNF.TOUR (563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel.

Recipe: Falafel I N G RE D IE N T S :

P r e pa r at i o n :

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained

1. Use a food processor to make a thick paste mixture out of the chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper (to taste).

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon minced garlic • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped • 1 teaspoon coriander • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons flour • oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

2. Add in the flour at the end and combine into mixture. 3. Form the mixture into small balls, no bigger than about 1” in diameter. 4. Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 minutes).

JNF.org

of every type of food imaginable alongside a cadre of ultra-orthodox Jews dressed in black frocks and hats who pass through on their way home for Shabbat. In 2000, major renovations were made to the market: infrastructural improvements, the repaving of roads and additional covering in some open areas. A neighborhood facelift improved the streets and alleyways in an effort to draw in more upper-middle class customers to cafes and boutiques and get them to frequent the market more often. These modifications have attracted bars that feature live music and dining options so pronounced that The Jerusalem Post noted one of the shuk restaurants, Machneyuda, as one of the five highest-rated restaurants in the city. The shuk also hosts special events like the Balabasta dance and music festival launched in 2010, which attracts large crowds that remain until late in the evening. In areas that used to be deserted, the annual festival includes street performers, artwork, puppet shows and events linked to the shuk foods, such as a chili-eating contest and produce-carving workshops. To stay current, several of the shuk vendors have Facebook pages and the shuk itself has an interactive website that includes maps, stories and photos. Though the shuk is not known as a peace market, it does draw both Jews and Muslims as vendors and consumers and is well regarded as a must-see destination for culinary enthusiasts. Some 300,000 people visit the market weekly,

FOOD & WINE

forward to visiting on my recent trip to Israel with Jewish National Fund was the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem. Having seen my friend Anthony Bourdain’s Emmy® Award-winning CNN show Parts Unknown last year in which he visited the market with famed London-based Chef Yotam Ottelenghi, an Israeli Jew, and his Arab-Israeli partner, Sami Tamimi, known for their celebrated work Jerusalem: A Cookbook (September 2012; Ten Speed Press), I knew that my visit would be a highlight of the trip. Indeed, it was. Mahane Yehuda Market, referred to as “The Shuk” or “Machne” by locals, is an open-air marketplace in Jerusalem popular with locals and tourists alike. The market has two major streets: Eitz Chaim Street (the covered market) and Mahane Yehuda Street (the openair market). The once noisy, jostling market known for hagglers fighting over bins of olives, bunches of plump dates, and pickled herring has been transformed into a foodie destination complete with hip bars, microbrews and boutique vodkas. Throughout the shuk, more than 200 vendors sell spices, wines, cheese, nuts, baked goods, and vegetables as well as prepared foods including shashlik, kebab, falafel, and shawarma. On Fridays the shuk is filled with locals stocking up for the Sabbath until the afternoon sound of a bugle signifies that it’s closing time. All the while there is a line of shoppers holding out plastic spoons for samples

JNFUTURE

B’YACHAD B’YACHAD

e, David Rothman, Evan Sherman, Ben Levin vat and Robert Weinstein at a Tu BiSh wine tasting in Manhattan.

JNFUTURE

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Sandy Ely assian, S hannon Delrahim, and Nikki S haraf at the Ba ha’i garden s in Haif

B’YACHAD

TRAVEL & TOURS

Capturing the Beauty of Israel in Pictures There is no better way to get people

View of Jerusalem.

has been to Israel with JNF a number of times and even went on three consecutive JNF missions in early 2013. “The number one focus of these missions is to visit JNF projects in Israel,” said Phil. “The secondary focus of our new photography mission is the carrot on the stick: to meet with and learn from world-famous photographers.” “JNF missions are tourism with a point,” said Chet. “They offer neat things that other tours don’t. You might be surprised to know that even Israelis take JNF’s one-day bus tours. There is a ‘wow’ effect when people realize how much JNF is doing on the ground.” n For more information on the Israel Through a Photographic Lens mission or other JNF missions, contact 877.JNFTOUR(563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel.

Major Donor Missions Enrich, Enlighten and Entertain Jewish National Fund’s missions to

Israel are unlike any other. They go far beyond the standard tourist trips and provide a deeper experience that connects participants to the very people whose lives are being changed by JNF’s work. For major donors, JNF offers exclusive missions where like-minded donors can share a powerful engagement with Israel and Jewish National Fund and have demonstrated that commitment through significant donations. “The President’s Society mission is one of the most extraordinary ways to visit Israel and learn about the great work JNF does for the people and land of Israel,” said Assistant Vice President of Campaign Ken Segel, a past chair of both the President’s Society and Negev Society missions. “In addition, we have the opportunity

Participants on the Negev Society mission.

to meet both the people we help as well as key Israeli decision makers.” “We try to make our major donor missions extra-special, beyond the scope of the standard missions,” said Florida Executive Director Glen Schwartz, who has been the JNF professional on the President’s Society mission for the last three years. “It’s the best way to experience Israel, to see the incredible work that JNF is doing, and to have fun.” Past President’s Society missions enjoyed exclusive visits with the Shaldag Unit (the elite Israeli Air Force commandos) and Rafael Industries, the company that created the Iron Dome. The most recent Negev Society mission included a Segway ride through Jerusalem and a hot air balloon ride over the Mitzpe Ramon Crater. “The Negev Society mission is a really special opportunity to get an insider view of Israel that is both educational and enlightening. With Russell Robinson joining for the whole trip, major donors get exclusive access to enrich their knowledge of JNF’s work in an intimate group setting,” said Sharon Pikus, who will be the 2015 mission co-chair. These missions provide a land subsidy to thank major donors for their generous and much-appreciated commitment to JNF’s vision. And it’s a thank you that helps JNF grow—the missions increase engagement and donor levels. Each year participants include a mixture of

repeat attendees and those going on the mission for the first time—sometimes it’s even their first JNF mission. Setting the President’s Society apart from other missions is the optional pre-mission; the upcoming fall 2014 trip will take place in Vienna and Bratislava. Past pre-missions have included St. Petersburg and Berlin, where mission participants met with the President of Germany and presented the leader with a JNF Tiffany Blue Box. “It’s an opportunity to gain a Jewish experience in a country where some may not go for a regular vacation,” said Schwartz. “You experience history, learn about the country, and engage in Jewish community connections.” Ben Guttman will chair the upcoming fall 2014 President’s Society Mission and sees the mission as an opportunity to take major donors beyond the sights of Israel and into the lives of the people JNF and its dedicated donors are helping. “We’re planning to have IDF soldiers join us on the bus, and we’ll meet with recent olim from Nefesh B’Nefesh to learn about what life is like since moving from the U.S. to Israel. We truly want to focus on Israelis and the huge impact our work has on them.” n To join the upcoming President’s Society mission, contact Glen Schwartz at gschwartz@jnf.org. To join the upcoming Negev Society mission, contact Yael Septee Kane at ykane@jnf.org.

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Birds on top of Masada.

Chair, DC Doctors for Israel Chair and a DC Board member. “There are so many fantastic photo opportunities.” This mission grew out of JNF’s Birdwatching and Nature Photography Mission that featured Eyal Bartov, a National Geographic photographer based in Israel who provided helpful advice and tips to participants on how to capture the best possible picture. While birdwatching and nature is a very niche mission, Chet, a long-time amateur photographer, saw the potential for a photographythemed mission that appealed to a broader audience. The itinerary has been expanded to encompass a wide array of the stunning photographic possibilities available. Designed as a workshop experience—the first mission of its kind for JNF—each day will feature an expert in some aspect of photography, be it archaeology, art history and landscape, urban, and more. Bartov, a world-class expert, will join the mission for its entirety as a general guide. “I wanted each day to be a workshop with critique sessions during dinner,” said Chet. “That’s how you learn—by experts out in the field providing tips and fellow photographers reviewing your work.” Co-chair Phil Waldman, JNF Orange Country Board president in Orange County, was a participant on the first Birdwatching and Nature Photography Mission, and went more for the birding than the photography. Intrigued and impressed with JNF’s projects and tangible results, Phil

TRAVEL & TOURS

engaged with Israel than by getting them there. And once they are in Israel, in a land rich with history and blossoming with promise and beauty, they are hooked. Especially if they are there on a Jewish National Fund mission. Israel Through a Photographic Lens, March 12-18, 2015, is a new and unique JNF mission geared toward amateur photographers looking to photograph unparalleled sights while working on how to perfect their skills. “Israel is a diverse mosaic of photographic potential and offers a number of different perspectives to shoot: landscape, urban, ethnic, religious, historical, etc.,” said mission co-chair Chet Stein, who is DC Major Gifts

PROUD MEMBER OF

ince junior high, Dr. Ron Solomon knew that he wanted to pursue a career where he would use his hands to help others and make them smile. As owner of Cornerstone Dental Group, a general family and cosmetic dentistry practice that provides endodontics, prosthodontics, treatment of sleep apnea, implant restoration and soft tissue periodontal treatment, the Cincinnati-based dentist does just that. A busy professional by day, Ron finds time to spend with his wife, Barbara and to be parent to three adult children and zeide (grandfather) to four grandchildren. He is also a dedicated volunteer who strives to invest his limited free time with organizations that help to make the world a better place. Having served on his synagogue board, Solomon wanted to do something more, so it seemed a natural fit when his friend Alan Weber encouraged Ron to get involved with Jewish National Fund. He eventually became president of the organization’s Southern Ohio and Kentucky board, and three years ago took his work with JNF to another level. “I was already a major donor,” said Ron. “When Jewish National Fund began putting together affinity groups I was asked if they could count on my support. For me, it was a no-brainer.” He is now on the executive board of the Cincinnati chapter of Doctors for Israel Society, which is comprised of two dozen area dentists and physicians. His time and commitment to Israel is especially personal—Ron’s late sister made aliyah nearly 20 years ago and her first job in Israel was with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael. Over the years, he visited Israel to see family and the land, developing a great sense of pride as the tiny nation evolved and thrived. What impressed Ron most was observing the projects for which he fundraised back in Ohio come to life halfway around the world.

Four years ago Ron traveled with his elderly father to Israel just before his sister passed away from cancer. “JNF arranged for a one day private tour and we visited Aleh Negev and Sderot,” he recalled. “Cincinnati had raised money for the hydrotherapy pool at Aleh Negev at a Tree of Life™ dinner. It’s one thing to raise money for these projects, but when you see them personally, and the individuals being treated, it hits home that we’re really making a difference in people’s lives.” Last year Ron returned on a Jewish National Fund mission to explore the accomplishments of the Blueprint Negev campaign, and saw up close the building of infrastructure that will serve as a catalyst to attract Israelis to settle in the Negev. Having toured the medical center being built in Sapir when it was nothing more than a construction site with a few walls erected, he now revels in the recently opened Central Arava Medical Center that will eventually serve thousands across the region and encourage population movement to the south. “This medical center is going to be able to provide quality care so residents in Central Arava won’t have to travel so far to the hospital,” he said. “When you provide people with good services and employment opportunities, they are going to look there to raise a family.” Ron has an important message for other Jewish doctors and medical professionals and wants to see more get involved: “We go into medicine to care for our patients and to protect their health; Jewish National Fund does the same for the land of Israel. Day in and day out, Jewish National Fund is healing the land and improving the quality of life for so many, and we must do everything we can to support that mission.” v For more information or to join JNF’s Doctors for Israel Society, please contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x297.

PROUD MEMBER OF hough he had every intention of going to medical school, Rabbi Adam Watstein instead found his calling in the Holy Land. While working in Israel with The Jewish Agency helping to find homes for Ethiopian Jews, Rabbi Watstein decided to head to the rabbinate and, eventually, his own pulpit at B’nai Aviv in South Florida. While he would never admit it, the 35-year old rabbi is regarded by his congregants as a hero. Since he came to the Weston synagogue last year (by way of Las Vegas where he served as junior rabbi), his leadership has injected new life, interest and service into the temple. Spend any time with him and you quickly pick up on his passion for Israel. It was at an AIPAC Conference when he was 18 years old that he first found his voice. Attending as a delegate of the first Students for Israel group at Emory University, a group which he had helped found, Rabbi Watstein knew that ‘spectator Judaism’ wasn’t for him. Paraphrasing Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Rabbi Watstein remarked, “For the first time in history we’ve established a stage and the stage where the play is being acted out is Israel. One of the reasons why I’m so involved in Jewish National Fund is because I want to be part of the play.” After hearing JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson at an event in Las Vegas discuss JNF’s ongoing mission to maintain and strengthen the Jewish homeland, Rabbi Watstein became a member of JNF’s Rabbis for Israel affinity group. He hopes that being both a donor and a group member will encourage others to do the same. “I have a strong sense of leading by example,” he said, “and won’t ask my congregants to do something I’m not prepared to take part in myself.” He is also bringing up his young children as proponents of JNF. “The message about the little blue box that we all fill with money, and in which my daughter now deposits her own coins, is about the future,” he said. “What we are really doing is planting seeds. These seeds will help Israel flourish and grow, and sustain the land for the Jewish people.” Rabbi Watstein loves many of the projects that JNF supports and one that he is most proud of is LOTEM - Making Nature Accessible. “When I lived in Israel I hiked the entire country. To think that some young men and women, through no fault of their own, can’t feel the ground beneath their feet is terrible. The land of Israel should be accessible to all. For those on a breathing machine, in a wheelchair or unable to walk, LOTEM provides a way for them to experience and enjoy the land of Israel.” Rabbi Watstein well understands the vital importance JNF plays in the lives of today’s Israelis, young and old. He has only to think of the need for the Indoor Recreation Center in Sderot and of the people living in what can only be described to Americans as an abnormal environment. “Here in the U.S. I take my kids to the park every day and the only thing that stops me is bad weather,” he said. “For those living in Sderot, it is the fear of rocket fire that prevents families from enjoying a swing set. That’s not only unimaginable, it is unacceptable. The beauty of the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center that JNF built is the way in which it helps bring families and the Sderot community some degree of normalcy.” v For more information on joining the Rabbis for Israel Society, email education@jnf.org or call 212.879.9305 x245.

Proud Member of

hen JNF Arizona Director Ted Kort called her seven years ago to ask if she’d be on JNF’s Arizona Board, Toni Dusik had one criteria: Would she be put to work? She didn’t want to just sit on a board; she wanted to be active. After being laid off in 2008 from the Jewish Federation (along with 70% of the staff) when the economy suffered, her work with JNF took on ever greater importance. “Being involved with JNF has filled a great void,” she said. “I needed to be active in the Jewish community. I wanted to do something meaningful with my time and money, and JNF has been the perfect home for me.” A member of the Sapphire Society, JNF’s women’s major gifts division, she has gotten more deeply involved with JNF over the years and is now the vice president of events on Arizona’s executive committee. Having recently participated in the Queen of Sheba women’s mission, her first JNF mission, Toni hopes to become further involved: “The more missions I go on, the more I can learn about what we’re doing first-hand.” Toni projects an infectious enthusiasm about growing the women’s campaign in Phoenix, where she sees the need and the opportunity to host women’s events that offer interesting programs that both educate and engage the community. “You can’t just ask someone for $1,800 and then not see them again until next year. We want them to feel like they belong, that their contribution is meaningful and that we take their support very seriously,” she said. It was after her second husband passed away that Toni really got thinking about women’s giving. Now, she said, “I’m blessed to be married for a third time, but my husband has the

challenge of being with someone fiercely independent. “It’s very important for women to get involved. It is very empowering to make my own decision of where to give my money. A woman’s voice is really strong, and we look at things differently than men. It’s often the women who direct the family’s contributions to one particular charity over another.” The projects that she is most connected to are the projects that fall into JNF’s work in Accessibility and Therapeutic Services: Aleh Negev, a rehabilitative village for people with disabilities, and LOTEM – Making Nature Accessible, which enables people with disabilities to experience Israel’s parks and forests. As the former director of development for the Special Olympics in California and in Texas, Toni, the mother of two grown sons, has a soft spot for the population that is more challenged. “In the park area of Aleh Negev, there is a big huge bell. When you hit it, this beautiful sound emanates. The women’s mission was there when one resident was out with their caretaker. The young girl hit the bell, and to watch her face light up…it was beautiful. It’s one thing to hear or read about it, but when you see it, it is very emotional and touching.” Toni plans to attend the National Conference in Los Angeles this fall. “If I start talking about JNF, which I invariably do,” she said, “within a few minutes the passion and excitement enters my voice. The more involved I become and the more I learn about the projects, the more in love I am with JNF. It is truly an amazing organization.” v For more information on the Sapphire Society and Women for Israel, contact Sharon David at sdavid@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x242.

Proud Member of

or Alexander Hankin, a third generation real estate developer based in Philadelphia, growing up in a pro-Israel household had a very meaningful impact on his world views. At the age of seven he went to Israel on a March of the Living trip that was led by his aunt, and later celebrated his Bar Mitzvah there. “Israel has always been a part of my life,” said the 26-year-old. “A lot of people take it for granted. As an American Jew, you know there have been struggles, but you don’t think about it on a daily basis. Traveling from Auschwitz to Israel on March of the Living at such a young age shaped my entire view of what it means to be a Jew. I recognized that we need a country that Jews can always go to and call home.” Alexander grew up on a 450-acre farm in Bucks County, PA. He attended Rutgers Law School before moving to Philadelphia and joining the family real estate business. His grandfather, a banker, was instrumental in encouraging Prime Minister David Ben Gurion to look to foreign investment and establishing State of Israel Bonds in the United States. While his family continues to be very involved with Israel Bonds, “I wanted to make my own name and find my own path,” Alexander said. “Jewish National Fund, to me, and especially people my age, does what it sets out to do. For young professionals in their 20s and 30s like myself, we have to support Israel financially, politically, and by personally going there to see the country for ourselves.”

With so many Israel-affiliated organizations to choose from, Alexander believes that JNF sets itself apart with a great outreach program for young people and inspiring speakers. Additionally, he feels that the organization’s events emphasize where the money raised is going and the progress of the projects in Israel. He is especially interested in the development of the new Young Farmers Incubator Project in Halutza (see pg. 5). “I this it’s amazing that in Israel, JNF is taking the desert and making it green and viable, and producing crops,” Alexander said. Having gone the tourist/family trip route on countless trips to Israel—he once met Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin—Alexander is excited to participate in the fourth annual JNFuture Leadership Institute Mission (JLIM), a four-day mission to Israel for young philanthropists who are committed to becoming agents of change for JNF and Israel. “I love discussing and debating and getting to hear what people around the country think, and JLIM offers that, as well as the ability to meet and interact with Israelis. “At my age, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to go on a trip that offers insight into JNF projects and meetings with people and leaders in Israel,” he said. “To be so young and have the opportunity to be immersed in putting ideas into action, it’s the sort of thing where you think, ‘How could you pass this up?’” v For more information or to join JNFuture, please contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x297.

Proud Member of

ooking back at his college days working in the fields at Ramat Hashofet, a kibbutz in the Carmel Hills outside of Haifa, Chicago attorney Theodore (Ted) Banks recalls, “Everybody picked more oranges than I could, so I knew that wasn’t for me.” And yet he felt a strong connection to the land and people; working during his junior year in a factory making wooden boxes to hold ammunition for the Israeli army, he experienced first-hand the united mindset of the resilient Israeli people. While Israel was often on his mind it would be years before he would return. In 1985, after graduating from the University of Denver Law School and working as a corporate attorney, Ted returned with his wife Cheryl and three young daughters, ages two, five and eight at the time. “It was important for us to go as a family and for our children to see Israel at an early age and develop a connection.” A member of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois, Ted has served on its board and as president of the Men’s Club. He became involved with Jewish National Fund around 15 years ago and has used his connections, knowledge of Israel, and fundraising ability to help grow JNF’s Chicago board and its donor base. But with so many other Israel-centric organizations out there, Ted has found that getting people to understand Jewish National Fund’s mission has not always been easy. “There are people who would give to Israeli social causes and tell me they already contributed, to which I say: ‘that’s like buying a computer without the software; one won’t work without the other.’ You can’t just support social services without also protecting the land. If you truly support Israel you have to do both.” Once donors understand Jewish National Fund’s vision, he finds that they are really impressed with the operation. “The idea that the land that had

been purchased by the Jewish people is still being managed for the benefit of all of Israel’s residents, the notion that every dollar that is donated to JNF is leveraged to work harder, is an important distinction, different from so many other charities,“ he said. Active in Jewish National Fund’s Lawyers for Israel affinity group, Ted, who is a partner in the law firm of Scharf Banks Marmor LLC, is adamant that Jewish attorneys know the truth of what goes on in Israel. “As lawyers, we look at facts and evidence to support conclusions. You have to dismiss much of what you hear in the media and what others tell you. Also, lawyers should understand more about the environmental projects created by Jewish National Fund in Israel. It’s more than planting trees: it’s about water recycling, reservoir projects, parks and other legal issues in Israel that our group has a general interest in.” Most recently, Ted has been involved with Jewish National Fund’s Housing Development Fund, which seeks to address the financial and bureaucratic challenges that have held back the development of housing in Israel using insight from a number of U.S. real estate developers and a few lawyers. With the creation of a revolving loan fund, Jewish National Fund will circumvent otherwise extremely restrictive practices regarding housing infrastructure. As a result, he said, “Jewish National Fund will be able to jumpstart the development of new housing for hundreds of families who want to move to the Negev or Galil.” For Ted, that is the impact that Jewish National Fund is making for the people of Israel. v For more information or to become a member of JNF’s Lawyers for Israel Society, contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x297.

Proud Members of

n idea came to Drs. Barbara Sommer and Alan Fisher while visiting the Central Arava region for the first time on a Jewish National Fund mission in January 2010. Encountering a community looking to grow, they felt that in order to double the population, it was necessary to improve medical care. The clinic, an old decrepit building, only had a part-time physician and a specialist who came once a month, and the pharmacy in Dimona and proper hospitals in Be’er Sheva and Eilat were each a 90-minute drive in different directions. “There’s a saying by Rambam that you need to live near good medical care because our bodies belong not to us, but to God,” said Barbara, a professor of geriatric psychiatry at Stanford University. “Looking at the conditions, we thought, it’s not Jewish to live like that, especially with a population hoping to expand.” The couple approached JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, who noted that while the organization had not created a medical care facility before, it could be supported by JNF’s community building and development program area. Four years later, the state-ofthe-art Central Arava Medical Center in Sapir is open. “That’s what’s so unique about JNF,” said Barbara. “People really have a say in the organization’s vision and can truly make a difference. There’s no better feeling than making something that will positively affect people.” Barbara and Alan have a deep family connection to Israel. Barbara’s grandfather donated a professorship to the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in Structural Engineering, and her father was very involved in the New York Jewish community. As a teen Alan spent the summer of 1969 working on a kibbutz, which put into perspective the Six Day War only a few years before. Alan’s father traveled to Israel on a number of United Jewish Appeal missions and met David Ben Gurion in 1950. His grandparents have a JNF plaque outside

of Zion Gate in recognition of their contribution to restoring the gate, which they visited on their recent trip accompanied by Alan’s 84-year-old mother. Members of JNF’s World Chairman’s Council, Barbara and Alan serve as co-presidents on the Northern California Board, a logical evolution of their decade-long commitment to JNF’s long-range goals. They were in Sderot in 2008 when JNF dedicated a warehouse that would, a year later, become the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center—which was a necessary safety component as the community is often terrorized by rockets from Gaza. Another JNF partner that resonated with the couple was Aleh Negev, a rehabilitative village in southern Israel that provides multi-faceted treatment for severely disabled young adults. Alan was familiar with the theme of disabilities from a young age due to a brother with special needs. “We visited Aleh Negev and saw how patients are treated with such love and dignity,” said Alan, a physicist at Stanford. “The way General Doron Almog, who founded the facility, made a place for his son where there wasn’t one is exactly what my father did when he helped create the Canadian Association for Children with Learning Disabilities: when you don’t have a solution, you find one. It’s that simple.” For the couple, to attend the opening of the Central Arava Medical Center was a culmination of years of passion and determination for the good of a deserving community. “It was wonderful to see this incredible community get the facilities commensurate to who they are, which is an extremely warm people with generosity of spirit,” said Barbara. “We were thrilled to take part in it.” v To learn more about JNF’s major donor societies, contact Yael Septee Kane at ykane@jnf.org or 301.365.1220 x220.

Without Preserving History, There is No Future Israel is a country that is RICH IN

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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history and beauty. Millions of tourists from all over the world—Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others—visit the Holy Land each year to walk in the footsteps of biblical history. Equally important are the sites that mark where history was made during the establishment of the modern State of Israel. The future of Israel, and Zionism itself, relies on the importance of collective memory and preserving Israel’s heritage for the next generation. To this end, Jewish National Fund works closely with the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS), which was established to protect the irreplaceable historical buildings and heritage sites associated with Israel’s re-birth. JNF raises funds for the restoration of over 250 sites. “I remember the beginning and what it was like when the State was created,” said Sy Israel, a major donor to the renovation of Atlit Detention Camp on the coast near Haifa, which included restoring an original ship used to Atlit Detention Camp. transport Jews during the illegal immigration of the British mandate. “I feel very proud to be part of this. It will be there for all to see how

Israel became a State.” In 2007, Leonard Kahn of New York and Florida made a generous donation to JNF to help restore and revitalize Yellin House a house built 150 years ago by Yehoshua Yellin on the first plot of land outside of Jerusalem purchased by a private Jewish owner when Jews began to return from the Diaspora. Ten years ago, the descendants of Yehoshua Yellin decided to collaborate with SPIHS to restore the crumbling ruins of the estate and turn it into a visitor center. Kahn felt a deep personal connection to the project. “I believe that this unique and beautiful place will serve as a source of inspiration for generations to learn, love and appreciate our land,” he said. “When I learned that the estate is near the ancient building that was used as a khan (way station) on the main Jerusalem-Jaffa highway,

well, turn around one letter and you have my family name Kahn. That was a sure sign this was the right project.” For Bruce Gould, visiting Ammunition Hill, the site of the historic battle for the reunification of Jerusalem in the 1967 War, is always an incredibly meaningful experience, which led him to fund the Bruce K. Gould Amphitheatre at Ammunition Hill.

A performance at the Bruce K. Gould Amphitheatre at Ammunition Hill.

According to Gould, “No other place represents the unification of Jerusalem better than Ammunition Hill. Every time I go there, I’m moved by what happened—the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives fighting for their ancient homeland and keeping their heritage alive.” n Yellin House.

Order Now: JNF’s Redesigned ICONIC BLUE BOX–FREE! JNF’s Blue Box has been updated to reflect the seven program areas where you have helped JNF build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people. Order yours today!

“Help Build Tomorrow Today.” jnf.org/bluebox • 800.542.8733

To learn more or to donate to JNF’s Historical Sites, visit jnf.org/heritagesites

Running the Distance with JNF in the Jerusalem Marathon By Yael Levontin, JNF-Friends of Israel Firefighters Liaison Back in December, JNF

with

Jewish National Fund Tobi (Taube) Gordon of Hawley, PA left a legacy gift to Jewish National Fund upon her passing in 2012. Through Tobi’s generous bequest she is supporting the Be’er Sheva River Park in Israel. Tobi’s gift will make it possible for her memory to live on. JNF is proud to recognize Tobi and Howard’s love of Israel with a plaque at the Be’er Sheva Amphitheater and American Independence Park. Be’er Sheva Amphitheater

Leave your Legacy to Jewish National Fund in your will or trust. Help build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people and receive recognition in Israel.

Contact a JNF Planned Giving Specialist Now

800.562.7526 • jnf.org/plannedgiving • plannedgiving@jnf.org

Send a condolence gift... Plant a Tree in Memory of a Loved One Take part in a JNF time-honored tradition and plant a tree in Israel as a living tribute to your loved one.

800.542.TREE(8733) • JNF.ORG/PLANTNOW

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For anyone looking to raise money for a JNF project individually or in a group, go to jnf.org/createyourown

LEGACY TO ISRAEL

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler and I sat down to discuss the Jerusalem Marathon and see if we could assemble a team of JNF and its Israeli partners for the first-ever Team JNF at the Jerusalem Marathon. At first I thought it would be hard getting people involved in running 10K, 21K or the scary 42K in Jerusalem. But as time went by, more and more people joined our team, and by the time the marathon came around, we had grown to 25 people. In addition to staff members from the Jewish National Fund office in Israel, the team included participants from a number of Jewish National Fund’s incredible partner organizations: LOTEM - Making Nature Accessible, Green Horizons, the Halutza communities and the Friends of Israel Firefighters. All of these wonderful organizations JNF-FIF Liaison Yael Levontin and Eliana Lewis. work toward helping the land and people of Israel, and the Jewish National Fund vision is what connects us all. We were lucky to be joined by the remarkable Grossman family from Florida; Glenn ran the 42K, while Vivian and son Josh showed their support by walking the 5K. Ariel’s wife Ranit also joined us and ran the very impressive 21K. It was a great and inspiring day, running amongst approximately 30,000 runners in the beautiful city of Jerusalem. Our goal, in addition to running a successful race, was to work together and raise money for JNF and its partners and the great work they all do. It was so simple setting up the fundraising page through JNF’s online personal page program. It took just five minutes to get the team fundraising page up and working. The team page featured all of the Team JNF Jerusalem Marathon participants, and each runner Vivian Grossman, Josh Grossman, Yael Levontin, Russell F. Robinson, had their own page so that and Yael’s son Noam. people could easily donate directly to the team member of their choice. The fundraising pages made it easy to share news of our run via email, Facebook and Twitter and ask friends and family to sponsor us. It was very rewarding to get the support of our friends and family, and it was so much fun checking the team page every morning to see the progress of our fundraising goals. It became a healthy little competition between us all—to see who could raise the most money for Israel! Together we were able to raise more than $40,000 for the different causes. And as hard as the run was for some of us, we all felt proud that we came together and were able to make a real difference. We are already thinking about and training for next year! n

Tobi Gordon’s

out & about WITH

JNf’s major donors Western JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) Robert Feldman (Century Council, President’s Society) at the Las Vegas major donor reception.

(L-R) Dr. Garet Gordon (Herzl Society), Richard Frankoff, and Dr. Laurie Robinson Frankoff at the Las Vegas major donor reception.

(L-R) Julie Ovadia (Sapphire Society), Helen Loewenstein (Sapphire Society), Tillie Molho (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and Anne Petrowsky (Sapphire Society) at a board meeting in San Francisco.

(L-R) KKL Director of Major Donor Relations Talia Tzour and Rose Barlow (Sapphire Society) at a JNF cooking demonstration and lunch in Mill Valley.

(L-R) Sheryl Denker, Debi Geller, and Jordana Perman (Sapphire Society) at a JNF cooking demonstration and lunch in Mill Valley.

(L-R) Petty Officer 1st Class Ted Lavoot (Herzl Society) accepted a plaque commemorating his support of Ammunition Hill by National Campaign Director Diane Scar.

(L-R) Monroe Wingate (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) and Peggy Wingate (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the Arizona Tree of Life™ gala.

JNF.org

(L-R) Priscilla Schwartz Hodes (Sapphire Society) and Abe Hodes at the Las Vegas major donor reception.

(L-R) JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson and Sheila Schwartz (Century Council, Sapphire Society) at the Arizona Tree of Life™ gala.

(L-R) National Board Member Dr. Toby Mower (World Chairman’s Council, Sapphire Society), Mayor Michael Hancock, Regional Director Boaz Meir, and National Board member Dr. Morton Mower (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the JNFuture Wine and Trees event in Denver.

(L-R) Tree of Life™ Award recipients Ted Kort (Herzl Society) and Bryan Kort.

(L-R) Mountain States Board member Barbara Burry (Sapphire Society) and Women for Israel Co-Chair Estelle Maskin at a Women for Israel meeting at Barbara Burry’s home.

(L-R) Mountain States Board member Nancy Siegel (Sapphire Society) and Ellen Rosenberg (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a Women for Israel meeting at Barbara Burry’s home.

(L-R) Petty Officer 1st Class Ted Lavoot (Herzl Society), Orange County Director Matt Spooner, Cathy Gassman, and David Zimmerman at a plaque presentation honoring B’nai B’rith Unit 2215’s support of Aleh Negev.

(L-R) Rick Stein, Carol Luber, Judy Brown, Judy Cohn, Larry Greenfield, Elaine Land-Dexter (Sapphire Society), JNF Palm Springs Region President Sheri Borax (Sapphire Society), Debbie Orgen-Garrett, Jim Levitas (Herzl Society), Allan Nyman, and Leonard Sherman (Century Council) at the Palm Springs breakfast.

(L-R) Steve Garrett, Debbie Orgen-Garrett, JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, Jim and Donna Levitas (Herzl Society), Leonard Sherman (Century Council), Rabbi David Wolpe, JNF Palm Springs Region President Sheri Borax (Sapphire Society), and Jim Borax at the Palm Springs Love of Israel dinner.

(L-R) Moris Breziner (Herzl Society), Carlos Lubezky (President’s Society), and Rebeca Lubezky (President’s Society) at the San Diego’s major donor thank you reception.

(L-R) Dr. Sol Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society), Kim Miller (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), National Campaign Director Diane Scar, San Diego Women’s Campaign Chair Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the San Diego Love of Israel brunch table captain reception.

(L-R) JNF Vice President of Campaign Bill Miller (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), National Campaign Director Diane Scar, and San Diego Board President Myra Chack-Fleischer (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the San Diego Love of Israel brunch table captain reception.

Greater New York

JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) Debbie Orgen-Garrett, Larry Greenfield, and JNF Palm Springs Region President Sheri Borax (Sapphire Society) at the Palm Springs breakfast.

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(L-R) JNF Long Island Associate Executive Director Howard Ingram, Long Island Board member Ariel Grunberg (Century Council, President’s Society), Director of the Gush Etzion Foundation Shani Abrams Simkowitz, Long Island President Michael Kessler (Century Council), Mayor of Gush Etzion Davidi Perl, and Long Island Board member Scott Goldberg (Herzl Society) at a Long Island reception in support of Gush Etzion.

(L-R) JNF National President Jeffrey Levine (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Randi Levine (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), speaker and author Jane Gershon Weitzman, and Marci Robinson (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a JNF Women for Israel book signing and meet and greet at the Levine’s home in Manhattan.

(L-R) Rebecca Gottlieb (Sapphire Society), Ivy Engel, New York President Laureine (L-R) Zehav Wolowsky (President’s Society, Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, Circle of Sapphire), JNF Director of Westchester Sapphire Society) and KKL Director of and Southern Connecticut Stephanie Risa Balkin, and Evelyn Zafran (President’s Society) Major Donor Relations Talia Tzour in Israel. at a JNF Women for Israel Water & Wine event in Manhattan.

(L-R) New York President Laureine Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, Circle of Sapphire) with New York Board member and Chair of Communications for Israel Affinity Group Steven Shalowitz (Herzl Society) and Mayor of Be’er Sheva Ruvik Danilovich at a parlor meeting in Manhattan.

Annette Teichner (Negev Society), with her beloved Snoopy collection, showed off a JNF Blue Box after agreeing to commit significant funds toward the Central Arava Medical Center.

Northern New Jersey Board member Kenny Fried (Century Council, Negev Society) and wife Sharon Fried (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Be’er Sheva River Park Amphitheater.

National co-chair of Community Campaign and Long Island Board member Sharon Pikus (Century Council, Negev Society), Jackie Dubin, Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council), and Chief Leadership Development Officer Yael Septee Kane on the Negev Society mission in Israel.

Florida

JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) Norman Lipoff with Stephen Muss (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at an Alexander Muss High School in Israel reception at the home of Ron and Marni Kriss (Sapphire Society) in Miami.

(L-R) Jeffrey Amkraut, First Vice President of Commercial Banking, SunTrust Bank; Consul General of Israel in New York Ambassador Ido Aharoni; and Shawn Sackman, Senior Vice President, SunTrust Bank at the Winter Connection brunch, sponsored by President’s Society sponsors SunTrust Bank at Boca West Country Club.

(L-R) Estelle Mintz (Sapphire Society), Cynthia Hertz (Century Council, Sapphire Society), and Sandy Best (Sapphire Society) at a Sapphire thank you luncheon at the Sundy House in Delray.

(L-R) Scott Brenner (President’s Society), JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, Myron Stayman (Century Council, Negev Society), and JNF Florida Executive Director Glen Schwartz at a meeting for the Negev Housing Development Fund hosted by Michael and Sydelle Lazar (Century Council, Negev Society) at their home in Boca Raton.

David Stein (World Chairman’s Council), center, met with (L-R) Caravan for Democracy participants Rebecca Eppler, Clayton Levins, Cassandra Carter, Taylor Bump, William Namen, and Kathleen Quillian at a Round Table Review in Jacksonville hosted by the University of North Florida.

(L-R) Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel with Ken Segel, JNF National Vice President Major Gifts and Assistant Vice President of Campaign (Century Council, Negev Society) at a parlor meeting hosted at the home of Rosalie and Horacio Schlaen (President’s Society) in Miami.

(L-R) JNF Development Officer Ariel Kotler with Leah Roth and Menucha and Edward Meinstein (Century Council, Negev Society) during a trip to the Atlit ‘Illegal’ Immigration Detention Camp Museum in Israel.

(L-R) Dr. Gerald and Beatrice Camiener (President’s Society) at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award dinner at TwinEagles Country Club.

(L-R) Mord and Michal Wiesler (Herzl Society) enjoyed a lovely evening at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award dinner at TwinEagles Country Club.

(L-R) Marian and Irving Wiseman (Century Council) at the annual Frenchman’s Creek reception in Palm Beach Gardens.

(L-R) Herb Siegel (Century Council, President’s Society), Sydelle Sonkin, and Palm Beach Board President Art Silber (Century Council) at the annual BallenIsles reception in Palm Beach Gardens.

(L-R) Melanie and Mort Fishman (Herzl Society), Lynn and Joel Klausner (Herzl Society) with keynote speaker Washington Bureau Chief for Israel’s Channel 10 News Gil Tamary at the annual BallenIsles reception in Palm Beach Gardens.

(L-R) Florida Chairman Bruce Gould (World (L-R) Jeremy and Megan Udell with JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson and Guardian of Israel Award honorees Janet and Bruce Udell (President’s Society) at the Chairman’s Council) and Ambassador Michael Oren on the Negev Society Mission Guardian of Israel Award luncheon in Sarasota. in Israel.

28 JNF.org (L-R) Neil Braverman (Century Council) with keynote speaker Washington Bureau Chief for Israel’s Channel 10 News Gil Tamary, and Jeanne, David, and Stacy Braverman (Century Council) at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award dinner at TwinEagles Country Club.

(L-R) Dr. Daniel Hamburg (Century Council, Negev Society) accepted an award for his ongoing support of the land and people of Israel at his home in Sarasota from Avinoam Binder.

(L-R) Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Sapphire Society) presented Eleanor and Daniel Rothfeld (Century Council) with a Tiffany Blue Box at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch at Boca West Country Club in Boca.

(L-R) Ken Kaplan (Century Council, Negev Society) and Elaine Shapiro (Sapphire Society) at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch at Boca West Country Club in Boca.

(L-R) Michael Lazar (Century Council, Negev Society), Consul General of Israel in New York Ambassador Ido Aharoni, and Sydelle Lazar (Century Council, Sapphire Society) at the Winter Connection Snowbird brunch at Boca West Country Club in Boca.

MIDWEST

JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson with Guardian of Israel Award honorees Dr. Norman and Hannah Weinberg (President’s Society), and event co-chairs Helen Glaser (Sapphire Society) and Len Glaser (Herzl Society) at the Guardian of Israel luncheon in Sarasota.

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(L-R) Dr. Michele Fleeter-Miller (Sapphire Society, Century Council) posed with her son Ross Miller, dressed as Blue Box Bob, and Tampa Bay Board Co-President Mark Miller (Century Council, President’s Society) at the Tampa Bay Tree of Life™ Award Dinner Forever Endowed by Harvey Hertz.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board member Ida Raye Chernin (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Tampa Bay Board Co-President Betsy Marcadis (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Tampa Bay Board member Maxine Solomon (Century Council, Sapphire Society) welcomed new Sapphire Society member Diane Goldfeder at the Tampa Bay Tree of Life™ Award Dinner Forever Endowed by Harvey Hertz.

(L-R) Harvey Hertz (World Chairman’s Council) during a standing ovation in his honor at the Tampa Bay Tree of Life™ Award Dinner Forever Endowed by Harvey Hertz.

(L-R) JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, breakfast co-chair Jill Weininger (Herzl Society), guest speaker Dr. Alon Tal, event co-chair Susie Wexler, Rabbi Sidney Helbraun, and JNF Midwest Director Judy Rosen at the annual Temple Beth-El Breakfast in Chicago.

(L-R) Chicago Board President Scott Gendell (Century Council), Steve Lavin, Robert Wigoda (Century Council), guest speaker Dr. Elie Rekhess, Midwest Education Israel Emissary Tal Shaked, Dr. Richard Herman, and Richard Kessler at the Chicago Lawyers for Israel cocktail reception at Greenberg Traurig LLP.

(L-R) Southern Ohio and Kentucky Board member Aimee Guttman (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and her mother Lois Roddy at the Women for Israel luncheon in Cincinnati.

(L-R) Father Michael Graham, S.J., President of Xavier University (Herzl Society), Rabbi Abie Ingber, Executive Director of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University, Nina Paul (Century Council, Negev Society, Circle of Sapphire) and Eddie Paul (Century Council, Negev Society) in Jerusalem during their whirlwind 100-hour mission to Israel.

(L-R) National Doctors for Israel Co-Chair Ronna Schneider (Sapphire Society), Aimee Guttman (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Patti Schneider (Sapphire Society) at the Women for Israel luncheon in Cincinnati.

(L-R) JNF Northern Ohio Director Mindy Feigenbaum presented Gilda Cohen (Sapphire Society) with her Sapphire Society pin with Leonard Senkfor.

(L-R) Northern Ohio Board member, National Board of Trustees member and KKL International Marketing Committee Chair Michael Jacobson and Northern Ohio Board President Bart Bookatz (Herzl Society) scooped ice cream at the Tu BiShvat celebration.

(L-R) Northern Ohio Board members Nancy and Joel Kay (Century Council) helped children plant saplings at the Tu BiShvat celebration.

LOS ANGELES

JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) Judy Levin (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Be’er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, Bud Levin (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Tom Morgan (Herzl Society), Alan Schneider (Herzl Society), and Myrtle Sitowitz (Herzl Society) after receiving special recognition for their support of the Be’er Sheva Amphitheater at the Mayor Danilovich reception in Los Angeles.

(L-R) Larry Russ (Century Council, President’s Society), Be’er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, and Sunny Russ (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a reception at Larry and Sunny’s home in Los Angeles.

(L-R back row) Bud Levin (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Board President Mark Egerman; (middle row) David Chudnow (World Chairman’s Council), Doug Williams (Herzl Society), Tom Morgan (Herzl Society), Allen Rishe (Herzl Society), Mark Mower; (front row) JNF LA Executive Director Allison Krumholz, David Frank (Century Council, President’s Society), KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler, Campaign Executive Jessica Lebovits, and Matt Fragner (Century Council, President’s Society) during a visit from Efi Stenzler with members of the Los Angeles Board of Directors.

(L-R) Mitch Berliner (Herzl Society), Mimi Kress (Sapphire Society), Michael Kress, and Amy Krupsky (Century Council, President’s Society) at a recent JNF reception in Bethesda.

(L-R) Karen Fellner (Century Council, Sapphire Society), Sally Oren, and Mid-Atlantic President Baruch Fellner (Century Council, Negev Society) at a recent briefing for major donors with former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren.

(L-R) Doctors for Israel chairs Dr. Jim Chisum (Herzl Society) and Dr. Chet Stein (Century Council, President’s Society) at a recent major donor thank you event in Washington, D.C.

(L-R) Makor members Joel Friedlander (President’s Society) and Gary Kushner (Century Council, President’s Society) at Ariel Sharon’s grave during the recent Makor mission to Israel.

(L-R) Immediate Delaware Past President Jerry Grossman (Century Council, Herzl Society) with current Delaware President Joel Friedlander (President’s Society) after a recent Delaware Board meeting in Wilmington.

Gerald and Sandye Turnauer (Century Council, President’s Society) with their children and grandchildren at the new Be’er Sheva River Park Amphitheater.

(L-R) Ron Shalem, Orly Shalem, Israeli basketball legend Tal Brody, National Campaign Director Diane Scar, Dr. Cliff Faber (Herzl Society), Nanci Seff (Sapphire Society), Joe Marzouk, Mota Gur (Century Council, Herzl Society), and Amy Gur (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire) at a special dinner at the home of Ron and Orly Shalem in Baltimore.

Maryland JNF President Frank Spector (Herzl Society) with Maryland Sapphire Society members Erika Schon, Nanci Seff, Naomi Amsterdam (President’s Society), Ellen Rosenberg (Century Council) and Dr. Toby Mower (World Chairman’s Council) at a recent Maryland board meeting.

(L-R) Rita Stein (Century Council, Sapphire Society) with Paul and Liz Frommer (Herzl Society) at a recent event for major donors.

(L-R) LOTEM representative Alisa Bodner presented Ira Bartfield (Century Council, President’s Society) with a plaque recognizing his commitment and support of LOTEM, in Virginia.

Mid-Atlantic

30 JNF.org (L-R) Circle of Sapphire members Amy Gur (Century Council) and Ellen Rosenberg (Century Council) with Mota Gur (Century Council, Herzl Society) at a recent Lawyers for Israel event in Baltimore.

Southern

(L-R) Raquel Schuster (Sapphire Society) and LOTEM-JNF Liaison Alisa Bodner shared a home blessing from JNF and its partner LOTEM.

(L-R) Director of the Gush Etzion Foundation Shani Abrams Simkovitz, Jane Grubin, Simon Grubin, Mayor of Gush Etzion Davidi Perl and hosts Sue Gurtman (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) and Central NJ Board member Frank Gurtman (Century Council, Negev Society) at a parlor meeting.

(L-R) Central NJ General Campaign Chair and Board member Alyssa Russo (Sapphire Society), speaker and author Jane Gershon Weitzman, Marci Robinson (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Shoshana Bederman at a Women for Israel book signing and meet and greet in Manhattan.

(L-R) First Vice President Alan Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society), with JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, was honored at Jewish National Fund offices in New York for his months-long service as JNF Acting President.

NEW ENGLAND

JNF’s Major Donors

(L-R) Monica Yaniv (Sapphire Society) hosted a Women for Israel cooking event in Austin.

NORTHEAST

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Central New Jersey Board member and co-chair of JNF Women for Israel Barbara Israel Bortniker (Century Council, President’s Society, Circle of Sapphire), in Israel at the dedication of a fire truck generously donated by the Bortniker family.

(L-R) Patricia Blank (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Bunny Aronson (Sapphire Society), and Risa Aronson (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a welcome reception for the new Consul General of Israel to New England in Boston.

(L-R) Philadelphia Board Major Gifts Chair Robert Zuritsky (Century Council, Negev Society), Anna Boni (Sapphire Society), and Philadelphia Board Chair and event co-chair Michael Boni (President’s Society) enjoyed a wonderful evening at the 7th Annual JNF Poker Tournament.

(L-R) New England Board member and breakfast chair Isaac Edry (Herzl Society), Boston President Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society) and New England Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis (Century Council, President’s Society) with New England Board members and breakfast chairs Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society) and Jeffrey Woolf (President’s Society) at the New England Breakfast in Newton.

(L-R) Southern New Jersey Community Campaign Chair Mark Kramer (Herzl Society), Elah Strohmayer, Deputy Consul General of Israel serving the Mid-Atlantic region, and Pam Benedon (Sapphire Society).

(L-R) Past Tree of LifeTM honoree Walter Harrison, JNF Director of New England and Capital District Sara Hefez, and Coleman Levy (Herzl Society) at a planning meeting in West Hartford.

(L-R) Dr. Jeffrey Kraines (Negev Society), Consul General of Israel to New England Yehuda Yaakov, JNF Boston President Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), and JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan at a welcome reception for the new Consul General in Boston.

(L-R) Neil Golub (President’s Society) and Capital District Board member Jane Golub (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with Harvey and Joan Friedman at a Negev Nights reception in the Capital District.

(L-R) Sam Oppenheim, Robert Harrisburg (Century Council, President’s Society), and Consul General of Israel to New England Yehuda Yaakov at a welcome reception for the new Consul General in Boston.

Philanthropy Through Partnership Founded in 1913, Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi)

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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has grown to become the international Jewish fraternity with 188 chapters in over six countries. Today, a century after AEPi was founded, our mission to develop leadership for the future of the global Jewish community is as strong as ever. One of our organization’s goals is to give back to others through philanthropic endeavors and community service. “As the Jewish fraternity, we instill Jewish values, including tikkun olam in everything we do,” said Daniel Brick, Howard M. Lorber Director of Jewish and Leadership Programming for AEPi. “Therefore, we emphasize the importance of philanthropic giving to specifically Israeli and Jewish-based organizations.” With JNF’s vision to enrich the land and future of Israel, the organization was brought to AEPi’s attention to become a potential philanthropic partner. At AEPi’s 2010 convention, JNF was named one of seven philanthropies to receive a seven-year, $700,000 commitment from AEPi. Over the past three years, the AEPi-JNF relationship has grown beyond our initial philanthropic efforts. At the beginning of 2014, an official partnership between the two organizations was announced, one that will see JNF

and AEPi work together to positively impact and educate future leaders of the Jewish community. “JNF contributes

Brothers from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland participate in AEPi and JNF’s inaugural Tu BiShvat program.

heavily to Israeli environmental projects including green technology and water preservation, and has played an integral part in making the ‘desert bloom,’” Executive Director of AEPi Andrew S. Borans said. “Their efforts help Israel remain one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world and align with our mission to educate the next generation of Jewish leaders.” AEPi and JNF kicked off the year and partnership with our inaugural Tu BiShvat program; JNF designed a Tu BiShvat Shabbat, seder and interactive trivia for the program. Fifteen AEPi chapters participated and we are excited to officially announce the program in 2015. In addition, our IDC Herzliya chapter in Israel has created a plan to plant an AEPi forest through JNF. The group hopes to plant 5,000 trees in Israel before AEPi’s 2014 International Convention. “With the positive feedback we’ve received from our Brothers, we recognize the potential that this partnership can bring to both organizations,” Brick said. “Together we are paving the way for a bright future and partnership.” n For more information about the JNF and AEPi partnership please contact Daniel Brick at AEPi, dbrick@aepi.org or Anne Tanhoff Greenspoon at JNF, agreenspoon@jnf.org.

Join the Conversation @ JNF Thanks to social media, we are all always connected to family, friends, and the causes that are important to us. Technology is constantly developing. We no longer have to wait for information— it’s instantaneous, fluid, and available 24/7. Blogs have replaced long, established, traditional sources and influential bloggers hold amazing power. People are communicating in 140 characters, and Facebook’s billion users make it a useful tool to spread messages to a wide audience. It’s clear that social media as a powerful force of conveying information is here to stay. We at Jewish National Fund have embraced the awesome power of social media. Through our Twitter and Facebook accounts, we engage our numerous audiences with all matter of Jewish National Fund and Israel, all the time. We are consistently looking for fun ideas for contests, such as the Instagram/Facebook contest for your best picture of Israel, featured on page 4. (It’s a recurring contest we’ll have for each issue, so be sure to look out for that later this summer!). Contests like this, and similar ones that we’ve run tied to important Jewish holidays, bring a fresh take to the work that we do at Jewish National Fund.

You may have noticed that everything these days from television episode events to media campaigns have dedicated hashtags. We’ve started creating suggested social postings for before, during, and after traveling on our missions. These suggested Facebook posts and tweets complement the mission itineraries: from a photo scavenger hunt through Jerusalem’s Old City to a special hashtag to be utilized while capturing a meaningful rooftop sunset, all help bring together mission participants in the exciting conversation surrounding Jewish National Fund on social platforms. Social media is a medium of strategy and opportunity, and we are very excited to announce the formation of a new initiative—the JNF Social Media Executive Committee—to take our social media efforts to the next level. Headed up by a fantastic and committed group of individuals, the JNF Social Media Executive Committee is comprised of highly accomplished creative social media professionals who eat, live, and breathe social media. Headed by Vivian Grossman and organized by Abby Leviss and Miriam Braun, this committee will create a strategic social media plan that will detail the Jewish National Fund story in exciting, vibrant, and creative ways, embracing

the many forms of social media. Rare is the opportunity to create an out-of-the-box campaign for a major non-profit organization as prestigious as Jewish National Fund and they are excited to run with it! You can help move us forward by engaging with Twitter and Facebook by retweeting, sharing, liking and commenting on our national, regional, and affinity pages. You can also create short videos on Vine and upload to YouTube and your favorite sites. Social media is a conversation between us at Jewish National Fund and you the donor, and one we’re thrilled to be having. n For more information,contact Miriam Braun at mbraun@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x228.

Spreading JNF’s Message Across The Country Nothing brings Israel’s and Jewish National Fund’s vision to life better than hearing from someone who can talk about it firsthand. When you host a speaker from JNF’s Speakers Bureau, a standard parlor meeting can become an informative and exciting exchange about the latest Israeli innovation, technology, politics and humanitarian efforts. And that’s the first step towards donor engagement. Jewish National Fund’s Speakers Bureau provides a wide array of speaker talent—all top in their fields and eager to share their expertise and talk about JNF. We asked Lisa Klug, published author and journalist on Jewish arts, culture, travel and other topics, and Jonathan Adelman, full professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, to share why they enjoy speaking on behalf of JNF. How does speaking to a JNF audience differ from speaking to other Jewish audiences? JNF has a different kind of programmatic orientation. Talking about JNF is talking about the interior of Israel, the Negev, the transformation of the land, Eretz Yisrael as opposed to Medinat Yisrael. JNF comes down to an intimacy of knowing the land of Israel.

What appeals to you about JNF’s vision for Israel? What appeals to me most about JNF’s vision for Israel is that it is helping to build our future in so many wonderful ways. One day I will make my home in Israel. And thanks to the work of JNF, I will see reminders everywhere of how Jewish people the world over continue to pool together precious resources to build and strengthen our homeland.

Jonathan Adelman The Blueprint Negev campaign. While transforming the Negev is a

Lisa Klug

major priority for the Israeli government, there are more immediate priorities, both external and internal to the country. JNF puts the transformation of the Negev into action, reminding the government that while we won’t see benefits for five to 15 years, it’s something we must do. It’s a lot like the creation of the State of Israel— nobody thought it could be done, and it took dedication and out-of-the-box thinking. To book a speaker, visit jnf.org/speakersbureau, or contact Rebecca Zuck at rzuck@jnf.org or 212.879.9307

Your Child’s

Bar/Bat Mitzvah MEMORIES

Can Live on in Israel… While Remembering a Lost Child from the Holocaust JNF’s B’nai Mitzvah Wall • Inscribe your child’s name on the wall and they will forever be linked to a child who perished in the Holocaust • The Bar/Bat Mitzvah child will receive a plaqued certificate • Proceeds go towards Israeli campsites and scholarships

Donation: $1,800 jnf.org/store • 800.542.8733

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JNF OFFERS MANY TYPES OF SPEAKERS: • Public Officials • Former Heads of States • Presidential Advisors • Historians • Anti-Terrorism and Security Experts • Hi-Tech Specialists • Environmentalists • Foreign Affairs Liaisons • Positively Israel Experts

Is there a JNF project that most appeals to you?

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

How does speaking to a JNF audience differ from speaking to other Jewish audiences? When I stand in front of others and share these stories with people who care so deeply for Israel, I feel humbled and honored to be part of this mission. I enjoy talking about how discovering your own personal legacy helps contribute to the longevity of our heritage and homeland in ways that are deeply personal and profound.

Jamie’s Journey Through Israel Alexander Muss High School in Israel

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

alumna Jamie Goodman, daughter of Laurie Katzman of St. Louis and Dr. Rick Goodman of Florida, recently published Jamie’s Journey: Travels With My Dad, a compilation of the journal she kept on the 24-day trip she took with her father traveling throughout Europe and Israel. Jamie dedicates the final chapter to her Alexander Muss High School in Israel experience in the summer of 2013.

34 JNF.org

Jamie with Steven Muss

Jamie’s Journey teaches the importance of connecting and communicating with our children without today’s technology. Jamie, a senior at John Burroughs School in St. Louis and a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth,

shares her “gems” of advice for other teens and parents about the lifelong rewards of truly spending time and connecting with our parents and friends. In his review of the book, Russell F. Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish National Fund, said, “This wonderful journey of a father and daughter, one that is tied into 3,000 years of history, is most moving. I was particularly touched by their reactions to the sights they saw, the people they met, and the willingness to see it Jamie with Russell F. Robinson all through each other’s eyes. A must-read to understand the possibilities of life.” An excerpt from the book: “As my group walked into the remains of the synagogue, we faced out to Jerusalem and prayed. With our arms around one another we cried of happiness and disbelief. We wept, because we were happy with what we had accomplished, and because we were moved by the story of Masada, and the strength of the Jewish people. After prayer, we toured around Masada, and then [our teacher] Yossi had us reenact

the role of the Israeli soldiers. He would yell commands and in a matter of seconds we would be on the ground, crawling with only the strength of our arms. Afterwards, we walked out to the edge of Masada and Yossi told us how Israeli soldiers must travel three days in the desert, and their last task is to hike Masada. Once they are on top of Masada, they stand where we were standing, and yell as loud as they can, the words, “AM YISRAEL CHAI, Masada shall not fall again!” We repeated it three times, “AM YISRAEL CHAI, Masada shall not fall again!” That moment will be solidified in my memory for the rest of my life. I have never experienced something so empowering as I did screaming those words off Masada, and hearing our voices echo over and over again. Every day in Israel was a memorable one. I made friends that I will keep for a lifetime, I learned independence, I learned Jewish history, and most importantly, I learned about myself. This experience made me proud to be Jewish. I was proud of my religion, and the person I had become. I am a new person, because of this program and I have my dad, AMHSI, and Jewish National Fund to thank for that.” n The book is available for download on Amazon Kindle. For more, see www.jamiejourney.com. To learn more about Alexander Muss High School in Israel, visit amhsi.org or turn to page 35.

1 9 7 2

For more than 40 years AMHSI has brought over 22,000 Jewish youth from across the globe to Israel for an unforgettable experience that prepares teens for college and beyond in which participants receive an in-depth education, international academic experience, college credits, and feel the spirit of a nation.

Thanks to Our Donors Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) would not be the thriving organization it is today without the support of our donors. Last year, individuals, companies, foundations and organizations donated to support AMHSI scholarships, recruitment, general operations, and capital improvements. All gifts help strengthen every aspect that makes our program great: excellent students, strong academic curricula, outstanding faculty and facilities, and recognition as the premier academic Israel experience for over four decades. This “thank you” letter from a Summer 2013 participant and financial aid recipient is a testament to the extent of the powerful impact your funding makes.

98% of alumni rated AMHSI among the three most influential Jewish educational experiences in their lives. 95% of alumni rated the program as one of the three most influential educational programs of any type. 88% of alumni have married a Jewish spouse. 70% of alumni between the ages of 28-49 contribute to Jewish charities. 65% of alumni participate in Jewish/Zionist organizations. Programs

Departure Date

Return Date

August 24, 2014 January 25, 2015

December 26, 2014 May 29, 2015

December 2, 2014 February 3, 2015 April 12, 2015

January 27, 2015 March 31, 2015 June 9, 2015

4-Month Semester Fall Session 2014 Spring Session 2015 8-Week School Year December Session 2014 February Session 2015 April Session 2015

AMHSI SUMM

6-Week Summer

ER I, 2013 Gr

oup

Summer I, 2015 Summer II, 2015

June 16, 2015

July 29, 2015

June 24, 2015

August 5, 2015

With your continued support, we can further our mission to promote, build, and strengthen lifelong bonds between youth and Israel. As a non-profit organization, AMHSI relies on the dedicated commitment from our alumni, parents and friends to support the school and sustain its excellence in providing transformative Israel learning experiences.

amhsi.org • 800.327.5980 jnf.org/supportamhsi

35 JNF.org

you my hare with s o , t r o d n e t o n l in wa Dear D igh Schoo and just H e s m s o u h M w blessed I am no Alexander incredibly rience at e w p o x h e e g ib in r z ime. sc ama of a lifet cannot de y s it d r n o u t W r o p Israel. I felt an en the op in Israel, r being giv p e o t f s l e t e s f r ors. I I took my fi my ancest I f s o a d n n o la o he oon As s ction to t n would s e n io n t o c c e n e n t o c l sites immedia much this the actua g w in o h it s a vi e place rney and had no id ople took n this jou e o p g h in e is B w . e xpected he J grow ve never e a tory of t h is h ld u e o h t w t it where rongly, bu studies. I t y s m o s d e e h f pact my li truly enric having a tance of r gram to im o o r p p im e n e o h must t this e learned as Jews, ’v , e I w . s t a a h h t so definitely srael and Thank you eland in I . m it o h t c h e t is o this pr Jew me to have we can to g g n li in b h a t n y e r do eve rosity in your gene r o f h c u m tudent journey. mer 2013 S m u S incredible , ly e Sincer

AMHSI’s long-lasting positive effects:

alexander muss high school in israel

S I N C E

and fun Alexander Muss High School An Academic Adventure For High School Students in Israel IN ISRAEL

President’s Society Mission October 26 – 30, 2014

Optional Pre-mission to Vienna and Bratislava: October 21 - 26 Exclusive annual mission for members of JNF’s President’s Society.

Art and Fashion Mission October 31 - November 6, 2014

Discover Israel’s dynamic art world and explore the growing fashion scene as you experience the country from a new perspective on this exclusive mission.

SPIRIT OF ISRAEL MISSION: FALL November 13 - 20, 2014

Embark on a unique journey through Israel as you explore the country from the Negev to the North.

Doctors for Israel Mission November 30 - December 4, 2014

Join healthcare professionals on a unique mission to Israel for a special look at Israel’s healthcare industry.

Israel through a Photographic Lens Mission March 12 - 19, 2015

Join fellow photography lovers and share your passion for Israel through the creative outlet of photography.

Queen of Sheba: Women for Israel Mission March 15 - 22, 2015

Enjoy a unique and unforgettable trip to Israel for women only. No husbands, no boyfriends, just women experiencing Israel through the eyes of our Israeli sisters.

Culinary, Wine and Arts Mission March 20 - 28, 2015

Optional Pre-mission to Tuscany: March 16 - 20 Explore Israel’s food, wine and culinary scene while experiencing Israel’s arts and cultural institutions.

SPIRIT OF ISRAEL Mission: SPRING May 11 - 19, 2015

Embark on a unique journey through Israel as you explore the country from the Negev to the North.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND TOURS JNF DAY TOUR–EVERY WEDNESDAY

Only have a day? See the Northern Negev and JNF projects—a new and unique Israel experience. $50, lunch included. Departs from Jerusalem every Wednesday. jnf.org/bustour

CAARI: Canadian American Active Retirees in Israel January 12 - February 25, 2015

A 2-7 week program for active retirees, which combines community service and traditional sightseeing throughout Israel.

PLUS: Family trips, B’nai Mitzvah trips, Group tours, Tree Planting, and more

To register for one of these unique tours of Israel or for more information, contact 877.JNF.TOUR (563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel