Byachad Summer 2016 by Jewish National Fund

Together Summer 2016

Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Yachad: The Newsletter of Jewish National Fund

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ALL TOGETHER

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

The Thread that Binds Us

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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A Special Message from JNF’s Women for Israel Read how Nina Paul, president of JNF’s Women for Israel, found a way to combine her love and commitment to Israel through JNF’s projects for Israelis with special needs.

Featured:

Creating a Brighter Future For All Who Call Israel Home

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A look at JNF’s work that helps promote an atmosphere of coexistence among all who call Israel home.

A Fusion of Culture and Cuisine: Adelina Restaurant

We hope you enjoy this issue. Send your feedback to newsletter@jnf.org. Regards, B’Yachad Editorial Staff B’YACHAD STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF: Daniel Peri • PUBLISHER: Russell F. Robinson EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jodi Bodner • MANAGING EDITOR: Adam H. Brill CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Atara Paris • ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Donna Breitbart Cover Photo: Ahikam Seri

Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink

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An Inspiring Tale from a JNF Trip Participant

AMHSI: Strengthening Jewish Identity Globally

Learn how JNF’s Caravan for Democracy program creates ambassadors for Israel on college campuses.

See how Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) is expanding its global outreach to attract Jewish students from the U.S., Australia, Asia, and Latin America.

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 land and planting trees until ultimately, their dream of a Jewish homeland was a reality. Today, JNF 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. 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.

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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 800.JNF.0099 or visit jnf.org.

Water Update

A Land Where Strangers Are Welcome

By Talia Tzour Avner

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Talia Tzour Avner is KKL-JNF’s Chief Israel Emissary. For more information about JNF’s Water Summits or to join the Water Tour, please contact her at ttzour@jnf.org

As American Jews, we have long been an essential ingredient in the melting pot of the United States of America—our 240-year-old nation. Many of us grew up in the mid-20th century and vividly recall the stories of our parents and grandparents who labored hard in the old country under oppressive regimes, and survived anti-Semitic pogroms and other brutal crimes against our people. With great courage, hope, and a good deal of sadness, our relatives made the journey across the Atlantic—some never to see their families again—to try their luck in the U.S. As I look back on how the previous generation assimilated into American society and prevailed, I am forever grateful for all that they did to get us here. We, as a Jewish people, and as Americans, have accomplished much and continue to honor the sacrifices they made for our future. For far longer than 240 years, Israel has been a melting pot. Throughout the Bible, we are reminded to welcome foreigners as we were once “strangers in the land of Egypt.” Whether they were Edomite or Egyptian, Israel received all peoples of the ancient world to worship freely in Jerusalem. That openness and inclusiveness defines the coexistence that we see in present day Israel; a wonderful story that the media does not report often enough. Jewish National Fund has been at the heart of that coexistence since its founding in 1901. Jews across the world gave whatever money they could afford in order to repurchase land in Israel from Arabs, Ottoman property owners, Bedouin sheikhs, and anyone who would sell to them. While far too many wars and hostilities have been waged against Israel since, Jews, for the most part, have lived peacefully side-by-side with their Christian, Arab, Muslim, and Druze neighbors. Immigrants to Israel have arrived escaping persecution from Algeria, Ethiopia, Iraq, Morocco, Russia (and its former Soviet republics), Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen, to name just a handful. And, as anti-Semitic acts and crimes increase in Europe, aliyah has risen dramatically for Jews in search of safe harbor in Israel. With so many people living in central Israel, an area often called the Tel Aviv corridor, the work of JNF has never been as important as it is today. We are investing in the expansion of the north and south to meet the needs of growing populations while providing them with the opportunities to thrive. This is crucial to securing Israel—for all of its citizens. We are 21st century pioneers in this work. It has always been the Jewish peoples’ nature to make peace. Perhaps it’s the result of 2,000 years spent in the Diaspora, adapting and surviving, that we have become so good at working with others. Or maybe it’s simply that we realize it’s in the best interests of all humanity to see each other succeed, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Our ongoing practice of tikkun olam demands such as we help to create a better society for all. That is the story of Israel—a land where even the stranger is welcome. This issue of B’Yachad explores how Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Jews, and Bedouins work together to build a strong Israel, thereby creating a strong Jewish nation for the Jewish people everywhere. As we continue to build stronger bridges among the many who share our common land, I am very proud that JNF is leading the way, together with the people of Israel. Ultimately, an Israel at peace is a better Israel for its citizens, and is a better Israel for those of us in the Diaspora. You can always reach me at jlevine@jnf.org. n

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Our love for, pride in, and deep connection to the people of Israel and her achievements is sometimes obscured when the world focuses on the conflict and not on the successes of our young state. In less than 70 years Israel has witnessed incredible growth in cutting edge technologies. “However,” as Ron Prosor, Israel’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, said, “from my unique vantage point I have observed that while many countries may not stand by us, the world is thirsty for our knowledge—that is our advantage. On the one hand there is a market for bias against Israel; on the other hand, there is also demand for Israeli know-how—and we have a great supply.” This was definitely a banner year for showcasing the know-how of Israel and Jewish National Fund. With the release of best-selling author Seth M. Siegel’s book, Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, JNF was presented with an opportunity to shed light on Israel’s own successes and contributions towards mitigating the pending worldwide water crisis. In collaboration with Siegel, JNF launched a series of Water Summits throughout the United States designed to create positive PR for Israel, while emphasizing the Jewish State’s triumphs in water technology solutions, including those that have been implemented by JNF. These Summits also highlight other aspects of JNF’s vision: its cutting-edge environmental work. JNF’s Water Summits and water-related events have already been held in Chicago, Boston, Austin, San Diego, Las Vegas, Florida, Los Angeles, Denver, and Albany. The Water Summits have had another added value: the formation of new connections and relationships with mayors, municipalities, academicians, water companies, chambers of commerce, and every day consumers. The Summits have enabled JNF to reach new audiences— over 4,000 new people—and spread the word. “Thousands of people have come to hear of JNF’s and Israel’s water conservation innovations during this year-long Water Summit series,” said Gina Raphael, co-chair of the Los Angeles Water Summit. Siegel, who serves as the keynote speaker for the Water Summits, chose to write on the topic after learning that no one had ever done so and ended up speaking to more than 220 people in the course of his research. A long list of notable figures and dignitaries in the water industry have joined him on panels focusing on global and local water challenges and potential solutions. At the forefront is the work and expertise of JNF, which, for decades, has mastered Israel’s water management and conservation efforts. JNF’s critical work has increased Israel’s total water supply by 12%, helping the tiny state become a world leader in water reuse. In addition, the widespread media and publicity JNF receives before and after each Summit helps spread the word about our trailblazing work. In doing this, JNF not only shares the successes of Israel’s water technology and management, but can also aid cities across the U.S. with their water crises. Save the date! To conclude our year-long Water Summit series, JNF is planning a Water Tour to Israel in December 2016. Participants and professionals from previous and upcoming Water Summits, as well as anyone interested in this important topic, are invited to join us. The tour will focus on Israel’s natural water sources and participants will visit state-of-the-art and forward thinking water companies, as well as network with high-level business leaders, water experts, and researchers. We will also learn about geo-politics and transboundary water issues facing Israel and its neighbors. n

A Message from our President Jeffrey E. Levine

JNF Program Areas JEWISH NATIONAL FUND gives all generations of Jews a unique voice in building a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Got Water? JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Jewish National Fund National Water Summit Series We’re still on the road! Join us at one of the water summits taking place around the country to learn about global water issues and Israel’s successes in water technology. • Hear from keynote speaker Seth M. Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World • Participate in interactive panels and hear from key influencers in water reuse and development • Learn how Israel mitigated its water crisis and what the U.S. can do • Network with urban planners, environmentalists, and water industry leaders

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JNF enhances quality of life in Israel by building new communities and bolstering existing ones, especially in the north and south. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Go North Initiative, Blueprint Negev, Be’er Sheva River Park, Nefesh B’Nefesh, Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, Friends of Israel Firefighters (FIF), Project Wadi Attir

FORESTRY & GREEN INNOVATIONS As an innovator in ecological development and a pioneer in forest creation, JNF has planted more than 240 million trees in Israel, providing luscious belts of green covering more than 250,000 acres. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Firefighting & Fire Prevention, Agricultural Infrastructure Development, Soil Conservation, Combating Desertification, Harvey Hertz-JNF Ceremonial Tree Planting Center

WATER SOLUTIONS JNF has been at the forefront of water management & conservation in Israel for two decades, increasing the water supply by 12% and helping Israel become a world leader in water recycling. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Recycled Water Reservoirs, River Rehabilitation, Rainwater Harvesting Program, Constructed Wetlands

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DECEMBER 8,2015 San Diego, CA

MARCH 2, 2016 Los Angeles, CA

ZIONIST EDUCATION & ADVOCACY

MAY 25, 2016

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. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI), Alternative Spring Break (ASB), Green Horizons, Caravan for Democracy, Blue Box Bob

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NOVEMBER 2, 2016

Washington, DC

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Order your copy now at LetThereBeWater.com

For more information and to register for a JNF Water Summit near you, please visit jnf.org/watersummit or call 212.879.9305 x262

WATER SOLUTIONS

For over 100 years, JNF has sponsored research initiatives in Israel as part of its efforts to cultivate the land. JNF is a world leader in both technological and environmental innovation. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Agricultural R&D Stations, Solar Power Innovation, Fish Farming, Coral Reef Restoration, Water Research & Technologies

HERITAGE SITES JNF is committed to the preservation of historical sites associated with Israel’s rebirth and to ensuring that the stories behind them are properly documented and retold for generations to come. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Atlit Immigration Center Museum, 9/11 Living Memorial, Ammunition Hill, Gush Etzion Visitor Center, Ayalon Institute

DISABILITIES & SPECIAL NEEDS JNF is dedicated to ensuring that no member of Israeli society is left behind by providing cutting-edge rehabilitative services, special education, and medical care for people with special needs. PROJECTS INCLUDE: Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible, Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center at Kibbutz Grofit, Special In Uniform

To continue in its vision of building a stronger, healthier, more secure Israel JNF has committed to a $1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade, a ground-breaking and unprecedented plan for Israel’s future. To learn more, call 800.JNF.0099

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Project Spotlight: MAKOM SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN THE

Campaign All-Star: Dick Berman DICK BERMAN CONSIDERS JEWISH National Fund his extended family. His love for JNF and for our brothers and sisters in Israel is apparent in everything he does. Since assuming the role of JNF Northern California Board President in October 2015, Dick devotes his time and energy serving as a full-time volunteer in advancing the mission and vision of JNF. A lifelong supporter of the Jewish homeland, Dick first traveled to Israel less than a decade ago, and describes that visit as a “revelation” that changed his life. “After meeting Israelis who graciously hosted and guided me throughout their remarkable country, I knew I had found my second home.” Shortly thereafter, Dick joined the Northern California Board, travelled more frequently to Israel, and developed close friendships with many JNF partners. While in Israel, Dick makes it a point to fully understand the work JNF does on the ground, from building new communities in the Negev, to understanding the significance of preserving Israel’s priceless heritage sites, to meeting the kids of Green Horizons Youth Movement, and visiting Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran. In addition to being a JNF board president, Dick is involved in every aspect of board development, donor cultivations, and solicitations, and he is also

a member of JNF’s Task Force on Disabilities. Don Schlesinger, JNF Northern California executive director, said, “Dick is the ultimate community ambassador, connector, solicitor, and leader. He serves as a model board president and is excited to create a true working board. He is always a pleasure to work with.” For more than a quarter century, Dick was a partner in D & B Sales and the owner of The Berman Company, which specializes in importing and exporting outdoor lifestyle products. Today, he focuses on helping all citizens of Israel and contributing to JNF’s efforts to develop the national Jewish homeland. Said Sharon Freedman, JNF’s national campaign director: “Dick is a proud Century Council and King Solomon Society member and is adored by everyone who meets him. He is creative, funny, strategic, passionate, and so very dedicated. Dick really is a true leader and a real mensch, and his love for Israel and the Israeli people is powerful and inspirational to all of his JNF extended family. We are privileged to call this true Campaign All-Star our good friend.” n

Of the many organizations across the nonprofit landscape that perform great work in Israel, Jewish National Fund is the only one that unites all people in support of Israel. JNF is apolitical in its activities and open to all. Like many other families who gather around the Shabbat dinner table, we may have sharp differences over a wide range of issues, whether political or otherwise, but we all share a special love for Israel. In our own individual ways, we each want the best for our Jewish homeland. That is what unites us. Israel is a mosaic of people and nothing invigorates me more than being on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem after Shabbat concludes and watching as a sea of people flood the street. I see faces of various colors and hear a symphony of languages. To not appreciate this beautiful mosaic, to not embrace just how unique Israel is in the world, is to turn away from reality. JNF directly supports dozens of organizations and programs that focus on improving the quality of life for all of Israel’s citizens. We bring together diverse populations, foster understanding, and build bridges. Many of our donors know about our partners at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, which joins together Jewish and Arab Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, and others from around the globe in classrooms and laboratories to study environmental sciences and policy. Their motto is “Nature knows no boundaries.” How true that is! Perhaps even more important than their academic studies is that these young adults learn to live with one another, even during times of conflict. The Bedouin population in the Negev is in the news often regarding land issues, but perhaps you did not know that JNF has invested millions of dollars in improving their quality of life by adding green space projects in the Bedouin towns of Rahat and Hura. In Hura, specifically, JNF partnered in a unique initiative called Project Wadi Attir, which teaches cutting edge agricultural techniques as well as modern business and marketing principles. One aspect of Project Wadi Attir is focused on women’s empowerment and working to help Bedouin women develop small businesses. JNF partner LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible, which provides nature education for children with disabilities, created the Integra-Teva program to bring together Jewish and Arab children with disabilities to experience nature. Project Baseball, a JNF partner, sponsors an annual overnight clinic called Baseball Le’Kulam (Baseball for All), where Jewish and Arab youth come together, while learning to play America’s pastime. Let us not forget that JNF has planted more than 250 million trees and developed hundreds of parks, nature trails, bike paths, and other recreational sites that are for the benefit of all of Israel’s citizens. I’m proud to support an organization that understands that Israel’s diversity and her beautiful multi-cultural fabric is an integral part of the country’s strength. We can politely discuss or even debate many issues from myriad perspectives, but let us agree that our love for Israel is a bond that no disagreement can break. After all, we are family. n To get involved, contact Ken Segel at ksegel@jnf.org

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For more information, contact newsletter@jnf.org

KEN SEGEL, VP, CAMPAIGN

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

early 1990s, MAKOM has seeded leadership teams throughout Israel to transform Israeli society from within. Each of MAKOM’s network of organizations works in their local communities to initiate cutting-edge social ventures and to build bridges across cultural boundaries. As part of its Blueprint Negev and Go North initiatives, Jewish National Fund has partnered with MAKOM to support its various programming and opportunities for communities in the Negev and Galilee with the goal of improving quality of life and transforming the public image of these communities to places of dynamism and hope. Israel is a phenomenal success story and the foundation for this success was laid in the early 20th century by thousands of people working together with the support of world Jewry through JNF. This is where the basis of MAKOM originates. The vision was, and still is, to combine the best aspects of

Western culture with Jewish values and heritage and create an innovative, inspiring, society that can give more to the world around it. Achieving this requires the best minds and entrepreneurs to tackle the issue in a systemic way. To date, MAKOM is one of the largest social organizations in Israel overseeing more than 250 leadership teams with 10,000 members, and over 500,000 beneficiaries in Northern and Southern Israel. Educators and volunteers on these teams pioneer work on a grassroots level within their communities and help organize programming to improve the quality of life at every level. MAKOM is also one of the most diverse organizations in Israel with secular, Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox, Druze, Ethiopians, and many other groups coming together to cooperate and empower Israeli society based on shared values for the 21st century. From education to economic development to urban renewal, MAKOM’s leadership teams are changing the communities in which they live, laying down new foundations for a strong and prosperous tomorrow. In five years, MAKOM plans to grow its programming to 400 leadership teams with 15,000 members, and 750,000 beneficiaries in Northern and Southern Israel. Together, with the support of JNF and its successes in developing and revitalizing Northern and Southern Israel, MAKOM’s vision will become a reality. n

PLANNED GIVING

Permanent IRA Charitable Rollover Extension Helps Donors By Matt Bernstein, CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer

PLANNED GIVING

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Last December, we received good news with passage of the Permanent IRA Charitable Rollover Act of 2015. The law makes the ability to transfer money from an IRA account directly to JNF permanent, and may produce an opportunity to save significant tax dollars for our donors while supporting JNF. For years, enormous amounts of money have been placed into retirement accounts. The proposition the IRS made would allow an income tax deduction in the year the contribution was made to the IRA, and any growth in the accounts would go untaxed until the money was withdrawn. Not a bad deal: a current income tax deduction and a deferral in recognizing any gains. Now, however, the tax bill from those years of deferred taxes is coming due for many of our donors, because, at age 70 ½, the IRS requires us to take distributions from these accounts. This forced withdrawal is called Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). For many JNF donors this has become an imposition as increased taxes on income that may not be needed. This extra revenue may push some donors into higher tax brackets and may also cause a tax on social security payments. IRA distributions are top margin income and there are few deductions you can use to offset this “bonus.” The amount of these RMDs is determined by a schedule the IRS uses based on actuarial tables. Luckily, there is now a solution. The tax act passed in 2015 made permanent the opportunity to make a tax-free gift from an IRA to JNF. The IRS will allow up to a

$100,000 gift for 2016. The benefit to donors is the gift can be used to satisfy their RMD and is 100% TAX-FREE. It is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This is a tremendous incentive because not having to declare the RMD keeps it from being taxed and also avoids the other unfavorable effects mentioned. In addition, a gift of this type will not cause a reduction in personal exemptions or allowable deductions. Check with your tax-advisor as to how this type of gift will directly affect you. Claiming your QCD is a simple process that JNF can help you with. The requirements include: • You must be 70 ½-years-old or older • IRA transfers must go directly to JNF. The check cannot be paid to the individual and then donated; otherwise, you lose the tax-free nature of the contribution • The gift cannot exceed $100,000 in 2016 per individual • It must be completed by December 31, 2016 to count for 2016 • The gift must be an outright gift and cannot be used for a Donor Advised Fund or any income producing Planned Gifts A gift from an IRA can be used and applied to existing pledges, and will qualify you to become a member of one of JNF’s prestigious lifetime giving societies. Plus, your gift will have a lasting impact on JNF’s vital mission in Israel. To avoid the end-of-year rush, contact a JNF Planned Giving Specialist today at 800.562.7526 or via email at plannedgiving@jnf.org for more information. We look forward to hearing from you. n

Dr. Max Robins - Investing to Save Lives in the Arava DR. MAX ROBINS REMEMBERS A JNF BLUE Box always present on the kitchen table. Born and raised in Detroit, his family placed an importance on both his secular and Jewish education. “My mother took great pride in teaching me about the birth of the Jewish State, and I remember holding the sepia-colored JNF certificate given to my grandfather recognizing his contribution toward purchasing land in pre-state Israel,” said Dr. Robins, who now splits the year living in Michigan and in Naples, Florida with his wife, Judy. It was at Wayne State University when Dr. Robins met and married Judy, a former educator. Later, Dr. Robins pursued his training as a physician from the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Des Moines, Iowa. It was during his residency that Dr. Robins decided to specialize in pediatric medicine. As the Robins family began to grow, Dr. Robins, his wife, and four children relocated to East Lansing and became involved in the local Jewish community. “I always bought trees from JNF for b’nai mitzvahs and simchas,” said Dr. Robins, but it was when he retired that he looked to become more involved in Jewish causes. Dr. Max and Judy Robins

A member of JNF’s President’s Society, which recognizes donors who make an annual gift of $10,000 to JNF, Dr. Robins visited Israel in 2015 on JNF’s President’s Mission. “The trip was eye-opening, exciting, exhausting, and marvelous,” said Dr. Robins. The group visited several JNF sites and it was after Dr. Max Robins at Ramon Crater seeing the new JNF medical center in the Central Arava that Dr. Robins decided he wanted to do more. “That was my first time visiting the Negev and I recalled the words of David Ben Gurion, who said, ‘In order for Israel to flourish, the Negev must bloom.’” What particularly struck him was the lack of ambulatory services for the region’s growing community. That’s when he decided to make a donation to purchase an emergency rescue vehicle for the Central Arava Command & Control Center. “It was a need that just stuck in my mind,” he said. A savvy donor, Dr. Robins has supported JNF through a qualified IRA rollover. In 2015, Congress enacted a permanent extension of the IRA charitable rollover, allowing individuals aged 70 ½ and older to make gifts directly from their IRA in 2016 and beyond as a way to lower the income and taxes from their IRA withdrawals,

up to $100,000. The Robins’s also know about the benefits of supporting JNF through outright gifts of appreciated securities, locking in their gains and avoiding paying capital gains taxes on the appreciation in the donated assets. Thanks to Dr. Robins and Judy’s generosity and awareness, their stock gift, which also inaugurated them as new members of JNF’s Century Council and King Solomon Society, helped fund the rescue vehicle critically needed in the Central Arava, helping countless Israelis in the region. n

Create a Lasting Legacy • • • • • • •

charitable gift annuities charitable remainder trusts charitable lead trusts life insurance endowments donor advised funds bequests

Contact our Planned Giving Specialists today at 800.562.7526 or visit jnflegacy.org

WOMEN FOR ISRAEL

How JNF Touches My Heart By Nina Paul

GUARANTEED TO PULL AT EVERY ONE OF YOUR HEART STRINGS QUEEN OF SHEBA

An Unforgettable Trip To Israel For Women Only November 10-16, 2016 FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT JNF.ORG/WOMENONLY

Nina Paul is the National President of JNF’s Women for Israel. To get involved with WFI, please contact Sharon David at sdavid@jnf.org or at 212.879.9305 x242

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VISIT TEL AVIV, JERUSALEM & TRAVEL NORTH ALONG THE COAST. MEET THE WOMEN SHAPING ISRAELI SOCIETY TODAY. JOIN OPTIONAL TOURS TO MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA. ENJOY YOGA ON THE BEACH, CULINARY CLASS + SPA TREATMENTS.

in an intelligence unit of the IDF. To help Max, he lived in a residential behavioral and medical facility for treatment—one of the few available across the U.S.— and he was able to reach his greatest potential. Sadly, Max passed away peacefully and suddenly as this column was going to print. I grew up with a brother who suffered brain damage at birth. What I have gained from both experiences is a strong desire to help those with disabilities. Through JNF, I have the ability to fuel my passion with the various projects and organizations JNF partners with to address the special needs of those with disabilities. Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, a state-of-the-art residential rehabilitative facility that serves Israel’s most severely disabled individuals, is a JNF partner organization that remains close to my heart. On my first visit there, I cried. I thought of the progress Max would have made had we had such a facility in the U.S. Going forward I knew that I had to put my energy into JNF and its great work, and WFI is the perfect vehicle to make a difference in the lives of every Israeli. As women’s power grows in our society, our influence in philanthropy is simultaneously increasing. It is a fact that a majority of philanthropic dollars come from women either through their own earnings, inheritances, or from money left by their husbands upon their deaths. A recent study from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute indicated that Nina at Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran women are more likely to give than their male counterparts. Women tend to give to causes where they can see tangible differences being made in peoples’ lives, whereas men tend to give because they are asked. Aleh Negev, along with JNF’s many other partnerships, is a prime example of what the power of women can accomplish by working together. I encourage you to join me and other like-minded women to make a difference in peoples’ lives in Israel. I call on you to join JNF’s Women for Israel. I also invite you to come on our Queen of Sheba Tour, an unforgettable women-only trip to Israel from November 10-16, 2016. It will be a life-changing experience. n

WOMEN FOR ISRAEL

My love for Israel began when I was just 14-years-old. I was a camper at Camp Ramah in Ojai, CA and the following summer I had the opportunity to go to Israel on a 10-week work, study, and tour program with the Los Angeles Hebrew High School. I immediately fell in love with the country and my new Israeli friends. Upon my return, I decided to earn my way to pay for a return visit and volunteered on a kibbutz, and backpacked throughout the country. I just couldn’t get enough of Israel! Fortunately, I was also able to study abroad during my junior and senior years at UCLA, studying psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Haifa University. As life sometimes unfolds, I didn’t make aliyah as planned, and ended up in Cincinnati, OH after meeting my husband, Eddie. I began attending different organizational meetings, and from the first moment I entered a Jewish National Fund meeting, I felt like I was home. I met people with similar histories who shared my passion for Israel. As making aliyah was out of the picture, JNF was the closest I could get to being in Israel without physically living there. Over the past 30 years, I have been actively involved with JNF in Cincinnati, and for the past three-and-a-half years I have served on JNF’s national board; I am also currently president of JNF’s Women for Israel (WFI). In 1999, Terry Katz, a longtime JNF supporter and past national chair of JNF’s Sapphire Society, the major donor society for women, approached me with an opportunity to join and be part of this new division. I jumped at the chance to help women make a difference. As a woman who was fortunate to have had a 30-year career as an entrepreneur in fine jewelry as a designer, importer, wholesaler, and retailer, I recognize the many hurdles women face. The challenges can be daunting, but I also realized over the years that I wasn’t alone and that there were many successful professional and business women juggling many roles and responsibilities, both in the workplace and at home. I knew early on that there is also something very special about the power of women, especially when we all work together for a common cause. That is why I believe that by banding together with JNF’s WFI group, women have the ability to improve the lives of all Israelis. Not everything in life works out as intended. In 2002, our son, Max, was diagnosed with a brain tumor that needed an immediate resection. In the blink of an eye, life changed forever for Max and our family. Max has a fraternal twin brother Jake and an older sister Lainey, who made aliyah over three years ago and currently serves

TRAVEL & TOURS

JNF is All About Inclusion By Jack Roldan

TRAVEL & TOURS

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I had been dreaming of visiting Israel since early 2000. As a faithful Christian, I was familiar with stories from the Bible, the land of Israel, and the importance of Jerusalem. While I found it fascinating, I never fully understood my connection to a people and place so foreign, yet so familiar. In 2014, I finally stepped foot onto the land of Israel, an unforgettable moment that transformed me. Five months later, I attended a Jewish National Fund educational event in Denver that led me to sign up for a three-month journey in Israel. During this time, I volunteered on IDF bases and saw numerous JNF projects that improve the lives of many in Israel. From JNF’s Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, to water reservoirs and tree nurseries, to the countless projects in Be’er Sheva that are transforming the once dusty desert city into a technical mecca, it is apparent that JNF is doing amazing work. Never had I felt so welcomed or cared for as I did while traveling throughout the country, by all who crossed my path. Many found it interesting that a non-Jewish American was giving so much time to volunteer in a country so far from home. Each time, I explained that nowhere else on the planet felt more like home to me than Israel. I slept, ate, and felt better than I ever had before. After returning to the U.S., I joined the JNFuture board in Colorado, immediately immersing myself in the organization and looking for ways to become more involved. As a result, I signed up for the JNFuture Volunteer Vacation (JVV), an incredible trip to Israel for young adults, ages 25-39, who spend a week doing community service in the Negev desert as part of JNF’s groundbreaking Blueprint Negev initiative. It was hard to imagine any experience could top my first trip to Israel until I met my fellow 34 JNFuture members who joined me for what would become an unforgettable experience. From the very beginning, we bonded. Hailing from every corner of the U.S., we all shared the same goals: tend the land, help the desert bloom, and positively influence the lives of all of Israel’s residents. The trip included harvesting olives for pressing into oil for the poor, planting trees, and expanding an urban farm with Earth’s Promise for immigrants from Ethiopia. Completing each task was rewarding, productive, and meaningful, all while having lots of fun. Especially impactful was helping the communities in Halutza, located along the Gaza

and Egyptian borders. From building a pergola and painting fantastic murals, to laying grass for the children to play on, what we were doing meant a lot to the community. We gave these children a place to play, dream, and be safe. Their community was so friendly and appreciative. In May 2016, the next installment of JVV will depart for Israel to volunteer with partners of JNF’s Go North initiative. I am looking forward to co-chairing this empowering trip and helping communities in Northern Israel grow and flourish. I call on young professionals to get involved with JNFuture and join us on a life-changing JVV trip to Israel. I have no doubt it will transform your life as it did mine. n Jack Roldan works in Digital Marketing and Market Research. To learn more about traveling to Israel with JNF, contact our Travel & Tours department at 877.JNF.TOUR (877.563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel. For more information on JVV, contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org

FOOD & WINE

A Fusion of Culture and Cuisine: Adelina Restaurant

For more information on Adelina Restaurant’s hours of operation and location, please visit adelina.co.il or facebook.com/adelinacabri

Chef Daqwar’s Recipe:

Adelina’s Ceviche with Avocado Garnish Ingredients:

Instructions:

3 lbs. of fresh, semi-firm fish (Sea Bass, Striped, Grouper, Sole, or Flounder)

1. Skin and debone fish into ½ inch thick and 2 inch wide pieces. Set aside.

2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped 1 hot pepper, such as jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch of ginger, peeled and minced (to flavor)

2. In a mixing bowl, combine peppers, garlic, ginger, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, Yuzu syrup, olive oil, corn oil, and rice vinegar. Stir until ingredients mixed into a salsa.

1 peeled whole tomato, finely chopped

3. Lay out fish fillets on serving dish, spread salsa mixture over fillets.

1 lemon, juiced

4. Garnish with sliced avocado. n

1 Tbs. lemon zest 1 ½ Tbs. Yuzu syrup* 7 Tbs. olive oil 3 Tbs. corn oil 3 Tbs. rice vinegar 1 avocado, thinly sliced

8-10 servings *Yuzu syrup, or Asian citrus syrup, can be found in most supermarkets, Asian markets, and online grocers.

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full meal. This is how he grew up eating—fresh bread with meze, a wide array of small dishes found in traditional Arabic cuisine. Amir Oppenheimer, 35, a third-generation member in the family business, helps manage both Adelina and the Penguin Coffeehouse and Restaurant. When asked what draws people to Adelina, he answers easily: “The quiet isolation from the rest of the world. Adelina is a hidden treasure.” Though it’s tucked away from the usual eateries in the area, the restaurant enjoys a regular base of clientele thanks to its stellar reputation and broad appeal. Customers include locals from nearby Arab and Jewish towns as well as “foodie” tourists who frequent the region in search of boutique culinary experiences. The Oppenheimers are also among the founders of Western Galilee Now (WGN), a JNF-supported consortium of tour operators and small businesses promoting the region’s boutique wines, beers, food, and art, along with its cultural diversity, historic traditions, and scenic routes. As 2015 was drawing to an end, Adelina took part in WGN’s Winter Festival, an annual event held between Chanukah and Christmas that invites visitors to experience the region’s diverse holiday celebrations through food, wine, art, and music. For Christmas, Chef Daqwar conjured up a festive menu of traditional holiday delights from his upbringing, including meat-stuffed pastries, slow-cooked stews, and seasonal herbs and grains, such as freekeh, a roasted green wheat dish. Oppenheimer stresses that the complex ethnic mosaic of the Western Galilee is a perfectly natural Israeli environment. “We don’t ‘do coexistence’ on purpose here, it’s just how we live. This is how we grew up.”

FOOD & WINE

Of all the unique and fascinating regions of Israel, the Western Galilee—in addition to being one of the most beautiful regions—best represents the county’s remarkably diverse cultural landscape. The rolling hills and sweeping coastline are bejeweled with Druze villages, Christian towns, Jewish kibbutzim, Circassian Muslim enclaves, Russian and Ethiopian neighborhoods, and joint Jewish-Arab municipalities. The signs on roads, businesses, and institutions feature Hebrew, Arabic, or English—or all three together. In the midst of this multi-faceted backdrop, in rural Kibbutz Kabri, is Adelina Restaurant overlooking the avocado plantations stretching toward the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. At Adelina, the Galilee’s many culinary and cultural flavors blend together seamlessly. Founded in 2003 by Adelina Goldfeld from Argentina, and Ilan Oppenheimer, who is well-known for his German-Jewish family’s Penguin Coffeehouse and Restaurant in nearby Nahariya, Adelina’s award-winning chef is Roshdi Daqwar, an Israeli-Arab Christian from the town of Tarshiha. The menu is a tantalizing combination of fresh, high-quality ingredients found in Spanish-Catalan and Galilean kitchens. Every effort is made to use locally sourced ingredients, from regional boutique wines to wild-harvested seasonal herbs. Popular highlights from the menu include roasted eggplant cream on tabun (stone oven) baked bread, lamb-stuffed pastries, and ceviche with avocado. Chef Daqwar, 35, who studied his craft primarily in Israel and France, admits that he was unfamiliar with Spanish-Catalan cuisine when he began working at Adelina. “Surprisingly, I found it very close to home,” said Chef Daqwar. “It is like the style of food we have here. It’s based on the seasons and the meals have a similar structure.” Chef Daqwar explains that a central component to Adelina’s menu is the selection of tapas, a spread of appetizers that can be combined to comprise a

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR INFO ON UPCOMING JNF EVENTS, VISIT JNF.ORG AND CLICK ON “JNF IN YOUR AREA”

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

SOUTHERN

1. (L-R) Shaina Pollak, Liel Navon, Max Kunik, and Shaina Forman at the JNFuture Israeli Innovation event at Vuka in Austin.

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2. (L-R) Colin Bozarth, Jessica Bozarth, Gabbi Lewin, Sam Schneider, and Jessica Goodman at the JNFuture event at Vuka in Austin. 3. (L-R) JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Debbie Rudy, and Ricky Rudy at the Let There Be Water Reception in Austin.

4. (L-R) Mechal Perl and Isaac Antebi of Atlanta and their children enjoy the fruits of Shaliach Ezra Ravins’s labor in the fields of the Central Arava. 5. Bennie and Cobi Cohen’s son, a happy member of Atlanta’s JNFuture. 6. 2016 Positively Israel Photo Contest winner Howard Silverman with his stunning photo taken inside the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.

MIDWEST

MIDWEST 1. (L-R) JNFuture Vice Chair Dana Rubin, JNFuture Midwest Campaign Executive Hannah Feldman, and JNFuture Membership Chair Andy Stein at the Jews and Brews tour of Revolution Brewery in Chicago. 2. (L-R) Bonnie Keidan, Susie Wexler, Director of Special in Uniform IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, and Chicago WFI Co-Chair Jill Weininger at the Temple Beth-El Breakfast in Chicago. 3. (L-R) Morry Wiener, Elece Kovel, and David Gershuny enjoy the Southern Ohio and Kentucky Board of Trustees meeting in Cincinnati. 4. (L-R) Rabbi Shena Jaffee, Ari Handel, Holly Wolfson, and Nikki Downey at the Southern Ohio and Kentucky Tu BiShvat Celebration in Cincinnati.

5. (L-R) Janice Goldstein and Janet Weisberger break bread at the WFI Luncheon in Cincinnati. 6. (L-R) Rachel Kurland and Zoe Winger as Blue Box Bob at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation’s Israel Week in Cleveland. 7. (L-R) Rabbi Binyamin Blau scoops ice cream with Board Members Andy Soclof and Mitch Wasserman at the Tu BiShvat Celebration in Cleveland. 8. (L-R) Board Member Barry Feldman scoops ice cream with Rabbi Rosette Barron Haim and Robert A. Nosanchuk at the Tu BiShvat Celebration in Cleveland.

9. (L-R) Event Co-Chair Milt Neuman with guest speaker and Washington Bureau Chief of Israel’s Channel 10 News Gil Tamary at the Young Israel of Oak Park Breakfast in Detroit. 10. (L-R) Midwest Director Eric Goldstein, event Co-Chair Milt Neuman, and guest speaker and Washington Bureau Chief of Israel’s Channel 10 News Gil Tamary at the Young Israel of Oak Park Breakfast in Detroit. 11. (L-R) Steve Cohen addresses attendees at the Young Israel of Oak Park Breakfast in Detroit.

MID-ATLANTIC

1. Dr. Larry Amsterdam, event guest speaker Dennis Prager, and Jerry Jacobs at a recent Major Donor Thank You Event in Bethesda. 2. (L-R) Washington D.C. Board Members Dr. Chet Stein, Howard Hogan, political analyst Bill Kristol, Ken Krupsky, and Gary Kushner at the first Annual Northern Virginia Community Breakfast in Fairfax. 3. (L-R) Maryland Major Gifts Chair Bob Chertkof, National Campaign Chair Diane Scar, Howard Rosenbloom, and National Vice President of Campaign Ken Segel present Rosenbloom with a special certificate in recognition of his outstanding support of the Merchav Am Community Center.

4. (L-R) Baltimore JNFuture members Sam Sless, Esther Blinkoff, and Cynthia Grosberg at the JNFuture Israel Trivia Night in Baltimore. 5. (L-R) Lynn Kapiloff and Sylvia Pardes together at a WFI meeting in Baltimore. 6. D.C. Major Gifts Co-Chair Dr. Adrienne Rulnick spreads awareness of JNF at the Northern Virginia Community Breakfast in Fairfax. 7. (L-R) Susan Dilles is presented with her Sapphire Pin as the newest Sapphire Society Chair by D.C. General Campaign Chair Melanie Moreno at a WFI event in Washington, D.C.

9 8. (L-R) National Campaign Director Diane Scar, Mid-Atlantic Senior Advisor Baruch Fellner, and Karen Fellner at the First Annual Northern Virginia Community Breakfast in Fairfax.

9. (L-R) The Washington, D.C. JNFuture Board members support Tu BiShvat and JNF at the Third Annual Schmooze and Booze for Israel in Washington, D.C. (L-R back row) Ari Weiss, Lauren Kaufman-Bergmann, Nicole Lubel, Rachel Oziel, and Allen Meizlish.(L-R middle row) Raeefa Shams, Nicole Reisman, Shelley Greenspan, and Dan Legum. (L-R front row) Aaron Bregman and Kira Borman.

JNF.org

MID-ATLANTIC

NEW ENGLAND

7 NEW ENGLAND 1. (L-R) Boston Board of Directors Members Jonathan Plaut, Steve London, Michael Blank, Boston Board President Jeffrey Woolf, Josh Tracey, New England President Larry Cohen, and Todd Patkin at a Boston Board of Directors meeting. 2. (L-R) Rhonda Forman and Andrea Cohen at a WFI event. 3. (L-R) National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman and Judy Mendel at a Let There Be Water event featuring author Seth M. Siegel, hosted by Larry Cohen and Nixon Peabody. 4. (L-R) JVV 2015 alumni and JNFuture Member Danielle Mizrachi, Lori Gilman, featured speaker and National WFI President Nina Paul, and Director of Recruitment for AMHSI-JNF Dana Gerbie Klein at a WFI event.

5. Ezra Schwartz’s parents and brother plant trees in Israel in Ezra’s memory at Yad Kennedy. 6. (L-R) Suzanne Lacognata, Mary Woolf, and New England Director Sara Hefez at a Let There Be Water event featuring author Seth M. Siegel, hosted by Larry Cohen and Nixon Peabody. 7. (L-R back row) JNF Campus Fellow at SUNY Albany Alex Schieber, Alix Zaccoli, Hadassah Nikki Glebatis, Rebecca Prince, Gabrielle Picard, JNF NY Area Director for Israel Advocacy and Education Yocheved Kolchin, Gadi Leo Solomon, and Austin Ostro. (L-R front row) Students from SUNY Albany Danielle Haft and Chloe Rudensky at the Capital Region’s first Community Tu BiShvat Celebration. 8. (L-R) Sydney Goldman, Elianna Moses, and Eliana Goldman at the Tu BiShvat Celebration in the Capital Region.

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

9. (L-R) New England Director Sara Hefez with Board Members Karen and Alan Lobel, Capital District Board President Robert Ganz, and Capital Region Board Member Lev Ginsberg at a Tu BiShvat celebration in Albany. 10. JNF Campus Fellow at SUNY Albany Alex Schieber hosted an on campus event during Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month featuring guest speaker IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia of Special in Uniform. 11. New England Director Sara Hefez, Consul General of Israel to New England Yehuda Yaakov, bestselling author Seth M. Siegel, and Deputy Consul General of Israel to New England Matan Zamir at JNF’s Boston Water Summit. 12. (L-R) JVV 2015 Boston participants Alana Gerson, Carly Lubert, Danielle Mizrachi, and JNFuture Boston Campaign Executive Gali Gordon at Ammunition Hill.

NORTHEAST

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

NORTHEAST

1. (L-R) Linda Kanitra, Dr. David Richlin, Dr. Charles McHugh, Tehila Fischer, Maida Richlin, Dr. Sidney Goldfarb, and Dr. Naomi Vilko visit AICAT in Israel on JNF’s DFI Mission.

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2. (L-R) Saul Wolfe, David Wolfe, and Central New Jersey Campaign Executive Anna Richlin at a LFI event at Skoloff and Wolfe in Livingston. 3. (L-R) JNFuture member Dan Kline and JNFuture NJ Vice Chair Josh Goodkin at the New Jersey JNFuture Something Sweet Chanukah Celebration at Chocolate Works in Montclair. 4. (L-R) Ira Pogachefsky and Makor Member Betsy Fischer at Southern New Jersey’s annual Tu BiShvat Beer, Cheese & Trees event.

LOS ANGELES

5. (L-R) JNFuture Board Members Chad Holtzman, Alexander Hankin, and Danielle Hankin, with Philadelphia Board of Directors President Robert Kitchenoff at JNF’s Spinning Through Israel event in Philadelphia.

7. South Central Rain band led by Michael Boni, immediate past President of the Philadelphia Board of Directors, at Eastern Pennsylvania’s Board Installation in Philadelphia.

6. (L-R back row) Scott Kaminsky, Peter Martin, Jay Minkoff, Frank Chudnow, Philadelphia Board of Directors President Robert Kitchenoff, Philadelphia Board of Directors Vice President Scott Barsky, JNFuture Philadelphia President Alexander Hankin, Mark Lazaroff, and Jeffry Schwartz. (L-R front row) Michael Boni, Lori Dabrow, Ilana Dean, Executive Director Marina Furman, Evelyn Spritz, Terry Katz, Chad Holtzman, and Joel Freedman at a joint meeting of the Eastern PA Board and JNFuture Philadelphia Board.

8. Cantor Larry Brandspiegel and Director of Development for Aleh Negev Avnet Kleiner receive a check from the youth of Beth El Windsor at a New Jersey Breakfast.

GREATER NEW YORK

LOS ANGELES

GREATER NEW YORK

1. (L-R) Israeli firefighter and guest speaker Uri Chobotaro, JNF Development Officer Ariel Kotler, Bill Bernfeld, David Rosenthal, Matthew May, Burt Haboucha, Randy Naft, Greater LA Board President Matt Fragner, and JNF LA Executive Vice President Robert Wise at a JNF Commercial Real Estate Group Meeting in Century City.

1. (L-R) Steve Bederman, Director of Westchester and Southern Connecticut Stephanie Risa Balkin, Westchester Board Member Shoshana Bederman, Westchester Board Member Don Altman, New York Board Member Joan Muss, and Executive Vice President Greater New York Maidelle Goodman Benamy at the Westchester Board Meeting.

4. (L-R) Elior Shiloh, Noam Weinblatt, and Andy Weiss at JNFuture’s Tu BiShvat program. 5. (L-R) Rabbi Shalom Baum and Northern New Jersey Board Member Michael ‘Buzzy’ Green at the Teaneck Reception.

6. (L-R) Honorees Rabbi Stephen Penn, Joyce Bendavid, Millie Leben, Joan and Reuben Baron at the Teaneck Reception. 2. (L-R) Westchester Board Members Lynn Jacobs and Ruth Raisfeld, New York Board Member Joan Muss, WFI Chair Adele Morton, General Campaign Chair Cheryl 7. (L-R) Alison Wolfson, Sami Groff, IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, New York Board Pine, Director of Westechester and Southern Connecticut Stephanie Risa Balkin, President Laureine Greenbaum, and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat at a breakfast at 3. (L-R) David Shainberg, Neuriel Shore, Neelie Shore, Civia Caroline, JNF CEO Co-President of Westchester and Southern Connecticut Caren Hammerman, and the home of Alison Wolfson. Russell F. Robinson, Zach Cohen, Alex Finfer, JNFuture Campaign Executive Executive Vice President Greater New York Maidelle Goodman Benamy at the From Steffanie Altman, Deanna Rothberg, and Jason Levine at a JNFuture Happy Hour in 8. (L-R) New York Board Member Joan Muss, guest speaker Matisyahu, and New Farm to Table: Israeli Style event at Westchester Reform Temple. Los Angeles. York Board Member Penny Rosen at the Greater New York Winter Rooftop Society 3. (L-R) Northern New Jersey Board Members Jerry and Janice Rosen with Helen and Reception at the Eventi Hotel. Bob Levine at JNF’s Teaneck Reception. 2. (L-R) IDF Major General Uzi Dayan with David and Judith Braun at a parlor meeting at the home of Victoria and Gary Davis in Woodland Hills.

WESTERN

WESTERN 1. (L-R) Las Vegas Water Summit participants Nathan Allen, Dave Johnson, Pat Mulroy, Steve Parrish, Shelley Berkley, Jason Wuliger, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, and JNF Las Vegas Director Shawn Willis.

3. (L-R) Pat Mulroy with author and keynote speaker Seth M. Siegel at JNF’s Las Vegas Water Summit.

4. (L-R) JNFuture Colorado Event Chair Aaron Taylor with JNFuture Social Media Chair Amy Hinton at the JNFuture Wine and Trees Tu BiShvat Celebration in Denver. 5. (L-R) Tania Hansen with Max Wolk at the JNFuture Wine and Trees Tu BiShvat Celebration in Denver. 6. (L-R) Rabbi Michael Sunshine with JNF Mountain States Board President Ron Werner at the JNFuture Wine and Trees Tu BiShvat Celebration in Denver.

9 7. (L-R) JNFuture Board Member Amy Hinton, Women’s Alliance Member Becca Cooper, and JNF Mountain States Board Member Carla Kutnick at the WFI Chanukah party. 8. (L-R) Jaqueline, Isabella, and Alexandra Stuart show a painting they created for Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran residents, in conjunction with Congregation Beth Jacob’s fundraising campaign in Redwood City. 9. (L-R) Jeff Morgan from Covenant Wines and Rabbi Alex Shandrovsky from L’Chaim Foods at a JNFuture Tu BiShvat event in San Francisco.

WESTERN

10. (L-R) JNFuture Northern CA Chair Zoe Goldfarb, JNF Western Texas Director Arielle 13. (L-R) JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, Arthur Shorr, Palm Springs and Levy, and Karen Springer at a JNFuture Tu BiShvat event in San Francisco. Desert Region Director Donna Raider, and Palm Springs and Desert Region Board President Michael Saywitz at the Palm Springs Love of Israel dinner. 11. (L-R) Cynthia Hizami and Linda Seligman at the Palm Springs Planned Giving Lunch in January. 14. (L-R) Toni Dusik and Jody Bartel at the Special in Uniform Parlor Meeting in Phoenix. 12. (L-R) Bill and Joanne Chunowitz with Judy and Earl Brown at the Alexander Muss Parlor Meeting in Palm Springs. 15. (L-R) Brian Weinberger, Steve Farber, Michael Kornreich, and Jonathan Breakstone at the Special in Uniform Parlor Meeting in Phoenix.

18 16. (L-R) Joel Taubman and Talyah Sands at the Special in Uniform Parlor Meeting in Phoenix. 17. (L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush with Pastor Bob Rapp of New Hope Church in Roseburg, Oregon, during the Pastor’s first visit to Israel at the age of 73. 18. (L-R) Neil Fleming, Judah Epstein, Eric Solomon, Gary Solomon, and Robert Epstein at a JNF planning meeting in Dallas.

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2. (L-R) Las Vegas Board Members Jim Walker, Larry Monkarsh, Dr. Neville Polkroy, and Las Vegas Board Member Leo Bletnitsky at the JNF Las Vegas Water Summit.

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

FLORIDA

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

FLORIDA

1. (L-R) Orlando Board President Debbie Meitin, Cathy Swerdlow, and Cantor Kim Singer at the Orlando WFI Tu Bishvat Seder.

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2. (L-R) JNF Orlando Director Laura Abramson, Broadway entertainer Davis Gaines, and Gale Milgrim at the JNF Gala and Backstage Tour at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando. 3. (L-R) Orlando Board Member and LFI Co-Chair Rob Gebaide, National Major Gifts Chair and Orlando Board Member Bruce Gould, guest speaker Ambassador Gideon Meir, and LFI Co-Chair Ed Milgrim at a LFI Event at Baker Hostetler in Orlando. 4. (L-R) Steven Kane, Natalie Prager, and Orlando Board Member and LFI Co-Chair Ed Milgrim at the LFI Breakfast in Orlando.

5. (L-R) Ellen Lang, Lynn Minkow, Rhonda Forrest, and Geanne Share at the Orlando Gala at the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts in Orlando. 6. (L-R) Co-President of the Tampa Bay Board Ida Raye Chernin, guest speaker Ambassador Gideon Meir, and Tampa Bay Board Member Maxine Solomon at a breakfast hosted at the home of Dr. Gary and Meg Moskovitz. 7. (L-R) Joshua Frenden, Northern Florida Director Uri Smajovits, and Ethan Frenden celebrate their birthday by donating their Chanukah and accumulated allowances to help the children of Sderot.

9. (L-R) JNFuture Members Rachel Dietrich and Ilana Goldenberg with Tampa Bay Board Member Meg Moskovitz at a JNFuture event hosted at the home of Dr. Abe and Betsy Marcadis in Tampa. 10. (L-R) Lifetime Achievement Honoree Dr. Bernard Lublin and Naples JNF CoPresidents David Braverman and Anthony Solomon receive awards at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

8. (L-R) JNFuture Members Loren Fay Saunders, Alex Bourne, Erica Turner, and Lance Mistal assemble teddy bears to raise funds for children in Israel at a Tampa JNFuture Parlor Meeting.

FLORIDA

11. (L-R) Esther Rose, Joan Levenson, and Dr. Bart Levenson plant trees during the CAARI Mission in Israel.

15 (L-R back row) Margaret Blume with Cantor Elaine Shapiro. (L-R bottom row) Valerie Silverman, Renee Rotta, and Ruth Arneson at the Women for Israel Sapphire Luncheon in Palm Beach.

12. (L-R) National DFI Co-Chairman and Tampa Bay Board Member Dr. Robert Norman presents the Doctors for Israel Award to Dr. Rodolfo Eichberg at the Tampa Bay DFI 16. (L-R) Past Guardian of Israel Award recipient and Guardian of Israel Dinner Society Dinner. Honorary Co-Chair Nelle Miller with Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and Guardian of Israel Dinner Honorary Co-Chair Betty Schoenbaum, Sarasota JNF 13. (L-R) Dr. Jeffrey Davis receives the Doctors for Israel Award from National DFI Board President Mark Schlanger, and guest speaker Ambassador Gideon Meir at Co-Chairman and Tampa Bay Board Member Dr. Robert Norman at the DFI Society Michael’s On East in Sarasota. Dinner in Tampa. 17. (L-R) Harvey Alstodt, Dori Edelman, Penny Schatz, and Melody Alstodt at the 14. (L-R) Joann Miller, guest speaker and Nefesh B’Nefesh Vice President Doreet BallenIsles Annual Reception and Briefing in Palm Beach. Freedman, and Dr. Rick Miller at the Tampa Bay DFI Society Dinner.

18. (L-R) Anne Manasse, Robbie Leifer, Susan Cain, Robbie Puritz-Hayes, Phyllis Weiss, Joan Nash, and Jane Weiss at the WFI Sapphire Luncheon in Palm Beach. 19. (L-R) Rabbi Michael Resnick and Hal Linden at the Temple Emanu-El Brunch in Palm Beach. 20. (L-R) Murray Goldberg, Helen Levine, JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, and Basheva Goldberg at the 2016 South Palm Beach event in Boca Raton.

FLORIDA

25. (L-R) Ruben Schneider with Florence and Bob Werner at the Bank Leumi reception in Aventura.

21. (L-R) Linda Rosenson, guest speaker and Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Bret Stephens, and Hal Rosenson at the Frenchman’s Creek Reception in Palm Beach.

26. (L-R) JNF South Florida Executive Director Roni Raab and Josh Berkowitz at the JNFuture Tu BiShvat event in Miami.

23. (L-R) Isaac Mizrahi, Shara Scottland, and Adam Landa at the Bank Leumi reception in Aventura.

24. (L-R) Maia Aron and Heather Needleman at the JNFuture Tu BiShvat event in Miami.

27. JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson with Irene Levine at the Polo Club in Boca Raton.

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28. (L-R) Rabbi Yaakov Gibber, Rabbi Philip Moskowitz, Rabbi Robert Silvers, guest

speaker and Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Bret Stephens, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Rabbi David Baum, and Rabbi Joshua Broide at the South Palm Beach event in Boca Raton.

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22. (L-R) Dr. Andrea Colton and Melanie Kaminetsky at the South Palm Beach event.

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

THE THREAD THAT BINDS US ALL TOGETHER

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CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE For All Who Call Israel Home

In the patchwork of the multi-cultural, multilingual, and multi-religious quilt that is Israel, JNF truly is the thread that binds all of us to this magical land we call our eternal homeland. For more information on JNF’s various program areas, please contact newsletter@jnf.org or call 800.JNF.0099

Photo: Ahikam Seri

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In this issue of B’Yachad, we explore how JNF and its partner organizations unite all of us, Jews and non-Jews alike, to Israel. From supporting initiatives that improve the livelihood of Israel’s Bedouin community to fostering tolerance through sports and education among youth, JNF proudly supports the development of an inclusive Israeli society that helps every individual reach their full potential.

THE THREAD THAT BINDS US ALL TOGETHER

For generations, Jewish National Fund and its donors around the world have invested in the land and people of Israel to secure a successful future for all who call it home. Our actions and deeds are more than mere words and dreams. Together, we have created a country that makes a difference on the world stage. We have provided solutions to mitigate Israel’s water scarcity and that of the entire world. JNF’s myriad programs and work fosters a sense of inclusion among the vibrant mosaic of people that defines Israel as a proud bastion of democracy in the region.

THE THREAD THAT BINDS US ALL TOGETHER

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MY NEIGHBOR, MY BROTHER Living Side by Side in the Negev Desert By Megan E. Turner

Life in Israel is not simple. Put aside for a moment that this tiny country fights for its right to exist on a daily basis and receives criticism from all sides for its every move. Rather, consider the very delicate and complicated fabric of Israeli society. In a landmass the size of New Jersey live many different cultures, religions, and ways of life, each equally a part of Israel and the collective Israeli identity. One of the many beautiful aspects of life in Israel is the ability for these diverse parts to work together and coexist in spite of vast differences. This unique Israeli coexistence is blossoming between Jews and Bedouins in Southern Israel. The Bedouin, a traditionally nomadic people loyal to the land on which they live, have had a troubled past with

“When I treat a patient, it doesn’t matter with whom I’m working— Christian, Druze, Arab, Jewish—I’m working with a human being. I perform the treatments patients need with love for each one of them.”

their Jewish neighbors in the Negev. While both groups have lived together in relative peace, tensions over land ownership and national identity can crop up. Despite this, organizations and initiatives that bring Jews and Bedouins together are becoming a more frequent and an essential part of the Negev narrative. Consider the incredible work at Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, a stateof-the-art rehabilitation village for those with severe disabilities in Southern Israel that works in close partnership with Jewish National Fund. The village is home to many individuals who, due to various physical infirmities, cannot live in their families’ homes and are given a superior quality of life through the medical services and rehabilitative programs offered there. “Many of the residents would be home-bound, even bedridden, if they were not receiving treatment at Aleh Negev,” said Stav Herling-Gosher, 26, spokeswoman for Aleh Negev. Coexistence at Aleh Negev’s campus comes naturally to staff and residents, where both populations are made up of Jewish Israelis, Bedouin Israelis, and other religious and cultural groups found in the social fabric of Israel. Aleh Negev’s slogan, “Aleh is their home—24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” invokes a feeling of togetherness, acceptance, and family. It’s unmistakable. “It doesn’t matter where the patient comes from. It doesn’t matter if they are Arab or Jewish. They need treatment, care, and unconditional love,” said Bat Sheva Biton, an observant Jewish woman and teacher’s assistant at the village’s school.

Aisha with Zehava Koznitz at Aleh Negev

Top:The women of Wadi Attir Bottom: Picking organic and medicinal herbs at Wadi Attir

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projects had failed.” Today, the grounds at Wadi Attir pulse with life and energy. There are sprawling farm lands sprouting various crops as far as the eye can see, goats being cared for in a nearby stock yard, and even an on-site laboratory that works on green building projects, water sustainability, and the development of medicines and cosmetics based on Bedouin knowledge of local plants and herbs with nutritional and mineral value. These projects are done in conjunction with Ben Gurion University and other internationally renowned schools and nonprofits. The site also hosts about 450 junior high and high school students from Jewish and Bedouin schools every week to work on joint projects that connect them to the land, farming, and what they’re eating. In addition, a special project called “The Young Farmer” brings four- to five-year-olds from Southern Israel to learn natural farming techniques and healthy eating habits, hoping to instill these values in children while they are young, thereby fostering a longlasting, healthy impact on their lives. A component of Wadi Attir’s mission is to provide agrarian skills to Bedouin women. For those who choose to break away from their community’s traditional patriarchal roles, Wadi Attir assists them in building an increased sense of independence and self-worth with the hope that the skills learned will translate into increased women’s participation in providing for their households and communities. At the site, Bedouin women are taught how to build and maintain vegetable gardens where they can grow traditional and native herbs and vegetables. These skills allow the women to recreate vegetable gardens for their own households. “We want the women to feel that this is theirs,” said Safya Morgan, 25, manager of the vegetation department and head of Wadi Attir’s women’s programming. “The place operates 24/7 and the women are imbued with a sense of responsibility.” It is these feelings of empowerment and inclusiveness that permeate both Aleh Negev and Wadi Attir, and add to Israel’s vibrant national character. n

“Who would have thought that a Bedouin woman would be talking about missing her Jewish patients on her free time?”

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Mohamad Al-Krenawi, a Bedouin Israeli in his 30s and a physical therapist at Aleh Negev, echoed Biton’s sentiments, saying, “When I treat a patient, it doesn’t matter with whom I’m working—Christian, Druze, Arab, Jewish—I’m working with a human being. I perform the treatments patients need with love for each one of them.” Al-Krenawi’s work, with infants through 21-year-olds, has helped kids who were previously given no chance of walking to not only walk, but thrive. He said of himself and of all Aleh Negev’s workers, “We are solely concerned with the treatment of the patients, and we ourselves are like a family.” Al-Krenawi has a close friend who is a nursing assistant at the village and comes from the same Bedouin town as he. “When we sit down for coffee together on the weekends, she tells me and my wife how much she misses her patients when she’s not with them. Who would have thought that a Bedouin woman would be talking about missing her Jewish patients on her free time?” said Al-Krenawi. Meet Aisha, a three-year-old Bedouin girl who has been at Aleh Negev since she was two months old, and Zehava Koznitz, 56, a Jewish volunteer at the village who works with Aisha weekly. Aisha, also known as “the professor” by most of the staff and volunteers for her burgeoning intelligence and curiosity, has made exceptional progress, especially with the help of Koznitz, who is a mother figure to her. The two hug, take walks together, and Aisha can’t stop smiling when Koznitz is around. “Here, I give total love, not 90%,” said Koznitz, “pure love without any reservations.” The differences in religion and culture do not play into the equation at all. This remarkable atmosphere of tolerance and coexistence is not limited to Israel’s rehabilitative sector. At Wadi Attir, a sustainable, communitybased agricultural enterprise and JNF initiative located just outside of the Bedouin village of Hura, the focus is on integration and knowledgesharing. “Seven years ago, when a committee of Jews and Bedouin were thinking about the vision for this project, we knew we wanted to help the Bedouin live a more modern life and give them independence and a livelihood,” said Yunis Nabari, 42, director of Wadi Attir. With the added aspects of education, research, and development, this vision grew as a way to take the Bedouins’ intimate knowledge of the land and share it with those on the outside, both within Israel and internationally. Said Nabari: “This project began within the Bedouin community and was entrusted to Bedouin leaders. Because of that, it has succeeded whereas other integration

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A Legacy of

BRAVERY AND HONOR By June Glazer

There are two underlying messages visitors to Ammunition Hill usually take away after spending time delving into the site’s history. One is about heroism. The other is honor. In the dark, early-morning hours of June 6, 1967, 115 Israeli paratroopers fiercely fought against an elite battalion of Jordanian soldiers for possession of this strategic hilltop, then an isolated outcrop, only meters away from the divided capital’s Old City. By morning’s light, 36 Israelis and 71 Jordanians lay dead, but the hill was in Israeli hands and the victory led directly to the capture of the Old City. Owing to the bravery of the Israeli paratroopers who fought that night in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, the site became a national memorial symbolizing Jerusalem’s reunification. Now, a Jewish National Fund-sponsored heritage site, Ammunition Hill is visited by more than 270,000 tourists a year. As for honor, a guiding principle of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is Tohar Neshek, or “Morality in Warfare.” Emblazoned in Hebrew and English on the lobby wall of the Hill’s Visitors Center, an IDF tenet reads:

“It will commemorate the legacy of two armies that fought each other and now honor each other.”

The soldier shall make use of his weaponry and power only for the fulfillment of the mission and solely to the extent required. He will maintain his humanity even in combat. The soldier shall not employ his weaponry and power in order to harm noncombatants or prisoners of war and shall do all he can to avoid harming their lives, bodies, honor, and property. “The IDF ingrains in us that you must always know you are fighting against a man,” said Katri Maoz, the CEO of Ammunition Hill who served as Deputy Brigade Commander of the 55th Paratrooper Brigade. “That you are fighting against a human being, one with a family who was just sent to do a job. You must respect him, honor his fighting, and respect his body after he dies. This is our tradition.” Outside Maoz’s office window, some 400 new paratrooper recruits are rehearsing for their graduation ceremony after eight months of basic training. The ceremony is the culmination of a weeklong, 220-kilometer trek; the last 50 kilometers are walked during the night and Ammunition Hill is reached by dawn. In the lobby and outside in the courtyard, hundreds of family members and friends wait excitedly for the start of the official ceremony. But back to the past. “The Jordanians fought here in a way that was heroic,” Maoz continued. They fought hard for this place. They were committed to their mission. After the battle, our paratroopers looked not only upon their own comrades who died, but also upon the Jordanians. The battle was very tough and the Jordanians earned their respect.”

“To see former combatants— high-ranking officers from both sides—meeting each other, comparing wounds, pulling out their phones to share pictures of their grandchildren, is inspiring.”

Jordanian and Israeli delegations meet at Ammunition Hill

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The surviving paratroopers buried 17 Jordanians who had been killed in a bunker on top of the hill. They dug a grave with their hands and hung a sign in English that read: “Buried here are 17 brave Jordanian soldiers.” “After this battle the paratroopers spent hours gathering and burying bodies,” Maoz said. “They could have gone on to fight another battle and seek more glory, but they stayed to honor their enemy.” “This is what separates us from other armies in the world,” said Alon Wald, director of marketing and events at Ammunition Hill, and a former paratrooper whose father, Captain Rami Wald, fell during the battle. “This is why the Jordanians respect us. They understand that by telling this story, by telling their story, we mutually admire each other.” Since Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement in 1994, the former enemies acknowledge a common heritage that includes Ammunition Hill. “Every year, Jordanians come to visit this sacred ground. It’s a memorial for them as well,” Wald said. “It’s amazing to see them and hear about the battle from their perspective.” Leaving Maoz’s office and climbing to the top of the hill, Wald told a story about a gruff Jordanian captain who stood at the top and, looking out at the new neighborhoods that now surround the site, marveled at the changes that have taken place in the area. “‘You guys,’ the captain said in broken English, ‘if this is what you achieved in the time since taking Jerusalem from us, then maybe it was worthwhile,’” Wald recounted the captain saying. “To see former combatants—high-ranking officers from both sides— meeting each other, comparing wounds, pulling out their phones to share pictures of their grandchildren, is inspiring,” he added. Last year, a four-man delegation representing the Jordanian Army came to Ammunition Hill at Maoz’s invitation, to learn about what happened there from the Israeli point of view, and lay groundwork for future cooperation. Ammunition Hill is undergoing renovations in preparation for next year’s 50th anniversary of the battle and creating a new museum that will tell the story of the Six-Day War from both sides. Spotlighted, of course, will be what happened on the site. The Jordanians

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are planning something similar in Amman where an existing military museum is slated for expansion to spotlight the same. During the two days the Jordanian delegation met with Maoz and his staff, the group took time to tour the stronghold and the current museum, as well as to exchange stories and anecdotes about the battle from their respective viewpoints. “One of the most poignant moments of the tour came when they stopped here,” said Wald while standing at the Jordanian command bunker that held out to the end and where, nearby, the 17 Jordanians were temporarily buried. One of the four original bunkers still standing—pockmarked with Israeli bullet holes—will be renovated for the anniversary celebrations and become a memorial of sorts for Jordanians who visit Ammunition Hill. “It will commemorate the legacy of two armies that fought each other and now honor each other. They, like us, were part of a mission on behalf of their battalion, their nation,” Wald said. Among the Jordanian delegation was military researcher Dr. Baker Khazan Almajali, who said: “I see these meetings as building bridges. We want to understand the other and enable the other to understand us. We want to maintain peace and the hopes and ambitions of our generation and future generations. We need to always look toward the future, and to live together and create a good future for our kids and grandkids.” Below the bunker site the paratroopers’ graduation ceremony was finally underway; guests were crowded around the actual battlefield and the red and white flags of the Paratroopers Brigade whipped in the breeze. Family members and friends stood proudly as they watched their loved ones called up by name to exchange their green training berets for the Paratroopers’ iconic red ones.

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Two Organizations

BUILDING OPTIMISM By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

Nineteen-year-old Sami Salman is an optimist. Salman, from an Israeli-Arab Christian family located in the central Israeli city of Ramla, coaches baseball to mixed groups of Arab and Jewish children. “We have to build something together,” said Salman, who studies international business at Rishon LeZion College. “Baseball for All,” the inclusive program in which Salman volunteers, is one of many Jewish National Fund initiatives that bring Jewish Israelis from childhood to adulthood together with Israeli-Arabs, Jordanians, and countless others in the region and abroad. “Our main goal is to create hope,” said Salman. “Maybe the older generation wasn’t very successful at bringing peace to this land, but perhaps the next generation will.” Baseball for All works to transcend cultural and religious differences through the love of sport. “It’s about learning and playing baseball together, having meals together,” said Margo Sugarman, secretary general of the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB). “The idea is that first you get the kids together to learn how to play baseball and the rest will come naturally.” The program offers a two-day intensive baseball getaway three times a year. As a volunteer coach, Salman helps coordinate 30 twelve-year-old Arab children from Ramla and Jewish children from nearby Modi’in. The kids pull on matching t-shirts and get right down

“Our main goal is to create hope.”

to cheering, running, chasing each other, and enjoying two days of sports in Israel’s unstoppable sunshine. Ramla is a mixed city, so many of the Arab kids are already familiar with Jewish kids. “But for the Jewish kids from Modi’in, it’s a new experience,” said Salman. “In the beginning, they were uncomfortable, but then they started to talk and quickly became good friends. This program works.” COEXISTENCE SPRINGS IN THE DESERT Farther south on a desert kibbutz another JNF-funded project, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, is also setting politics aside and stomping out a path to peace through shared values. “We build bridges between peoples in the region based on shared environmental resources,” said David Lehrer, executive director of the Arava Institute. “Nature knows no borders.” “We live in such a small area of land,” Lehrer said. “We have shared water resources. We share the air we breathe. There’s really no way to protect the environment and manage these resources effectively unless you’re working together.” With less than an inch of rain per year, the Arava region offers lessons in plant and animal ecology along with conservation of precious water resources. The desert spans the Jordanian border, less than two miles away, inspiring cooperation which has been part of the Institute’s framework since its inception in what Lehrer calls the “afterglow” of

Funded by IAB with help from JNF, Baseball for All crosses metaphorical borders. The program is evenly divided between Jewish and Arab participants and between boys and girls. “We hadn’t even thought about including girls,” said Sugarman. “But when we went to a school in Ramla, a lot of the kids who were interested were girls. The kids don’t pay so there’s no question of not being able to afford it.” IAB’s Nate Fish, head coach for the baseball program, said the concept originated in a conversation with Tom Gillespie, a major league scout who runs Play Global, an organization that brings baseball to kids in conflict areas. “It’s pretty simplistic,” said Fish. “We don’t want there to be anything unusual about Arab kids and Jewish kids playing baseball together. It’s all about the fun, sportsmanship, and teamwork baseball provides.” “It’s a win-win situation,” Fish said. “We’re educating kids about baseball, providing them a great experience, and enabling them to develop a comfortable familiarity of living with each other.”

An Israeli and an Arab student at the Arava Institute

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS The Arava Institute’s Cohen said: “People have grown up with a certain narrative and understanding of the other side without having actually met someone from the ‘other’ side. Here, there is no other side.” Said Greenberg: “The whole experience at the Arava Institute with the variety of people and cultures has opened my eyes.” Students attend the Institute for varying reasons. “There are people who go for the ecology and the rest of the activities may not be interesting to them,” said Cohen. “Then there are people who don’t care about compost; they’re really here for conflict resolution and political conversation.” Esra’a, a 28-year-old Jordanian student with a B.A. in chemical engineering who asked that her full name not be used, discovered the Arava Institute through a classified ad in a Jordanian newspaper. When she called, a local contact explained that it was an Israeli program. “He said to me: ‘If you have any concerns, or you don’t want to continue, you don’t have to,’ but I said, ‘We’re all brothers; I will go.’” Esra’a didn’t share all the details with her family, telling them only that it was an “international institute.” So far, she’s thrilled with the program, its students, and instructors. Faculty includes teachers and guest lecturers from Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. “The Arava Institute has two faces,” she said, “and both of them are beautiful. One is the academics and the Arava Institute students at a group meeting on campus environmental issues related to the region. The other face is Israel, its neighbors, and other Arab countries. The Institute gives us a chance to get to know each other and figure out possibilities for the future. It’s a very optimistic approach.” Esra’a is now considering pursuing graduate studies at Ben Gurion University. Like Esra’a, Salman is thrilled to share his passion while working towards peace. “That is really cool for me,” he said, “to be a big part of this program between Jewish and Arab kids.” Peace may be a more elusive game than baseball, but at the very least, Salman is clear on the first and most important rule: “If you don’t have hope, you will lose.”

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ACCEPTANCE THROUGH SPORT: KIDS BEING KIDS

Before the kids go home, they take part in a group dialogue where they share thoughts about the program and what it means to them to spend time with each other. “In 24 hours, you can’t change an entire attitude, but you can plant some seeds,” said Sugarman. She enjoys watching the shifting group dynamics. “Within each team they cheer each other on,” she said. “If the Arab kids get a good hit, the Jewish kids applaud them. If a Jewish kid makes a good play, the Arab kids get excited. What it says is, ‘This is my team; I’m rooting for them,’ as opposed to saying, ‘I’m Arab; I’m Jewish.’”

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the Oslo Accords. Situated an hour north of the Israeli resort city of Eilat on the Red Sea, the Institute is celebrating 20 years of innovation in renewable energy, waste and water management, and trans-boundary relationships all in the name of ecology. Israeli Jews, Palestinians and Jordanians, and international students from the U.S., Canada, Africa, and Asia each make up one-third of the student body and usually stay a semester or two. The Peace-Building Leadership Seminar (PaLS), a mandatory seminar for all students, helps them navigate various life situations that arise when sharing close spaces with other cultures, religions, and yes, politics. Different from other encounter experiences “where you get together, talk, and then go home,” said alumna Kate Cohen, “at the Institute you continue the conversation outside the seminar room. You live together, work together on projects, and support each other as friends. That’s the major difference. That immersion in time and space does wonders!” Liron Greenberg, a 24-year-old Israeli, didn’t know much about the Institute before she arrived. Coming from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she studied earth sciences and environmental studies, she thought, “We’ll come together, we’ll study, go on hikes, and that’s it. But then I got here and learned how much of a community it is.” The experience creates lasting friendships. “When students go home to visit,” Lehrer said, “they bring their friends with them. Israeli students go to Jordan to visit their peers. Palestinian students go to their friends in Tel Aviv. People cross borders, and with that a lasting dialogue ensues.”

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SEEING IS BELIEVING: Coexistence in the Eshkol Region By Megan E. Turner

The subject of tolerance between observant and secular Jews in Israel is a delicate one and, at times, finds itself center stage in Israeli media and policy making. What’s not often mentioned are stories of everyday Israelis, observant and secular alike, who live together, work together, and call one another friends. One particular story of a very real and natural coexistence between secular and observant Jewish communities in Israel began more than 10 years ago with Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005. The move, for many, was controversial and heartbreaking. Those evacuated from Gush Katif, many of whom are observant Jews, needed to find a new place to live and, in many instances, completely start their lives over from scratch. The majority of them relocated to areas between Tel Aviv and Ashkelon, still fairly close to their beloved former homes. A smaller portion chose the route of early Zionist pioneers and settled in the Negev, mere miles from Israel’s borders with Egypt and Gaza. Today,

“As soon as they realized that we shared common values, we were able to move forward in spite of our obvious differences.”

with the assistance of Jewish National Fund, they are living in blossoming desert communities in the Halutza region, rebuilding and thriving. This didn’t happen overnight, and before they began building their new communities, many evacuees were housed in Yevul and Yated, two tiny secular communities about four miles away from their future homes. “We wanted to build a community where Israel really needs us—on these critical borders with Gaza and Egypt,” Tzurit Yachi, 46, explained. Yachi, an observant Jew and mother of eight and grandmother of three, is a former resident of Gush Katif who now lives in Bnei Netzarim, one of three new communities built by JNF in Halutza, part of the Eshkol Region. But first, she and her family found themselves in Yevul. “They didn’t even have a synagogue or a mikvah when we first arrived,” Yachi reminisced. “The community, however, received us very warmly, bringing us flowers and immediately setting up fun activities for our children.” “It was weird in the beginning,” said Yarom Bob, 45, a blacksmith and secular resident of Yated. “But the transition went smoothly because everyone worked together. I remember it being very easy.” Currently, Yated and Yevul each count between 300-350 residents and are just two of 29 secular, largely agricultural communities within the Eshkol Region. Together, the communities absorbed the Gush Katif residents who looked to rebuild and resettle in the region. “When we arrived, we also wanted to know what we could do to help—we came here to give, not just to take,” Yachi said of the Gush Katif evacuees. Not only did the new residents build a synagogue and

“From all of the work observant and secular Jews have done together in the area, we have learned that we are more similar than different.”

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by families in the community, take part in Shabbat-appropriate activities, and have the opportunity to attend services at the synagogue, if they desire. All activities are done on a volunteer basis by members of the Bnei Netzarim community. “These volunteers are the success of our programs,” Prins pointed out. He hopes that the program will continue to grow and include more children from the secular communities in the vicinity. “It takes a lot of bravery for these two very different communities to come into each other’s homes and lives,” said Prins. “If we can teach kids from an early age not to fear the other and to view one another in a positive way, then we have succeeded.” “From all of the work observant and secular Jews have done together in the area, we have learned that we are more similar than different,” said Yachi. “Even though it is very hard, we need to encourage more cooperation and develop personal connections.” Yachi, herself, has secular friends with whom she meets for coffee from time to time, and she pointed out that in spite of their different outlooks, “We have learned how similar we truly are.” “We are the same people, the same blood,” Bob echoed. “We were really sad when the evacuees left their former homes, but they are helping us develop the Negev, and we are proud of them for that.” Bob added that he has friends who now live in Halutza, and one of his employees even travels from his community of Naveh every day for work in Yated. “Some of us work there, some of them work here—we respect everyone,” he said. Bob, whose blacksmithing business takes the remains of rockets shot from Gaza and turns them into beautiful artwork, points out that “rockets are indiscriminate of a person’s religious ideology— we are in this together.” Women of the Eshkol Region enjoying a bike ride “There’s a certain togetherness that shows itself during hard times,” added Yachi. The plan moving forward is to cultivate that sense of community during the calm times, too, through projects like Midreshet Netzarim’s Connections. “You need a lot of faith, faith in Israel to succeed here,” Prins reflected. “We think what we’re doing here is an appropriate starting point to crafting and cultivating friendships and communal cooperation between observant and secular Israelis.”

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mikvah in Yevul, they also added joy and a festive flavor to Jewish holidays. “They would stand outside the supermarket before Passover and give out holiday baskets, including everyone in the spirit of the holiday,” said Bob. What the Gush Katif evacuees have contributed to the Eshkol Region continues to have a lasting impact. Yachi, who works for the Eshkol Regional Council, had been in charge of the Tzachi unit in her community in Gush Katif. The name Tzachi in Hebrew stands for “community emergency team,” and members consisted of first responders assigned to each community who mobilized following a terror or rocket attack. “Someone needed to think about where a family would go to stay, who would take care of the children, what to do if a certain area was without water or electricity due to an attack, and so on,” Yachi explained. She and others had honed these skills from their own harsh reality in Gush Katif. Yachi became the coordinator for Tzachi units in all of the communities of the Eshkol Regional Council. “It wasn’t easy in the beginning,” she pointed out, as the Gush Katif evacuees were the first observant Jews to come settle in the area. “But as soon as they [the secular residents] realized that we shared common values, like protecting Israel’s borders, we were able to move forward in spite of our obvious differences.” This included building friendships and sharing celebrations, with each side carefully considering the concerns and beliefs of the other. “There was, and still is, some apprehension from both the secular and the observant sides,” said Elyada Prins, 38, an evacuee and the director of Midreshet Netzarim, an educational youth program founded in Gush Katif in 1992. One way Midreshet is building a sense of coexistence is through a unique project called “Connections.” The project includes residents from the three observant communities of Halutza who go into the 29 secular kibbutzim and communities of the Eshkol Region before and during Jewish holidays to spread cheer and connect non-observant residents to Judaism. A tangible success of Connections has been the B’nai Mitzvah project, where secular children from local kibbutzim approaching Bar and Bat Mitzvah age come to Bnei Netzarim to experience an observant Shabbat. “There are kids that, for them, it’s their first time going to synagogue,” Prins A visit to the doctor in Halutza said. They are hosted

OUT & ABOUT WITH

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GREATER NEW YORK

26 JNF.org (L-R) Amy and Jeremy Abramson (President’s Society), Dr. Norman Weiss (Century Council) and Bonnie Weiss (Century Council, Sapphire Society), JNF Director of Westchester and Southern Connecticut Stephanie Risa Balkin, Lynn Jacobs (Sapphire Society), and JNF Executive Director of Greater New York Michael Feinman at the Farm to Table: Israeli Style event in Scarsdale.

(L-R) Florence Paley (Negev Society) and Laura Paley (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with a LOTEM soldier at Emek HaShalom. (L-R) JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Rotem Rosen (Century Council), Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, IDF Maj. Gen. (Res.) and Chairman of Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran Doron Almog, and Alex Sapir (Century Council) at the Greater New York Aleh Negev Reception at Nomo Soho.

(L-R) Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz with New York Board Member Saul Burian (President’s Society) and Dan Kamensky (Century Council) at the JNF Manhattan Reception for Aleh NegevNahalat Eran.

Dr. Sid Goldfarb with New York Board (L-R): IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, Jill Janowski (Sapphire Society), Ben Gutmann Member Dr. Naomi Vilko (President’s (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Society) on the DFI Mission. Barry Honig (President’s Society), and Bruce Pomerantz (Herzl Society) at a Parlor Meeting in Tenafly.

Rita and David Levy (Century Council) at JNF’s Sderot Indoor Recreation Center.

SOUTHERN

Joan Oppenheimer (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) and Susan Gutmann (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at a WFI event in Tenafly.

(L-R) Herbert Ash (Herzl Society), Joseph Fingerman (Herzl Society), Jay Footlik, Michael Kessler (Century Council, Negev Society), Mark Engel (Century Council, President’s Society), and JNF Executive Director of Long Island Howard Ingram at Dix Hills Jewish Center.

(L-R) Atlanta Board of Trustee women Jill Harris, Rosi Fiedotin (President’s Society), Melissa Bernstein (Sapphire Society), Carole Salzberg (Sapphire Society), Roni Wolk (President’s Society), Senior Campaign Executive Marcy Friedland, Gladys Hirsch (Century Council), and Debbie Levinson at a private briefing with JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson.

Event hosts Ula and Michael Zusman (President’s Society) at Atlanta’s Major Donor Thank You Reception. (L-R) Mayor Rusty Paul of Sandy Springs, GA, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, and Councilman Andy Bauman (Herzl Society) discuss partnering through Sandy Springs’ Sister-City relationship with Israel’s Western Galilee to invest in JNF’s Go North initiative.

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Breakfast Co-Chairs and LA Board Members Barak Lurie (Herzl Society) and Doug Williams (President’s Society) at the LA Breakfast.

(L-R) Los Angeles Board Member Tom Morgan (Century Council, President’s Society), with Gary Levinson, and Los Angeles Board Member David Chudnow (World Chairman’s Council, Herzl Society) at the LA Breakfast.

LA Board Member Gina Raphael (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), with Consul General David Siegel, and LA Israel Water Summit Co-Chair David Nahai at the LA Breakfast.

(L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush with David and Robin Frank (Century Council, Negev Society) in the Halutza carrot field.

(L-R) Les Bronte, Israeli firefighter Uri Chobotaro, Mark Egerman (Century Council, President’s Society), and Gary and Linda Briskman at the Emergency Task Force meeting in Beverly Hills.

(L-R) JNF-KKL Israel Emissary Shlomi Vayzer, JNF Development Officer Ariel Kotler, Israeli firefighter Uri Chobotaro, and Carole Shnier (Sapphire Society) at the Emergency Task Force meeting in Beverly Hills.

NEW ENGLAND

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

Outgoing Los Angeles Board President Mark Egerman (Century Council, President’s Society) receives an award at his last meeting as president by Executive Director of Greater Los Angeles Louis Rosenberg.

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Nancy Simches (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) and JNF National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman in Chestnut Hill.

Sapphire President Amy Parsons (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Boston President Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society), and Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society) at a Let There Be Water event featuring author Seth M. Siegel (President’s Society), hosted by Larry Cohen and Nixon Peabody.

Misha Joukowsky (Century Council, President’s Society) and JNF Boston Israel Emissary Rami Hazan at a Boston Board of Directors meeting.

(L-R) Sandy Davis (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Pat Blank (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Chai Society Chair and hostess Risa Aronson (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), featured speaker and WFI President Nina Paul (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and JNF New England Director Sara Hefez at a WFI event.

(L-R) JNF New England Director Sara Hefez, New England President Larry Cohen (Century Council, President’s Society), JNF National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, Executive Board Member Isaac Edry (Herzl Society), and Todd Patkin (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society) at a meeting in Newton.

(L-R) Sandy Davis (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Member), Rachel Davis, New England Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis (Century Council, Negev Society), and Co-CEO of AMHSI-JNF Leor Sinai at Alexander Muss High School in Israel.

(L-R) JNF-Green Horizons Liaison Ido Eiskovitz, Emeritus Boston President and VP of Communities and Regions Michael Blank (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society), Julie Alcorn, Aaron Blank, and Pat Blank (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) visit JNF’s Sderot Indoor Recreation Center.

New England President Larry Cohen (Century Council, President’s Society), JNF National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, and Boston President Emeritus and National LFI Chair Robert Cohan (Herzl Society) on a trip to Isrel.

(L-R back row) Steven London (Herzl Executive Board Member Isaac Edry (Herzl Society), Steven Aronson (Century Society) and JNF Boston Israel Emissary Council, President’s Society), New England Rami Hazan at a planning meeting. Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis (Century Council, Negev Society), Boston President Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society), Martin Lowenthal (Herzl Society), and Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities and Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society). (L-R front row) JNF New England Director Sara Hefez, Judi Elovitz Greenberg (Century Council, Sapphire Society), and Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society) at a Boston Executive Board meeting.

Co-CEO of AMHSI-JNF Leor Sinai, Sofia Cohan, Phuli Cohan (Sapphire Society), and Boston President Emeritus and National LFI Chair Robert Cohan (Herzl Society) visiting the Alexander Muss High School in Israel.

Yadira Patkin (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), JNF New England Director Sara Hefez, and Sonia Silverman (Sapphire Society) at a WFI Event.

FLORIDA

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

Orlando Board Member Harvey Kobrin (Century Council, Herzl Society) and Faye David at a Major Donor event in Orlando.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Richard Rappaport (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) and guest speaker Ambassador Gideon Meir in Tampa.

(L-R) Amira Meir with Orlando Board Members Jim Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society) and Valeria Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and guest speaker Ambassador Gideon Meir at an event hosted by the Shapiros.

(L-R) Presidential Advisor Louise Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) with Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the WFI Sapphire Luncheon in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Dr. Randy Kahn, Dr. Barry Levine (Herzl Society), and DFI National Co-Chair Dr. Robert Norman (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Tampa Bay DFI Dinner.

(L-R) Neil (Century Council, President’s Society) and Sandra Malamud (Century Council, President’s Society) with JNFAmmunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby at a parlor meeting in Sarasota.

(L-R) Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree and Orlando Board Member Jim Pugh (Century Council, Negev Society), Alexis Pugh (Century Council, Negev Society), Margie Steinmetz (Century Council, Negev Society), and Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Chuck Steinmetz (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Orlando Gala and Backstage Tour.

(L-R) National Community Campaign Co-Chair and Orlando Board Member Jim Riola (World Chairman’s Society, President’s Society) with LFI National Chair and Orlando Board Member Jill Riola (World Chairman’s Society, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Vice President, Campaign Ken Segel (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society), and National Major Gifts Chair and Orlando Board Member Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society).

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Laura Salzer (Sapphire Society) and Tampa Bay Board Member Tina Gordon (Sapphire Society), with guest speaker and Nefesh B’Nefesh Vice President Doreet Freedman at DFI Dinner in Tampa.

(L-R) Orlando Board Member, Major Gifts Chair, and Gala Co-Chair Mark Israel (Century Council, Negev Society) with Orlando Gala Co-Chair Aaron Gorovitz (President’s Society).

Naples Board Members Michal and Mord Wiesler (President’s Society) at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

(L-R) Hank and Nancy Greenberg (Herzl Society) with Phyllis Seaman at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

Naples Tree of Life™ Award Committee Members Stuart and Estelle Price (Herzl Society) at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

(L–R) Keith and Arlene Silver (Century Council, Negev Society), Dr. Max and Judy Robbins (Century Council, King Solomon Society), Dr. Mark and Anne Rubin (Century Council, President’s Society), and Neil and Jeanne Braverman (Century Council, King Solomon Society) all receiving recognition for being part of JNF’s Century Council at Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

(L-R) Hank Margules (President’s Society), Ruth Margules (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Barbara GrellerCohen (Sapphire Society) at the Temple Emanu-El Brunch with Hal Linden in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Jim and Joan Anchin (Herzl Society), guest speaker and Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Bret Stephens, Lynn Silber (Century Council, Herzl Society), and Palm Beach Board President Art Silber (Century Council, Herzl Society) at the Frenchman’s Creek Reception in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Sharon Pikus (Century Council, Negev Society), Joel Klausner, Lynn Klausner (Sapphire Society), Presidential Advisor Louise Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Rubin Pikus (Century Council, Negev Society), JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, First Vice President Alan Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society), and Palm Beach Director Laura Sherry at the BallenIsles Reception in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Merv Jacobs (Herzl Society), South Palm Beach Director Lee Lebovich, and Elaine Jacobs (Herzl Society) at an Annuity Breakfast in Boca Raton.

28 JNF.org (L-R) Betsy Dorn Lublin, Keith A. Lublin, Kathi Lublin Paul, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dr. Bernard A. Lubin, Bobbie G. Lublin (Negev Society), and Suzie Lublin Tiplitz at the Naples Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

(L-R) JNF National Executive Director of Major Gifts Glen Schwartz, First Vice President Alan Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society), Kenny Kaplan (Century Council, King Solomon Society), and Vice President, Israel Relations Myron Stayman (Century Council, Negev Society) at the 2016 South Palm Beach event in Boca Raton.

(L-R) Rhoda Edelman (President’s Society) with guest speaker and Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Bret Stephens and Alan Edelman (President’s Society) at the Frenchman’s Creek Reception in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Jim Anchin (Herzl Society), Robert Meyer (President’s Society), Ad Shuster (President’s Society), Mort Fishman (Herzl Society),and Palm Beach Board President Art Silber (Century Council, Herzl) at the BallenIsles Reception in Palm Beach.

(L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Bernard Mintz (Century Council, King Solomon Society), and Ruth Mintz (Century Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society) in South Palm Beach.

(L-R) HaShomer HaChadash Resource Development Director Seth Davis, Florence Paley (Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and HaShomer HaChadash Founder and CEO Yoel Zilberman in Boca Raton.

Social Media Committee Chair Vivian Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society) with Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the WFI Sapphire Luncheon in Palm Beach.

MID-ATLANTIC

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) Marni Kriss (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Ron Kriss (President’s Society), Vice President, Campaign Ken Segel (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society), JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Bob and Florence Werner (Century Council, Negev Society), and Nancie Segel (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society) at the 2016 Bank Leumi Halutza Reception in Aventura.

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Go North Task Force Chair Ken Krupsky (Century Council, President’s Society) and Go North Education Chair Dr. Adrienne Rulnick (Sapphire Society) at a parlor meeting in Washington, D.C.

(L-R) Gail Quartner (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Nanci Seff (Lifetime Sapphire, President’s Society), and National Campaign Director Diane Scar (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a Major Donor Thank You Event at the home of Gail Quartner in Bethesda.

(L-R) Jack Rose (Century Council, Herzl Society), National Campaign Director Diane Scar (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), National Vice President, Campaign Ken Segel (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Bob Chertkof (President’s Society), Lynn Kapiloff (Century Council, Negev Society), Orly Shalem (Sapphire Society), Senior Campaign Executive Eric Narrow, and Maryland Board President Frank Spector (Herzl Society) at a Major Gifts Committee Meeting in JNF’s Baltimore office.

Makor member Ira Bartfield (Century Council, President’s Society) receives a special gift by JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner in recognition of his outstanding support for LOTEM and accessible nature trails for all Israelis, during a parlor meeting in Bethesda.

JNF-Green Horizons Liaison Ido ReichmanEisikovits with Jack Rose (Century Council, Herzl Society) in Northern Virginia discuss the impact of the Erik Glenn Rose Second Chances Scholarship Fund, which Rose established for Green Horizons in memory of his son.

JNF-Ammunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby presents the prestigious beret of the IDF Paratrooper Unit to Jeffrey Klein (Century Council, President’s Society) as a fellow serviceman and supporter of the Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill, at his home in Glen Burnie.

(L-R) Director of Special in Uniform IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, Chair of JNF’s Task Force on Disabilities Gary Kushner (Century Council, President’s Society), and JNF D.C. Director Stuart Diamant-Cohen after an informational session for Special in Uniform in Washington, D.C.

(L-R) Rita Stein (Century Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire), JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner, and Dr. Chet Stein (Century Council, Negev Society) at a parlor meeting about LOTEM in Baltimore.

(L-R) Michael Kress, Mitchell Berliner (Herzl Society), Susan Dilles (Sapphire Society), Delaware Board Member Melissa Donimirski and Mimi Kress (Sapphire Society) at a Major Donor Thank You event with guest speaker with Delaware Board President Joel Dennis Prager in Bethesda. Friedlander (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon’s Society) at a LFI committee meeting in Wilmington.

WESTERN

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) JNF Las Vegas Director Shawn Willis; MAYIM, Celebration of Water Dinner Honoree Janet Wellish (Sapphire Society) with Las Vegas Board President, MAYIM Honoree, and JNF National Water Task Force Member Bernice Friedman (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson.

JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson with Glenda Monkarsh and JNF Las Vegas Board Member Larry Monkarsh (Herzl Society) at the MAYIM, Celebration of Water Dinner.

(L-R) JNF Las Vegas President-Elect Janet JNF Mountain States Board Members Nancy Wellish (Sapphire Society), JNF National Siegel (Sapphire Society) and Amy Zepplin Campaign Director Sharon Freedom, Faye at a WFI Parlor Meeting in Denver. Steinberg (Sapphire Society), Dr. Suzanne Steinberg, and JNF Las Vegas Director Shawn Willis at a Las Vegas donor meeting.

Linda Hecker (Sapphire Society) with Board Member and Mountain States WFI Chair Barbara Burry (Sapphire Society) at the WFI Parlor Meeting in Denver.

(L-R) JNF Mountain States Board Member Natalie Goldman (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Board Member Debra Weinstein (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), with Rita Balaban (Sapphire Society), and Board Member Tania Hansen at JNF’s WFI Chanukah Celebration. (L-R) Marilyn Malkin, Beth Cherner (Sapphire Society), and Elise Sacks at the Snowbird Breakfast in Palm Springs.

30 JNF.org (L-R) Bibi Summer, event hostess Jordana Perman, and Northern CA Board Member Rose Barlow (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at an event with guest speaker IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia from Special in Uniform at the Perman’s home in Larkspur.

Ralph Tash and Elaine Land-Dexter (Sapphire Society) at the Love of Israel dinner in Palm Springs.

(L-R) Northern CA Board President Dick Berman (Century Council, King Solomon Society), Northern CA Board Member and LFI Chair David Kaufman, and JNF Northern CA and Pacific Northwest Executive Director Don Schlesinger at a Northern CA Board Meeting at Nixon Peabody Law Firm in San Francisco.

Northern CA Board President Dick Berman (Century Council, King Solomon Society) with JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner at Emek HaShalom in Israel.

Co-Chairs for the Arizona Sapphire Appreciation Luncheon Renee Ressler (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Carol Knoppow (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia of Special in Uniform.

(L-R) Marnie Dietrich (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Jane Jozoff (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Arizona Sapphire Society Appreciation Luncheon.

Bob Fey (Century Council, President’s (L-R) Jimmy Borax (Century Council, Society) at the Palm Springs Planned Giving President’s Society), AMHSI-JNF Co-CEO Event in January. Leor Sinai, and Sheri Borax (Century Council , President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Alexander Muss Parlor Meeting in Palm Springs. Love of Israel Honorees Rick and Marcia Stein (Herzl Society) at the Love of Israel dinner in Palm Springs.

(L-R) Judy Laufer (Sapphire Society) and Judy Bassett (Sapphire Society) at the Arizona Sapphire Appreciation Luncheon.

Tina Almendares (Sapphire Society) and Ande Mass visit the Be’er Sheva Amphitheater in February.

(L-R) Marti Eisenberg (Sapphire Society), Dr. Frances Lobman, Bill Miller (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society), Steven Oberman, and JNF San Diego Director Amy Hart at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

Stanley Hersh (Century Council, President’s Society) and Rick Golberg at the Let There Be Water Reception in Austin.

NORTHEAST

(L-R) Israeli Consul for Political Affairs Yaki Lopez, Judith Lief (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Myra Chack Fleischer (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Bill Miller (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), JNF San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society), best-selling author Seth M. Siegel (President’s Society), National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, JNF San Diego Director Amy Hart, Dr. Frances Lobman, Steven Oberman, and IDE CEO Marc Lambert at JNF’s San Diego Water Summit.

Susan Grossman (Sapphire Society), JNFHalutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, and Bob Grossman (President’s Society) in Halutza.

(L-R) Irene Sperling, Vivian Diamond Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society), and Central New Jersey Board Member Phyllis Solomon (Sapphire Society) at the CNJ WFI night at the Jewish Museum of Monmouth County.

Delaware Board President Joel Freidlander (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) and CNJ Board WFI Co-chair Marina Kirshenbaum (Sapphire Society) at a CNJ LFI event at Skoloff and Wolfe in Livingston.

(L-R) Anna Boni (Sapphire Society), Ethan Boni, and Michael Boni (President’s Society) at Eastern Pennsylvania’s Board Installation in Philadelphia.

MIDWEST

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) JNF San Diego Director Amy Hart, Myra Chack Fleischer (President’s Society, Century Council, Sapphire Society), San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, King Solomon Society, Sapphire Society), JNF- LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner, Judith Lief (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and Marti Eisenberg (Sapphire Society) at a WFI event in San Diego.

31 JNF.org

Dale Danilewitz (Century Council) and Jacqueline Danilewitz (Century Council, Sapphire Society) at Eastern Pennsylvania’s Board Installation in Philadelphia.

(L-R) Toba and Larry Kerson (Century Council, President’s Society) with Alena and David Schwaber (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Gomeh Reservoir in Israel.

(L-R) Philadelphia Board of Directors President Robert Kitchenoff (Herzl Society), Joseph Wolfson (Century Council, President’s Society), Roy Levinson, David Bross, Pam Benedon (Century Council, Presidents Society, Sapphire Society), Makor Member Bob Benedon (Century Council, President’s Society), event guest speaker and Director of Israel Education for Jerusalem Online U Zeev Ben-Shachar, and Mark Kramer (Herzl Society) at Southern New Jersey’s annual Tu BiShvat Beer, Cheese & Trees event.

(L-R) Rivka Zell (Sapphire Society), Director of Special in Uniform IDF Lt. Col (Res.) Tiran Attia, Candy Carter (Sapphire Society), and Jill Weininger (Sapphire Society) at a WFI Parlor Meeting in Chicago.

(L-R) Lori Abrams and Robin Kafenshtok (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a WFI Parlor Meeting in Chicago.

(L-R) JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick welcomes the newest Southern Ohio and Kentucky Board President Jan Armstrong Cobb (Sapphire Society).

(L-R) Aimee Guttman (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Lois Roddy, and Isabella Guttman represent three generations of JNF and Israel supporters at the Southern Ohio and Kentucky WFI event.

Northern Ohio Board Member Barry Feldman (Century Council, Negev Society) visits Halutza.

(L-R) Jacob Goldstein plants a tree with his grandmother, Board Member Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at JNF’s Tu BiShvat Celebration in Cleveland.

Event host Mark Kramer (Herzl Society) opening Southern New Jersey’s annual Tu BiShvat Beer, Cheese & Trees event.

(L-R) David Weintraub, Jason Zenner (Root Society), Andy Stein, Congressman Mike Quigley, Amanda Feder, Dana Rubin (Root Society), Midwest JNFuture Campaign Executive Hannah Feldman, and Jillian Agdern at the JNFuture Tu BiShvat Dessert Reception in Chicago.

(L-R) Dolly Kopin and Judy Roth (Negev Society) participate in a fantastic WFI event in Cincinnati. (L-R) Northern Ohio Board Member Barry Feldman (Century Council, Negev Society), Zoe Winger, Ethan Winger, Jill Winger, Paul When, Barbara Voic, and David Winger at JNF’s Sderot Indoor Recreation Center in Israel.

Creating Inclusive Conversations on Social Media

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#poweredbyJNF

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Oftentimes, social media becomes a hotbed of differing opinions. Whether the user is an individual or a brand representative, one must be cognizant of the words chosen, which may ultimately represent their beliefs and morals. It’s hard enough as an individual user, but the stakes are higher for a brand, company, or organization. It is even more important and a finer line to tow. At JNF, this includes shying away from siding politically as much as possible, while striving to engage all in the conversation. JNF takes to social media to showcase the great work it does and how its partners, projects, and programs help to improve the lives of all Israelis and, in turn, the world. A noble example of positively using social media is promoting JNF’s efforts in water conservation and drought mitigation, with a focus on our successful year-long Water Summits held throughout the U.S. We’ve posted numerous

tips on how to save and conserve water, articles on how Israel is sharing its technology with places like California and providing educational tools to alleviate their water woes, and memes and posts promoting the 1.888.JNF. WATER informational hotline (check it out!).The aim of the Water Summits and supporting posts is to educate the world at large, not just those who know us. If these online exchanges have helped stimulate conversations about water globally, we can say we have helped contribute to tikkun olam, the betterment of the world through Jewish values. JNF also works tirelessly to ensure donor dollars go towards improving the lives of Israel’s citizens. It’s what we feel most passionate about. And that includes the lives of all of Israel’s residents— those with special needs, people from foreign countries, and those from differing religious views. Take for

THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR LEGACY? Ben & Susan Gutmann have... They named JEWISH NATIONAL FUND in their Will “We are proud to include Jewish National Fund as a beneficiary in our estate plan so we can enable JNF to continue its work of building and developing the land of Israel. It is gratifying to know that our legacy will continue into the future.” Ben & Susan Gutmann, Norwood, NJ

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example the amazing work at JNF partner Earth’s Promise, an urban farm and garden in the city of Be’er Sheva, strategically located adjacent to an Ethiopian absorption center. The thoughtful placement is to make these new citizens feel more at home working and benefitting from the farm, which is similar to their lifestyle back home. Earth’s Promise is a gem of JNF’s work and a popular stop on many JNF Alternative Break trips. If you search the hashtag #BeerSheva or #EarthsPromise on Instagram, you are likely to find many young people volunteering at the location. The next generation gets it. They fully understand the power of including all and performing acts of kindness. The coexistence theme can be seen in conversations and comments often exchanged on social media. We interact with those from different walks of life and backgrounds, and even with those who have no connection to Israel or Judaism. In fact, we often receive comments such as, “I’ve never been to Israel, but keep up the good work!” across JNF’s social media accounts. Whether it’s in the work we do, the words we choose, the conversations we craft, or our dealings with others, JNF believes that including all is a vital component of who we are. n Follow us on Facebook (Jewish National Fund), Twitter (@jnfusa) and Instagram (@jnfusa). For more information, contact Miriam Braun at mbraun@jnf.org

JNF College Programs are Inspiring Students By Michael Harry IN DECEMBER 2013, I JOINED CARAVAN

their values align. In American politics, there is a cardinal rule: don’t let your enemy define you. JNF allows Israel to speak for itself. JNF is truly your voice in Israel. Israel has all the right values, and JNF broadcasts them to the world. For me, that made all the difference. Those individuals who mistakenly criticize Israel owe their own values to the Jewish tradition. Through the work of groups like JNF, someday they will see the light—a light that inspires me every day. n Michael Harry is the Executive Director of the Mainstream Republicans of Washington. For more information on JNF’s Caravan for Democracy or any JNF college programs, contact education@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x245

Developing the Jewish State with Diversity By Gil Hoffman WHEN MY DAUGHTER ELIANA TURNED

six in August 2012, I knew where to take her. Not to a water park or a bowling alley like where she went for her friends’ birthdays. No, I took her to Sderot. It sounded funny at the time. After all, the dusty Negev development town along the Gaza Strip was being hit daily by rockets—some 20,000 have been fired since the 2005 Gaza Disengagement. But I had previously visited Jewish National Fund’s Sderot Indoor Recreation Center with a JNF tour and saw how much fun it was. The 21,000-square-foot facility is Israel’s largest indoor playground. JNF built it for the children of Sderot, who could not play outside, but kids come from all over Israel to use and enjoy it—and to support the local children and their parents. Eliana enjoyed playing, especially on the jungle gym for children aged six and older because she had reached such a special age. No 21-year-old drinking legally for the first time at a sports bar has ever reached such joy as Eliana felt that day. What she did not notice, but I did, was the diversity at the playground. There were Jewish kids of Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Ethiopian heritage. There were Arab boys and girls, Bedouin and Druze as well. While children played, I plugged in my computer and wrote my column for The Jerusalem Post about another

attempt to resurrect the Middle East peace process. I realized the irony that while I was writing about the failure of politicians to bring about peace, I was witnessing with my own eyes the children speaking the universal language of laughter and fun. It wasn’t a politician who brought that about. It was JNF and its donors in the Gil Hoffman United States. The Sderot Indoor Recreation Center is one of dozens of JNF projects in Israel that I have seen bringing together Israelis from every possible ethnicity and divide: religiously observant and secular, rich and poor, Jew and Arab, and people with every possible viewpoint on how to bring about Middle East peace. The most obvious example is in Israel’s national parks, which fill up every weekend and national holiday. Few Israelis have backyards similar to the ones I remember enjoying growing up in suburban Chicago, so the parks are where kids of all ages go to play soccer, barbecue, and take in the great weather.

JNF is currently building what will be Israel’s largest park in Be’er Sheva. When finished, it will look like the San Antonio River Walk that it is based on. I can’t wait to take my kids there. In addition to my role at The Jerusalem Post, I am a frequent speaker for JNF. Thanks to JNF’s Speakers Bureau, which provides an impressive list of knowledgeable guest speakers from a variety of fields and expertise, I have been invited to talk about Israel in 46 states across the U.S. Members of the Speakers Bureau speak about Israel and JNF’s work at synagogues, conferences, and community events. The bureau has enabled me to reach out to individuals of all faiths and backgrounds who love Israel and inform them about what is happening behind the scenes in the Jewish state. I’ve also had the privilege of speaking for JNF in Israel, Canada, England, and Ireland. But my connection to JNF has helped me most in my most important job: as a parent. Last year, my son Amichai turned six, and we went back to the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center. He was able to go on the jungle gym, because it was his sixth birthday. He didn’t know it, but he got to use that jungle gym because of JNF. n Gil Hoffman is the chief political correspondent and analyst for The Jerusalem Post, and a proud member of JNF’s Speakers Bureau. To learn more about JNF’s Speakers Bureau, contact speakers@jnf.org or call 212.879.9307

33 JNF.org

in politics, where aggression, retaliation, and sometimes pettiness, are the norm. Years of this has exposed me to the woefully shallow and ugliest parts of human nature. Abstracting the personal to the collective renders Israel truly astonishing. Given its history, the Jewish consciousness would have greater justification to return malice with brutality than any other—and yet, it does not. Where else but Israel does one group allow others to share its holiest space? Where else do residents who deny the legitimacy of the state receive equality under the law? What other people provide vital resources to enemies who publicly advocate for their annihilation and perennially launch indiscriminate wars against them? No other people has ever, or would ever, do these things. Sadly, the world doesn’t get to see this. Here lies the power of JNF. Rather than puncture the underlying values of those who detest Israel, JNF shows them where

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for Democracy, a Jewish National Fund tour for college student leaders of all faiths. For me, the trip felt like the completion of a necessary pilgrimage. Fast forward and I now have two more trips to Israel under my belt. In the Evangelical world, the world I grew up in, visiting Israel constitutes a peak experience and sign of great devotion. When I tell people back home that I have gone not just once, but three times, they are awestruck. Ironically, they would unlikely understand the motivations driving my travels. In fact, I’m no longer Evangelical at all, and the theology I once accepted regarding Israel fell away long ago. Yet for me, Israel captivates in an equally spiritual Michael Harry with a fellow Caravan way—if not tranparticipant scendental. I work

2016 JNF National Conference New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 • September 16 - 19, 2016 NATIONAL

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

JNF’s National Conference brings together hundreds of committed Jewish leaders and philanthropists from across the country to learn about key issues of the day and JNF’s ongoing vital work for the land and people of Israel.

JEWISH CONFERENCE NATIONAL FUND NEW YORK CITY

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Hear from JNF Chairman of the Board Ronald Lauder, Best-Selling Author Bruce Feiler, Deputy Editorial Page Editor for the Wall Street Journal Bret Stephens, and Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School, among many others! Register today at jnf.org/nc and reserve your hotel room under JNF’s room block! For more information, contact Amy Penchansky at apenchansky@jnf.org or 516.678.6805 x804

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Feinman at mfeinman@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x503

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Join Team JNF on the 2016 Israel Ride!

The Israel Ride is your opportunity to explore

Jerusalem to Eilat

causes. Participating in one of three cycling

Nov. 8 – Nov. 15, 2016

Receive $150 off registration with the code “JNF”

the beauty and breathtaking landscape of Israel from the seat of a bike — all for great options, which range from 150 to 370 miles, you will triumph over your personal riding goals on this adventure of a lifetime.

www.israelride.org/jnf JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

This trip is a gift from Birthright Israel and for 18-26 year olds with at least one Jewish parent who fit the Birthright Israel eligibility requirements outlined at israelwithisraelis.com/eligibility. CONTACT SHORASHIM : (312) 267-0677 • REGISTRATION@SHORASHIM.ORG • ISRAELWITHISRAELIS.COM

Strengthening Jewish Identity Globally A RECENT ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH

AMHSI Alumni

US Jewish Population

Have a Jewish Spouse

88% 56% Participate in Jewish/Zionist Organizations

65% 18% Are members of a synagogue

63% 31% Donate to Jewish charities

80% 56% school annually—and the numbers keep growing. To date, AMHSI is the academic program provider in Israel to the Australian Jewish community, particularly in the global “teen immersion” market. Based on this success, AMHSI continues to look at the greater global community and has received increased interest from Jewish communities in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Turkey, and several South American countries. A pluralistic semester abroad program for high school students where the land becomes a living classroom, AMHSI is proud to be an accredited academic institution by the Middle States Association and a place of exploration and discovery. Its unique approach fuses formal classroom study and experiential-based learning to enhance students’ intellectual understanding of history and emotional connection to identity. This enables them to form their own sense of self and peoplehood, and to prepare for college and beyond. AMHSI’s semester abroad program is located in the newly renovated state-of-the-art campus in Hod HaSharon, where students enjoy independence within a structured system. There they develop learning and leadership skills as each matures and becomes accountable for the academic responsibilities that come with living on a college campus. That is why in many respects AMHSI is also a college prep program.

Unfortunately, today, we are witnessing the rise in antiIsrael sentiments and boycott campaigns on campuses in the U.S. and around the world. Jewish students, faculty, and organizations on campuses are under verbal, and at times, physical attack. The de-legitimization of Israel has reached new levels, and these efforts have influenced public opinion, Israel relations, and policies toward the Jewish state. And yet, there is another story being told: one of strength and courage, of creativity, and innovation that continues to inspire humanity, in particular young people. There’s still more to do. It is up to us to reach out to Jewish communities near and far so that their children—our next generation—across the United States, in South America, South Africa, Europe, and Asia, discover their link to the chain of Jewish continuity and to the land and people of Israel. The Talmud teaches that “all who teach the child of another, it is as if the teacher begot this child.” If this is the case, then JNF and AMHSI have ‘begotten’ hundreds of thousands of children! But there are many more that need to hear this story. As AMHSI commits itself to becoming the global high school in Israel for Jews worldwide, take pride and comfort in knowing that AMHSI is creating the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. n For more information, visit AMHSI.org

Are you an AMHSI alum? Stay tuned for AMHSI’s new newsletter! For more information, please contact tsevelow@amhsi.org or call 212.472.9300

35 JNF.org

School in Israel (AMHSI) survey of past alumni found that Jewish high school students who spend a semester abroad at the academic institute have a higher degree of participation in Jewish communal life and possess a higher sense of Jewish identity in comparison to their peers. Moreover, AMHSI’s numbers, when compared to the widely publicized 2013 “A Portrait of Jewish Americans” Pew Research Center survey, were double, if not triple, that of the national U.S. Jewish population. This is not surprising. For the 25,000 alumni who have studied at AMHSI, the impact is transformative and reflected in their ongoing commitment to Jewish continuity and connectivity with Israel. Given these findings, AMHSI is committed to extending its reach across the U.S. as well as among world Jewry to become the premier global high school in Israel. Along with Jewish National Fund and its critical role in connecting Jews to the land and people of Israel, AMHSI is able to shape the minds of countless young Jews as they begin their journey down life’s path. Since its founding in 1972, and in the years since its partnership with JNF, AMHSI has pioneered the academic and experiential study of Israel and Jewish history for high school students, inspiring them to explore and discover their individual and collective heritage. But the work doesn’t stop there. It can’t stop there. Globally, AMHSI’s outreach has increased exponentially in recent years after an initial investment was made to bring high school students from Australia to study in Israel. What started with a handful of participants has grown to include 200 Australian students coming to the

ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH SCHOOL IN ISRAEL

Remember the family.

COME HOME FOR A VISIT. Find your unique trip to Israel with JNF!

Young Professionals Tour

July 17 – 24, 2016

An experience for young singles enjoying the sights and spirit of Israel on a unique and unforgettable trip.

Spirit of Israel: The Future is Now

October 20 – 27, 2016

Embark on a meaningful journey through history, art, music, and culture with other progressive, like-minded individuals.

(for singles ages 30-45)

President’s Society Mission

November 6 – 10, 2016 Optional Pre-Mission trip to Amsterdam: November 2-6

An exclusive opportunity to experience Israel with JNF major donors and delve deeply into JNF’s work in the North.

Queen of Sheba: Women for Israel Tour

November 10 - 16, 2016

A women’s-only trip for an unforgettable experience of Israel through women’s eyes.

A Tour of Israel’s Water Solutions

December 4 – 8, 2016

This specialized tour will open your eyes to Israel’s water crisis and JNF’s role in its rapid transformation into a global leader in water technology.

(Canadian American Active Retirees in Israel)

January 9 - February 26, 2016

Volunteer in Israel on this one-of-a-kind program and partake in rewarding community service, visit the country’s landmarks and hidden gems, and hear from inspirational speakers.

Law & Justice Tour

February 19 – 23, 2017

Take a behind-the-scenes look at Israel’s justice system and attend exclusive meetings with influential Knesset Members, Supreme Court judges, and high-ranking military officials.

CAARI

50th Anniversary of Jerusalem’s Reunification Mission

May 21 - May 30, 2017

Celebrate Jerusalem’s 50th anniversary on this oncein-a-lifetime trip that includes an emotional ceremony commemorating the Six Day War and the city’s reunification.

For more information, contact 877.JNF.TOUR (877.563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel